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• Two Puyallup Council vets depart under term limits they supported

  Two Puyallup Council vets depart under term limits they supported

  Kathy Turner and Don Malloy joined the Puyallup City Council two years apart. Malloy, an Air Force veteran and junior high school principal, took his seat in 1992. Turner, a real estate agent, followed in 1994.

• Letters to the Editor, Jan. 18

  Letters to the Editor, Jan. 18

  Gavel passing not new; citizens should change city government Your editorial regarding the Puyallup mayor selection (Jan. 11) was weak and uninformative. You failed to research Section 6 of the Council Rules of Procedure, which has been used since Feb. 4, 1980 (see www.cityofpuyallup.org/files/library/b5e30cfc04b30ff9.pdf). You failed to explain Puyallup’s “Council/City Manager form of government vs. a Mayor/City Administrator form of government (see www.cityofpuyallup.org/government). Instead, you cried “staged” and “politically-driven,” like you somehow didn’t see this coming. On Jan. 5, 2004, Marc Brouillet passed the gavel back to Kathy Turner, making Turner the mayor for two consecutive terms. On Jan. 12, 2010, when Turner was to become mayor for the third time, John Knutsen suggested that Turner pass the gavel forward (which she didn’t) and give someone else the opportunity. So if you had researched the policy, our form of government and the history of Puyallup’s mayoral selection, you wouldn

• County rejects gravel mining near Acme despite legal threat

  County rejects gravel mining near Acme despite legal threat

  Hinting at a lawsuit, a gravel company attorney said two Whatcom County Council members should refrain from voting on the company's request to designate 280 acres for future gravel mining because they violated the "appearance of fairness doctrine."

  One of those council members, Ken Mann, recused himself from voting; the other, Pete Kremen, said he rejected the argument and would vote.

  With that, the County Council voted 3-3 late Tuesday, Feb. 14, on the request from Burlington-based Concrete Nor'West to place a mineral resources designation on Eddy's Mountain outside Acme, on land adjacent to an existing pit. A tie vote equals a rejection. Council members Sam Crawford, Kathy Kershner and Bill Knutzen voted for the designation. Kremen, Barbara Brenner and Carl Weimer voted against it. Mann recused himself.

• Lawsuit asks judge to declare Whatcom council violated open meetings law

  Lawsuit asks judge to declare Whatcom council violated open meetings law

  A lawsuit against Whatcom County is intended to send a message to local governments that state open public meetings law is enforced, attorney Greg Overstreet said.

  The lawsuit, filed by Overstreet on Feb. 16 in Whatcom Count Superior Court, asks a judge to declare that email exchanges between County Council members in 2010 violated state open meetings law. He represents Bellingham resident and activist Tim Paxton.

  In 2010, council members sent emails to the full council, and, in two cases, one of them responded to the full group. In a 2011 letter to the county, state auditors said the exchanges met the definition of a meeting that should have been open to the public.

• Bethel School Board must fill pair of vacant seats

  Bethel School Board must fill pair of vacant seats

  The Bethel School Board is seeking two new members following a pair of resignations, including a board veteran who won re-election to her seat in November.