Clark County Council calls for decorum

The Clark County Council on Wednesday voted to move forward with a resolution that condemns political violence and declares that the council will adopt policies that promote decorum and productive participation in public meetings.

The resolution also asks “residents, community organizations, and public officials to engage in civic discourse with respect, courtesy, and a shared commitment to the safety and dignity of all members of the community.”

The resolution has not been formally approved and is scheduled to come back before the council within the next one to two weeks.

Councilor Glen Yung said the timing of the resolution was ideal.

“We have had some really divisive conversations with the community in our hearing room. We’ve all got to work past our differences and realize we’re all humans, we’re all people, and we all have different views and perspectives, and that is OK,” he said during the meeting.

This is the council’s third resolution in five months to address political violence and constitutional rights. In October, the council approved a resolution condemning political violence following the assassination of activist Charlie Kirk a month earlier. Another resolution criticizing the recent actions of U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement agents approved on Feb. 17 also supported the right to free speech and peaceful assembly.

The latest resolution also states that the county remains committed to the values of civic participation and mutual respect and celebrates the heritage and identities of all community members regardless of cultural, social, economic or political differences.

“Clark County is committed to ensuring that all residents are treated with dignity and fairness, have access to public services, and can participate in community life without intimidation or discrimination,” the resolution states.

For a resolution to move forward, three councilors must give an informal thumbs up. Those were Yung, Councilor Wil Fuentes and Chair Sue Marshall.

Councilor Matt Little suggested removing some of the language already used in the previous two resolutions to eliminate redundancy.

“Community members put a lot of time and effort into this, so I support keeping it as it is even though there is some redundancy,” Fuentes said. “I support it 100 percent.”

Members of the Southwest Washington Equity Coalition and NAACP were among those who helped draft the resolution.

Ridgefield resident Bradley Branham told the council it is “a sacred right to speak freely to the council,” a right he hoped the panel wouldn’t limit or restrict in its attempts to foster civility and decorum during public meetings.

Vancouver resident Julie Koepp said the lack of civil discourse and bad behavior during council meetings is a reflection of what’s happening at the federal level.

“I want stability, fairness, safety, diversity, dignity and R-E-S-P-E-C-T, and not just for myself when I attend these meetings, but for everyone who attends these meetings, including the councilors and the staff who work so hard to keep the county running,” Koepp said.