Section 480-07-900. Open public meetings.

(1) Regular meetings. The commission will hold regular meetings to conduct business under chapter 42.30 RCW, the Open Public Meetings Act. The commission generally schedules two business meetings per month, usually on Thursday at 9:30 a.m. in the commission's office in Olympia, Washington. The specific time and place of each business meeting are published, as required, in the Washington State Register and on the commission's internet web site. The commission may cancel a meeting or change the time or place of a meeting and will publish a notice of these changes on its web site.

(2) Special meetings. The commission may convene special meetings under RCW 42.30.080.

(3) Recessed meetings. The commission may recess a regular or special meeting and reconvene it at a different time or location.

(4) Agenda. The commission will distribute an agenda for each regular business meeting. The commission will make its best effort to compile and publish a complete agenda. It may amend its agenda after it is published and may take up matters that do not appear on its published agenda. The agenda and any addendum are posted to the commission's internet site. The commission will provide a copy of the agenda via U.S. mail on request.

(a) "Discussion" agenda. The discussion agenda includes items that are scheduled for discussion and action by the commissioners. This part of the agenda is further divided into "utilities" and "transportation" sections.

(b) "No action" agenda. The no-action agenda includes items that appear to be noncontroversial and, by law, may take effect without action by the commission. Any item on the no-action agenda will be moved to the discussion agenda at the request of any commissioner. The commission may take such action on the item as it deems appropriate.

(c) "Consent" agenda. The consent agenda includes items that appear to be noncontroversial and, by law, require action by the commission to take effect. Any item on the consent agenda will be moved to the discussion agenda at the request of any commissioner. The commission will act on the items on the consent agenda by a single motion and a single vote of the commission.

(5) Deadlines and schedules.

(a) The commission generally schedules items for consideration at the last regular business meeting before the item would take effect by law. The commission generally schedules items without a stated effective date, such as petitions, for consideration thirty days after filing.

(b) If a company makes a filing and requests action by the commission before the statutory or required notice period is complete, the commission will schedule consideration of the request at its next regular business meeting, if the request is filed and complete at least seven business days before the meeting. Items filed less than seven business days before a meeting will generally be scheduled for the second business meeting after the filing.

(c) All written comments in response to an open meeting item must be filed with the commission three business days in advance of the meeting. Persons are not required to file written comments about an open meeting item to make oral comments at the meeting.

(d) The commission will publish the agenda for each regular business meeting two business days before the meeting.

(e) The commission may publish an addendum to the agenda prior to the beginning of the meeting.

(6) Staff contact. For each item on the discussion agenda, the commission designates a staff member who is assigned to analyze and present a recommendation to the commission at the open meeting. The staff person and a contact number are identified in the agenda. Persons interested in open meeting agenda items may discuss them with staff, subject to time availability.

(7) Public comment. The commission will provide an opportunity at the beginning of each business meeting for members of the public to request that items on the consent or no-action sections of the agenda be moved to the discussion section. The commission will provide an opportunity for public comment on each discussion agenda item before taking action on that item.

(8) Orders. The commission may direct the secretary to enter any order or sign any document necessary to implement an open meeting decision by the commissioners.

(9) Modifications. The commission may exercise its discretion to modify the procedures in this section when appropriate to the conduct of its business.

[Statutory Authority: RCW 80.01.040 and 80.04.160. WSR 08-18-012 (Docket A-072162, General Order R-550), § 480-07-900, filed 8/22/08, effective 9/22/08; WSR 06-16-053 (Docket A-050802, General Order R-536), § 480-07-900, filed 7/27/06, effective 8/27/06; WSR 03-24-028 (General Order R-510, Docket No. A-010648), § 480-07-900, filed 11/24/03, effective 1/1/04.]

RCW 80.01.040 and 80.04.160. WSR 08-18-012 (Docket A-072162, General Order R-550), § 480-07-900, filed 8/22/08, effective 9/22/08; WSR 06-16-053 (Docket A-050802, General Order R-536), § 480-07-900, filed 7/27/06, effective 8/27/06; WSR 03-24-028 (General Order R-510, Docket No. A-010648), § 480-07-900, filed 11/24/03, effective 1/1/04.