It’s an election year, which means election law is front and center. In this month’s column, I will discuss updates to port-specific election laws and revisit some election season tips for port staff, commissioners and candidates to keep in mind.
On May 20, 2025, the Governor signed a new law that will apply to all Community Associations starting January 1, 2026. The new law is intended to assist owners who are struggling financially...
Summertime at the port means increased use of port facilities—port marinas, piers, and boat launches will be filled with recreational boaters, commercial fishers, and whale watchers; port parks will host festivals and events; and general aviation airports will see increased traffic.
In April, the Washington Court of Appeals issued a decision in West v. Walla Walla City Council , a case involving an alleged violation of the Open Public Meetings Act (“OPMA”).
If you have been following this blog or the Water Resource Inventory Area (“WRIA”) 1 Adjudication, you have learned that the Washington Department of Ecology (“Ecology”) has issued its Summons to all potential water right claimants in the Nooksack Basin and WRIA 1.
In this month’s column, I cautiously dip my legal toe into the implications around recent federal funding actions. I say “cautiously” because I realize there are strong opinions on all sides of federal politics right now.
This past January I had the pleasure of attending WPPA 2025 Port Day in Olympia and observing WPPA Staff and members engage their state legislative delegations and other elected officials to advance the interests of ports all over Washington.
The 68th Washington State Legislature (the “Legislature”) passed legislation in the summer of 2024 that will require Homeowners’ Associations and Condominium Associations to operate in compliance with the Washington Uniform Common Interest Ownership Act (“WUCOIA”) – RCW Chapter 64.90 – beginning January 1, 2028.
Does your port own buildings that are 20,000 square feet or larger? If so, between June 2026 and June 2028, your port will likely have to comply with Building Performance Standards (“BPS”) in the Clean Building Act, Chapter 19.27A RCW
Last month, at the Annual Meeting, WPPA honored an impressive list of new WPPA Life Members at Friday morning’s Awards Breakfast. Among the awardees was long-time WPPA General Counsel and author of Knowing the Waters – Frank Chmelik.
