Counties, Cities and Ports request extension of the OPMA and PRA waivers

In a letter delivered to legislative leadership on July 24th, the Washington Public Ports Association, together with the Association of Washington Cities and the Washington State Association of Counties jointly requested an extension of the emergency proclamation on the Open Public Meetings Act (OPMA) and Public Records Act (PRA) for at least another 60 days.

The three associations called out the need for local governments to be able to operate with greater certainty than has been afforded by week-long extensions granted in the past in the letter, which you can read here. Local governments, including port districts, are working diligently to continue to operate in the open, transparent manner the residents of Washington expect, and a longer extension of the emergency proclamations allows governments to focus their efforts on executing the OPMA and PRA per waiver requirements.

We also highlighted the increased public participation some ports have seen at their open meetings. We here at WPPA have also enjoyed the ability to “visit” ports around the state through virtual meetings, staying in touch and learning about your priorities.

We will continue to advocate with legislative leadership on your behalf, and this letter, bolstered by the strength of three local government associations, will help us do just that.