Some 40 people attended the forum sponsored by the Washington Coalition for Open Government (WCOG), including local residents and members of the Mercer Island City Council and staff. The event, held on Wednesday evening at the Community Center at Mercer View, covered the basic mechanics of the Open Records Act and the responsibilities of both citizens and government officials in keeping the workings of government open and transparent. The session included former state representative Toby Nixon, Island resident Ira Appelman, Greg Overstreet of Allied Law Group and Washington State Auditor Brian Sonntag. The moderator was Jim Horn, a former Washington state senator and representative for the 41st District and former Island mayor and councilman. WCOG president of the organization, Nixon, led the group through a nuts and bolts overview of open government laws in our state. Islander Appelman spoke about his efforts to obtain records regarding the dismissal of the former city manager at the city of Mercer Island. Overstreet spoke about what individuals should know about the law and resources available to citizens. He not only pointed out the rights of citizens to find out information but the immunity of agencies and their employees when they release records in good faith to comply with the law.

The WCOG has sponsored several similar events throughout the state and has more planned. A video of the event, which included more than 30 minutes of questions, will be posted online as soon as it is available. Check back on our Web site and watch the Reporter print edition for updates.