Slog - Comments on Port Watch http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/04/port_watch Among other weird things coming to light about the Port lately, I noticed that every one of their twice-a-month public meetings is preceded by a closed door executive session. As someone who covered city hall for years where executive sessions came up only for special circumstances like confidential real estate discussions or personnel matters, the Port's practice strikes me as curious. Executive sessions before every public meeting? What are they talking about in there? Are they scripting the upcoming public meeting? I brought this to the attention of Port Commissioner John Creighton this morning. (I ran into Creighton last night... Copyright 2008 Fri, 27 Apr 2007 13:00:56 -0800 Thu, 10 May 2007 13:47:33 -0800 http://www.movabletype.org/?v=3.34 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Comment by Fnarf She did a lot more than singe it (I think "sign" is what you want).

I like the way you're holding their feet to the fire on this one, Josh. We can't have half a billion dollars in the hands of these nitwits without some kind of accountability.

]]> Fnarf http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/04/port_watch#c704133 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/04/port_watch#c704133 News Fri, 27 Apr 2007 13:08:03 -0800 Comment by boldy mcbolderson fix your post's html, you have an unclosed bold/strong tag that is effing up the rest of slog.

]]> boldy mcbolderson http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/04/port_watch#c704136 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/04/port_watch#c704136 News Fri, 27 Apr 2007 13:11:59 -0800 Comment by john Clos your bold tag.

]]> john http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/04/port_watch#c704148 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/04/port_watch#c704148 News Fri, 27 Apr 2007 13:24:34 -0800 Comment by john Close your bold tag.

]]> john http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/04/port_watch#c704150 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/04/port_watch#c704150 News Fri, 27 Apr 2007 13:24:45 -0800 Comment by Will in Seattle Axis Bold!

]]> Will in Seattle http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/04/port_watch#c704156 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/04/port_watch#c704156 News Fri, 27 Apr 2007 13:32:02 -0800 Comment by Lloyd Clydesdale She already dribbled, now she's stuck on her pivot foot, Josh.

]]> Lloyd Clydesdale http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/04/port_watch#c704196 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/04/port_watch#c704196 News Fri, 27 Apr 2007 14:09:40 -0800 Comment by calvin If only we had tossed that arrogant Davis bitch 2 years ago.
I miss Jack Jolley.

]]> calvin http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/04/port_watch#c704253 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/04/port_watch#c704253 News Fri, 27 Apr 2007 15:11:30 -0800 Comment by Sam Josh, this type of executive session stuff happens pretty much all the time in all jurisdictions in every state in America.

How do you propose to go about proving what takes place in these meetings is "kosher" if nobody in those secret sessions will speak to you to admit what's going on.

It seems to me that even if some of them appreciate Open Public Meetings law, they all seem to think that no matter WHAT happens in said meetings, they have to keep it quiet.

It's really unfortunate. Public business should be done in public, as far as I'm concerned, and I try to work with people on a daily basis about this.

I think there are generally some misconceptions about the state's Open Public Meetings act that government attorneys often push on leaders - or leaders merely want to play it safe, for whatever reason.

]]> Sam http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/04/port_watch#c704254 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/04/port_watch#c704254 News Fri, 27 Apr 2007 15:12:00 -0800 Comment by jeffuppy From: "Public Law Ethics Primer For Government Lawyers"

By: the Washington State Municipal Attorneys Association

http://www.mrsc.org/publications/primer.aspx

VI. EXECUTIVE SESSIONS

B. Additional Considerations.

1. Change of Subject. What should counsel do when, in executive session, the discussion wanders away from the topic for which the executive session was convened?...What is the attorney's ethical duty...? The attorney should warn the public body that it is authorized to conduct an executive session for certain limited purposes, and if it wishes to proceed with other matters, the public meeting should reconvene."

Josh you say: Creighton, in fact, says he brought it to the attention of Port legal staff, and they told him the Commission was advised to “reel it back in.”

Does this mean no one from the Legal staff attends the executive sessions? Or that Creighton missed the one where they were told to "reel it in"?

BTW - why don't you name this (these?) mysterious "Port's legal staff" you mention?

]]> jeffuppy http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/04/port_watch#c704455 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/04/port_watch#c704455 News Fri, 27 Apr 2007 19:04:21 -0800 Comment by Lionel Hutz Uh... (don't think I'm defending Pat Davis here, I'm just stating the facts) Pat was almost single-handedly responsible for bringing the WTO to town back in the day. You know, city torn apart, flash-bangs and tear-gas, Reichert with a photo-op chasing down looters, anarchists from Eugene actually getting press, fat cats in suits from South Africa just trying to make a few million (dis)honest bucks here and there, cost Mayor Schell his job, the whole reason why Nickels is in office... and you sad sacs all re-elected Pat. Twice, I think. I'm just sayin'.

]]> Lionel Hutz http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/04/port_watch#c704504 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/04/port_watch#c704504 News Fri, 27 Apr 2007 21:29:02 -0800 Comment by Buy best antivirus Hello everyone, wanna be part of some kind of community, possible here? anyone here?

]]> Buy best antivirus http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/04/port_watch#c712182 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/04/port_watch#c712182 News Thu, 10 May 2007 13:47:33 -0800