Prefiled 12/05/12. Read first time 01/14/13.   Referred to Committee on Local Government.

     AN ACT Relating to authorizing regular meetings of county legislative authorities to be held at alternate locations within the county; and amending RCW 36.32.080.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

Sec. 1   RCW 36.32.080 and 1989 c 16 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1) Except as provided otherwise by this section, the county legislative authority of each county shall hold regular meetings at the county seat to transact any business required or permitted by law.
     (2) As an alternative option that may be exercised only on an infrequent and irregular basis, regular meetings may be held at a location outside of the county seat but within the county if the county legislative authority determines that holding a meeting at an alternate location would be in the interest of supporting greater citizen engagement in local government.
     (3) The county legislative authority must give notice of any regular meeting held outside of the county seat. Notice must be given at least twenty days before the time of the meeting specified in the notice. At a minimum, notice must be:
     (a) Posted on the county's web site;
     (b) Published in a newspaper of general circulation in the county; and
     (c) Sent via electronic transmission to any resident of the county who has chosen to receive the notice required under this section at an electronic mail address.