May
22nd
Tacoma Landmarks Commission skates on edge of state Open Public Meetings Act with totem pole task force
An ad hoc committee created to research options for Tacoma’s 110-year-old totem pole should have been treated as an open meeting – including advance public notice – based on a pair of state court decisions.
The committee, formed by Tacoma historic preservation officer Reuben McKnight and arts administrator Amy McBride, included two of the 11 members of the city Landmarks Commission. It also included city staffers from public works and planning as well as a consultant, Native American carver Sean Peterson.
The group recommended that the historic pole be taken down rather than restored and laid to decompose in a …
