Item Number:        8a_reso 
Meeting Date:  February 11, 2020 


1                                        RESOLUTION NO. 3770 
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3             A RESOLUTION of the Port of Seattle Commission adopting the charters of the
4                                        following standing committees: the Aviation Committee,
5                                        Equity  Committee,  Waterfront  and  Industrial  Lands
6                                        Committee, and Energy and Sustainability Committee; 
7                                        and amending the charter of the Audit Committee as
8                                        adopted  in  Resolution  No.  3613  and  subsequently
9                                        amended on June 28, 2016, and July 11, 2017. 
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11            WHEREAS, all authority of the Port of Seattle is vested with the Commission in its actions
12    as a public body under Title 53 RCW, and the Commission vests authority with the Executive
13    Director  and  delineates  Commission  and  Executive  Director  responsibilities  through  the
14    Delegation of Responsibility and Authority; and
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16            WHEREAS, the Port of Seattle Commission exercises executive authority to govern the
17    Port of Seattle and most commission decisions focus on exercising controls on staff operational
18    activities like contract execution and project implementation; and 
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20            WHEREAS, development of policy for commission consideration and final action benefits 
21    from the attention by subject matter experts and is required by commission bylaws, and
22    committees function as policy development bodies or intensive review boards; and 
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24            WHEREAS, both special and standing committees have charters, produce records, have
25    membership determined by the commission president, and can include non-commissioner
26    members, and committee compliance with Open Public Meetings Act requirements depends on
27    legal status, charter provisions, and circumstances, and Article V of the commission bylaws guides
28    the formation and activity of committees; and 
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30            WHEREAS, the charter is the foundational statement of the committee's purpose,
31    establishing the name and scope of the committee and identifying when the committee's work
32    will be considered complete, and special  considerations for  holding meetings in public,
33    composition of the committee, and expected outcomes are addressed in the charter, and
34    commission bylaws describe what information is to be contained in the charter in Article V,
35    Section 2; and 
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37            WHEREAS, the commission exercises control over the work of its committees by
38    establishing their scope, or purview, in the committee charter and by taking advantage of the
39    motion to refer to or discharge from committee any matter under its consideration as described 

Resolution 3770, Standing Committee Charters: Aviation; Energy & Sustainability; Equity; Waterfront & Industrial Lands; Audit      Page 1 of 2

40    in commission bylaws Article IV, Section 5(k), enabling standing committees to adopt their own
41    annual workplans, which represent the concrete implementation of the committee's chartered
42    scope in a given year; and 
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44            WHEREAS, records produced by committees, whether agendas, minutes, presentations,
45    or illustrative materials, are all public records of the Port of Seattle under Chapter 42.56 RCW, 
46    and because committee policy work attracts public attention, it is the best practice to publish
47    these materials online proactively; and 
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49            WHEREAS, with this resolution and attached charters the commission will create
50    standing committees and direct the committees to adopt annual workplans; and 
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52            WHEREAS, the Open Public Meetings Act (Chapter 42.30 RCW) and related law and
53    committee charters make it clear when commission committees are strictly advisory in nature, 
54    and the rules requiring open public meetings are well established in law; and 
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56            WHEREAS, public reporting and accessible records elevate the profile of commissioners'
57    work in committee and make committee contributions more tangible to the public; 
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59            NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Port of Seattle Commission: 
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61    Section 1.    The charters the Aviation Committee, Energy and Sustainability Committee, Equity
62    Committee, and Waterfront and Industrial Lands Committee, attached as Exhibits A, B, C, and D,
63    are hereby adopted. 
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65    Section 2.    Resolution No. 3613, adopting the previous charter of the Audit Committee, is
66    hereby amended as shown in attached Exhibit E. 
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68                  ADOPTED by the Port of Seattle Commission at a duly noticed public meeting
69    thereof, held this    ______ day  of _______________________________ , 2020, and duly 
70    authenticated in open session by the signatures of the commissioners voting in favor thereof and
71    the seal of the commission. 
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83                                                       Port of Seattle Commission

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