Committee hears calls to modernize charter's legal‑notice language to ensure public access

At the first public hearing of Everett’s Charter Review Committee, residents and committee members probed whether the charter's requirement to publish legal notices in a "city official newspaper" remains appropriate or practical in an era of declining print circulation.

"The charter needs to show how things are actually being done at the moment," Alice Hedges told the committee, urging language that reflects current digital practices and preserves public access without creating legal vulnerabilities.

Speakers said the existing charter language — which specifies publication in a local newspaper — risks leaving the city without a reliable official channel if a paper folds or moves behind a paywall. A former city employee on the committee recounted the historical practice of placing legal notices in multiple papers and even sending items to radio stations, and warned of potentially high costs for print publication.

Committee members discussed possible solutions: broaden the charter's wording to require publication in a city‑controlled online location and other places the city deems appropriate; add durable language that survives changes in communications technology; or retain the newspaper requirement as a minimum standard alongside city publication. A committee member suggested requiring the council to read legal notices at regular meetings as an additional redundancy.

Jennifer Gregerson, the city liaison, said staff will propose language that balances legal sufficiency, cost and long‑term public access, and emphasized the committee should consider durable phrasing given the charter's permanence.

The committee did not adopt any language at the hearing. Members asked staff to compile options and legal analysis for future consideration and to present opportunities for public comment ahead of any formal recommendation.