Puyallup City Councilman Rick Hansen says he no longer will attend monthly meetings with small groups of council members and the city manager.

While he believes they’re legal, they raise an “appearance of fairness” issue, he said.

The sessions have irked some residents. Councilman John Knutsen hasn’t been going, citing concerns about the appearance of openness.

Other officials have defended the meetings as efficient, helpful and above-board. They’re purely informational, with no quorum and no action taken, they’ve said.

Hansen said last week that he attended some of the sessions because he wanted to ensure he got all the information that other council members receive.