When did Renton Council stop publicly discussing issues?

“I know you’ve had the opportunity to meet with everyone, but I just want… I don’t want there to be the appearance that we’re not listening….that I haven’t heard. I just I don’t know that this format lends itself to being the best one for discussion. But if there’s a discussion that needs to be had, I’m happy to have it when that time is right.” (Council Member McIrvin, at 3/24/25 meeting)

Council observers have recently seen Renton residents complaining about not being heard at Council Meetings, and Council refusing to act, or even discuss acting, on issues that are brought before them by the public.

Individual Renton Council Members have no authority individually.  But when a quorum of them agree on an issue, they have more authority than the Mayor.  They are like the city’s “Board of Directors,” while the Mayor is CEO.

But the only way Council can use their authority, or even talk about using it, is in an open public meeting.  So we taxpayers fund a comfortable council chambers, and staff it with a Clerk, Chief Administrator Officer, City Attorney, department heads, and a recording crew so that Council Meetings can be productive and effective.

We also provide an opportunity for Renton residents to interact with their council at these meetings, as Public Agencies are encouraged to do by state law.

By law, governing body meetings must be public, and public agencies are encouraged to help the public participate in the meetings.

The nature of these open meetings came to a head last night as North Renton resident Matt Hanbey pleaded with Renton Council, again, for assistance with the Logan Six project. He recounted that he had diligently met with each Council Member one-on-one, sent them thorough written correspondence, and had approached the Council multiple times before, conjuring the image of Sisyphus perpetually pushing a rock up the hill.  He begged Council to at least discuss his concerns.

None of Renton’s elected officials acknowledged Mr. Hanbey’s testimony. Then another North Renton resident, Sheryl Friesz, approached the podium and made an announcement:  because of Council’s inaction of any kind, North Renton felt compelled to appeal the Logan Six project in King County Superior Court. She had gathered pledges for the necessary funds from her neighborhood within 12 hours of asking.

North Renton residents will now pay three times for work the Council could have done:  they’ll pay the salaries for Council Members who didn’t want to hear the appeal; for city lawyers defending the Hearing Examiner decision in the appeal; and for North Renton lawyers pressing the appeal.  Of course every taxpayer in Renton will contribute to the city legal costs, so this impacts all of us.

This left lingering questions about why the Council didn’t even try to discuss the issue with each other, or with the residents pleading for action, at anytime leading up to this legal action.  Last night’s meeting had very little on the agenda and only lasted 32 minutes; Renton Council certainly could have taken some time to try to keep this issue out of court, perhaps by at least agreeing to work to prevent future similar disputes.

In the last few minutes of the meeting,  Council Member Ryan McIrvin provided the only real acknowledgement of North Renton’s presence and concerns, and apparently attempted to answer the question everyone was wondering about– why Council wouldn’t say anything.  He deserves credit for his courtesy and candor, but his comments revealed a larger problem.

Council Member McIrvin said he does not feel that Council Meetings are conducive to dialogue with residents.  But for many decades, the Council regularly held dialogue with residents during Council Meetings, sometimes putting solutions in motion while the residents were still at the podium.  It used to be standard practice for Council Members to ask speakers questions to get more information about their concerns, and then talk among themselves about how the issue could be solved.  Often the Council would refer the issue to the appropriate Council Committee or staff.

In suggesting this channel for dialogue is closed,  it leaves no avenue for residents to discuss issues with the full body that is empowered to help them.  North Renton had already met one-on-one with Council Members, but no individual council member is empowered to do anything by themself.  I appreciate identification of the problem, but Council Member McIrvin and his Council colleagues must now repair this communication channel for our city to function at its best again.

“I just wanted to address some of the commentators in the audience we’ve heard. I don’t think this this format up here really makes itself too super-conducive for a two-way dialogue, but I’m still remaining happy to have conversations with folks. I know you’ve had the opportunity to meet with everyone, but I just want… I don’t want there to be the appearance that we’re not listening….that I haven’t heard. I just I don’t know that this format lends itself to being the best one for discussion. But if there’s a discussion that needs to be had, I’m happy to have it when that time is right.” (Council Member McIrvin verbal comment, transcribed from this meeting.)