News and Insights
Nondisclosure Agreements Update
Employers commonly require employees to sign agreements containing nondisclosure and/or non-disparagement provisions. These provisions are most often found in employment contracts or severance agreements. However, due to recent changes in the law, employers will want to immediately review their provisions to make sure they are compliant with the new [...]
September 2022 Knowing the Waters – Communicating Sensitive Information to Commissioners
By Frank Chmelik This month’s focus is on the “best practices” for communicating with commissioners between meetings. Port staff frequently have information about potential tenants or customers or other sensitive information that is not public information, but they need to communicate it to commissioners and seek timely individual commissioner [...]
August 2022 Knowing the Waters – Delegation of Powers
By Frank Chmelik This month’s column is about “Delegation of Powers Resolutions” which was a lively topic at the recent executive directors’ seminar. Everyone would agree that the commissioners acting together as the port commission in an open public meeting really do govern port districts. In a sense, the [...]
July 2022 Knowing the Waters – Controversial Meetings
By Frank Chmelik Here is a bit of a different topic. Last week at the Commissioner Conference in Walla Walla we discussed strategies for contentious commission meetings. It was an interesting discussion led by me and Commissioner Troy Stariha from the Port of Kalama. It turns out, from the [...]
June 2022 Knowing the Waters – OPMA Amendments
By Frank Chmelik Following up on last month’s topic of “public comment” at commission meetings, this month we look at the recent changes to the Open Public Meetings Act which became effective June 9, 2022. In the last session, the Legislature passed Engrossed Substitute House Bill 1329 (“ESHB 1329”) [...]
May 2022 Knowing the Waters – “Public Comment” at Commission Meetings
By Frank Chmelik of Chmelik Sitkin & Davis, P.S. The topic for this month is “public comment” at commission meetings. Commissioner Pam Petranek of the Port of Port Townsend and I were talking about this issue, and it is worthy of discussion here. We start with the Open Public [...]
October 2022 Knowing the Waters – Annual Checklist
By Frank Chmelik I have recently received several requests to talk again about issues that a port commission or executive director may consider at year end or early next year. The idea here is to list items, which should be looked after at least annually – call it an [...]
September 2022 Knowing the Waters – Communicating Sensitive Information to Commissioners
By Frank Chmelik This month’s focus is on the “best practices” for communicating with commissioners between meetings. Port staff frequently have information about potential tenants or customers or other sensitive information that is not public information, but they need to communicate it to commissioners and seek timely individual commissioner [...]
August 2022 Knowing the Waters – Delegation of Powers
By Frank Chmelik This month’s column is about “Delegation of Powers Resolutions” which was a lively topic at the recent executive directors’ seminar. Everyone would agree that the commissioners acting together as the port commission in an open public meeting really do govern port districts. In a sense, the [...]
July 2022 Knowing the Waters – Controversial Meetings
By Frank Chmelik Here is a bit of a different topic. Last week at the Commissioner Conference in Walla Walla we discussed strategies for contentious commission meetings. It was an interesting discussion led by me and Commissioner Troy Stariha from the Port of Kalama. It turns out, from the [...]
June 2022 Knowing the Waters – OPMA Amendments
By Frank Chmelik Following up on last month’s topic of “public comment” at commission meetings, this month we look at the recent changes to the Open Public Meetings Act which became effective June 9, 2022. In the last session, the Legislature passed Engrossed Substitute House Bill 1329 (“ESHB 1329”) [...]
May 2022 Knowing the Waters – “Public Comment” at Commission Meetings
By Frank Chmelik of Chmelik Sitkin & Davis, P.S. The topic for this month is “public comment” at commission meetings. Commissioner Pam Petranek of the Port of Port Townsend and I were talking about this issue, and it is worthy of discussion here. We start with the Open Public [...]