(1) Regular meetings. The commission will hold regular meetings to conduct business under chapter 42.30 RCW, the Open Public Meetings Act. The commission generally schedules two open meetings per month on alternate Thursdays at 9:30 a.m. in the commission's office in Olympia, Washington. The specific time and place of each open meeting are published, as required, in the Washington State Register and on the commission's website. The commission may cancel an open meeting or change the time or place of an open meeting and will publish a notice of these changes on its website and in the Washington State Register for distribution at least twenty days prior to the rescheduled meeting date.

(2) Special meetings. The commission may convene special open meetings under RCW 42.30.080.

(3) Recessed meetings. The commission may recess a regular or special open meeting and reconvene it at a different time or location.

(4) Agenda. The commission will publish an agenda for each regular open meeting at least two business days prior to the meeting. The commission also may publish an addendum or otherwise amend the agenda after publishing it and may take up matters that do not appear on the published agenda consistent with notice and due process requirements. The commission posts the agenda and any addendum on its website.

(a) Discussion agenda. The discussion portion of the agenda includes items that are scheduled for discussion and action by the commissioners. This part of the agenda is further divided into utilities and transportation sections.

(b) No-action agenda. The no-action portion of the agenda includes items that appear to be noncontroversial and, by law, may take effect without action by the commission. The commission will move any item on the no-action portion of the agenda to the discussion portion of the agenda at the request of any commissioner or other person and may take such action on the item as the commission deems appropriate.

(c) Consent agenda. The consent portion of the agenda includes items that appear to be noncontroversial and, by law, require action by the commission to take effect. The commission will act on the items on the consent portion of the agenda by a single motion and a single vote of the commissioners. The commission will move any item on the consent portion of the agenda to the discussion portion of the agenda at the request of any commissioner or other person and may take such action on the item as the commission deems appropriate.

(5) Deadlines and schedules.

(a) The commission generally schedules items for consideration at the last regular open meeting before the item would take effect by operation of law. The commission generally includes items without a stated effective date on the agenda for the regular open meeting scheduled thirty days or more after the commission receives a complete filing.

(b) A company that requests a filing become effective on less than statutory or other required notice must make that request and a complete filing at least seven business days prior to the next regular open meeting to have the commission consider the filing at that meeting. The commission generally will schedule items filed less than seven business days before an open meeting for the second open business meeting after the filing.

(c) All written comments in response to an open meeting item should be submitted to the commission at least three business days in advance of the meeting to enable the commissioners to consider those comments during the meeting. Persons are not required to submit written comments about an open meeting item to make oral comments at the meeting.

(6) Staff contact. The commission will designate a staff member to analyze and present a recommendation to the commissioners for each item on the discussion portion of the agenda. The agenda item description will include the staff person's name and contact information. Persons interested in these items may discuss them with the designated staff person prior to the open meeting.

(7) Public comment. The commission will provide an opportunity at the beginning of each open meeting for members of the public to request that items on the consent or no-action portions of the agenda be moved to the discussion portion. The commission will provide an opportunity for public comment on each item on the discussion portion of the agenda before taking action on that item.

(8) Orders. The commission may direct the executive secretary to enter any order or sign any document necessary to implement an open meeting decision by the commissioners.

(9) Modifications. The commission may exercise its discretion to modify the procedures in this section when appropriate to the conduct of its business.