Yakima OKs $13,000 settlement in complaint over council meeting

YAKIMA — In a settlement, the city will pay $13,000 to a man who accused the Yakima City Council of violating the Open Public Meetings Act when four council members participated in a luncheon last May.

Arthur West of Olympia filed the complaint in Yakima County Superior Court, saying the council didn’t provide the public with adequate notice and access to the meeting. When four or more council members are present and discussing city business, it’s considered a quorum. The public is to be notified and given access.

Four members of the council — Dulce Gutierrez, Kathy Coffey, Kay Funk and Brad Hill — attended the luncheon to give updates on several issues.

Organized by the Greater Yakima Chamber of Commerce, the luncheon cost $22 for members and $32 for nonmembers.

In a news release announcing the settlement, City Manager Cliff Moore said the settlement doesn’t mean West’s allegations in his complaint were supported.

“While notice of the Chamber luncheon was not provided, by settling the complaint, the City is responding appropriately to what it believes is a gray area of the OPMA. The settlement amount is much less than what it would have cost the City to resolve the claim in court,” Moore said in the release.