Commentary
By Miki Mullor
Editor
Tonight will be the last Sammamish City Council meeting for City Clerk Melonie Anderson who is retiring on June 30. Anderson is the longest tenure city employee and has been the city’s first permanent City Clerk.
The role of the City Clerk is pivotal to records keeping of the local government. Every ordinance (local law) adopted by City Council must be authenticated by City Attorney and City Clerk to be true and correct to City Council’s action.
20 years of service
The Sammamish Comment located the first ordinance Anderson authenticated. It was the Fireworks Ordinance, number 02000-65, adopted on June 28, 2000, prohibiting Fireworks discharge in the City.
Anderson will retire exactly 20 years and two days after signing this ordinance for the City.
Almost the entire body of the ordinances in Sammamish bears Anderson’s signature.
A beacon of integrity
The City Clerk’s role is also responsible for keeping the government transparent by providing access to government documents in response to public records requests.
The Comment has used public records requests extensively over the years to uncover facts, documents, council and staff thinking and actions, wrongdoing and to hold the City accountable. The City Clerk’s team many times finds itself at odds by having to provide documents to the public that may put its employer and colleagues in unfavorable light.
In this challenging environment, Anderson, a Sammamish resident herself, has been a beacon of integrity and transparency. Sammamish residents were well served by Anderson’s unwavering commitment to the law and for doing the right thing, even when faced with adversity from previous City Managers.
It is with mixed feelings that we wish Anderson a happy retirement. Her calm presence at City Hall will be missed.
Good luck, Melonie, in your retirement. Well deserved.
