Open Meetings

Meeting Information

The commission conducts its regular business at “Open Meetings,” typically held on the second and fourth Thursday of each month. These meetings start at 9:30 a.m. in the commission’s hearing room in Lacey.

Our Open Meetings are hybrid, with both virtual and in-person attendance available. You can visit us on-site at 621 Woodland Square Loop SE, Lacey, WA 98503.

Accessibility Accommodations

The UTC is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to participants with disabilities. If you need reasonable accommodations to participate in an open meeting, please contact the Commission at 888-333-9882 or email at consumer@utc.wa.gov.

Speaking at a Utilities and Transportation Commission Open Public Meeting

If you would like to sign up to comment on a UTC Open Meeting, please email records@utc.wa.gov or call 360-664-1234 and indicate which Open Meeting you wish to speak at. You will also need to provide an item (e.g. A1, A2, B1, B2 - this is located on the Open Meeting Agenda) and docket number.

To Participate Over the Phone:

Call or e-mail the Commission’s Records Management team several days before the open meeting and notify them that you wish to participate by phone.
Records Management staff will ask you your name, whom you represent (if any), and which agenda item (e.g. Docket 210123) you are interested in.
You will also be asked whether or not you intend to speak or if you are only available for questions. The information you supply will be noted on the sign-in sheet, for use by the chairperson.

On the day of the Open Meeting, you will dial into the Zoom phone line for the meeting by calling (253) 215-8782. When prompted please enter the meeting ID: 829 5233 3564, then when prompted, enter Passcode: 101498 (Please note: This code will be valid through 2026, it will be updated for 2027).

We suggest joining by 9:25am (PST), as our regularly scheduled Open Meetings begin promptly at 9:30am.

Once you have been verbally acknowledged by the chairperson to speak, you can unmute and provide your comments to the Commission (please note that if the commissioners are unable to hear you, the device you are using may still be on mute).

Mute, Unmute, and Hand Raise Functions

You will be muted upon entering the meeting, to un-mute or mute yourself again, dial *6 on your phone.
To enable the raise hand function, dial *9 on your phone. To lower your hand, press *9 again.

When you are ready to exit the meeting or when it has concluded, you may end the call from your phone to disconnect.

To Participate Online through Zoom:

While not required, it is recommended that you call the Commission’s Records Management team at (360) 664-1234 prior to the date of the Open Meeting and notify them that you wish to join online, and indicate if you would like to be e-mailed the zoom link to join the Open Meeting.
You will also be asked whether or not you intend to speak or if you are only available for questions. The information you supply will be noted on the sign-in sheet, for use by the Chairperson.
Records Management staff will ask for your name, whom you represent (if any), and which agenda item (e.g. Docket 210123) you are interested in.

On the day of the Open Meeting, you will use our Open Meeting Zoom link to join the meeting online from your internet-enabled device.

We suggest joining by 9:25am (PST), as our regularly scheduled Open Meetings begin promptly at 9:30am.

Mute, Unmute, and Hand Raise Functions

You will be muted upon entering the meeting, when you are called to provide comment, please unmute your device by locating the microphone icon and clicking on it.
- To verify that you are successfully unmuted you should no longer see a line cutting through the microphone icon. Click the icon again to mute yourself when you are finished speaking.
To raise your hand, click on the reactions button on the toolbar at the bottom of the zoom window, and select Raise Hand. You can click it again to lower your hand.

When you are ready to exit the meeting or when it has concluded, you may disconnect by clicking the leave meeting button on the toolbar.

Open Meeting Topics

The agenda for each Open Meeting is available several days in advance of the meeting. If you want to regularly receive the agenda, contact Records Management.

Consent Items and No Action Items

Of the approximately 1,800 filings the commission considers annually, those that are less complex or non-controversial are put on the “consent” section of the agenda and are approved on a single motion by the commissioners. Filings that can go into effect without commission approval are put on the “no-action” section of the agenda. If you want to comment on a consent or no-action filing item, you will have an opportunity at the beginning of the meeting to make comments or request a discussion.

Utilities, Transportation, or Other Items

The commission will deliberate longer on filings that are considered controversial or complex. These filings are listed on the agenda as “utilities,” “transportation” or “other” items. Commission staff members prepare a memo describing the filing, the history of the filing, and a recommendation to the commission on how to handle the filing. Memos are generally available to the public three days before the Open Meeting on the Open Meeting Documents page.

Agenda Changes

After the chair calls the meeting to order, any last-minute changes to the agenda are announced. The chair will ask if anyone wants to comment on any consent or no-action filings. If no one speaks up, the consent items are approved, and the no-action items will take effect automatically.

Summary and Discussion

For each filing under the action section of the agenda, a commission staff member will address the commissioners. They will summarize the findings presented in the corresponding memo and recommend action by the commission. After the staff presentation, other parties are allowed to speak including members of the public and company representatives.

Deliberation

When all parties have spoken on a filing, the commissioners will discuss the merits of the filing. By law, this is the first time the three commissioners have been allowed to discuss this filing with each other. The commission can either approve the filing or suspend the filing for further investigation and possibly set the matter for a formal proceeding.

Submit a Comment

If you cannot attend the open meeting, you may submit a comment online. Please submit your comments at least two business days before the meeting to allow staff and commissioners time to review them.

Tips for Speaking at an Open Meeting

If in person, when your name is called, walk to the table facing the commissioners. If virtual, remember to unmute, and you may start your camera. State your name clearly and directly into the microphone. Because people listen to the meeting from various locations, all discussions must take place within microphone reach.

Keep your comments brief and specific to the issue. State your opinion, any supporting facts, and the rationale you used to arrive at your opinions.