The Napavine City Council, consisting of only one member, Jenifer Slemp, convened on Tuesday, Feb. 21, to appoint Craig Sullivan to Council Position #2.
After the Lewis County Commissioners determined that Napavine City Council Positions 3, 4, and 5 were illegally seated, Bob Wheeler (Position #4) and Craig Sullivan (Position #5) stepped down. Position #3 was vacant.
According to state RCWs, and in the opinion of Municipal Research, a Washington entity that guides local government within the state, one council member does not meet the legal requirements for the city to make appointments. However, according to an attorney consulted by the Crier, the appointment of Sullivan did meet legal requirements.
By law, the council is to receive a proposed budget by the first part of October, which is then to be revised, set, and adopted by the council. The Napavine City Council did not receive a budget last year until just days prior to the first public hearing, and Mayor John Sayers then changed the budget after the public hearing. The mayor does not have the authority to do so and no vote was taken by the City Council to change the budget. No hearing on the final budget was ever held.
State RCWs indicate mayors do not make the laws and their authority is limited to administering daily staff operations and carrying out the laws made by their council and the State of Washington. A mayor's only voting authority is in breaking a tie in matters not pertaining to money.
A major hurdle for the City of Napavine remains in that all actions taken since June of last year are in question due to having a lack of valid council in place. It is possible that a blanket ratification for all the actions could be made, though it is questionable as to whether this would be in the best interest of Napavine residents.
At least two council actions were taken during this period without consideration of the right to a public hearing. These were the final 2017 budget with Steve Ashley of Arizona acting as community development director and the other is the mysterious Well #6. It is also uncertain whether the city can actually ratify these when the process to pass them was not properly completed.
In regard to the situation Lewis County Commissioner Edna Fund stated, "As we did last year for the City of Morton, the Lewis County Commissioners will be interviewing candidates for the Napavine City Council in a public setting on Feb. 28. After the selections have been made, the appointees will be sworn in so they can take their seat that night."
"We are hopeful that, through this process, the Napavine City Council will be able to conduct business," Fund concluded.
The next Napavine City Council meeting is scheduled for Feb. 28, beginning at 4:00 p.m., to appoint the three open council positions.
Mayor Sayers had not returned a request for comment at the time of publication.