January 17, 2008

Koss can serve as council member

After some research, city attorney Mark DeWulf determined last week that Darrel Koss can serve as a member of the Ritzville City Council even though the city has a contract for garbage collection with Wheatland Waste Systems, owned by Koss.

DeWulf reviewed Washington state law and determined that Koss can serve as long as the existing city contract with Wheatland Waste Systems is not altered.

“In conclusion, based on my reading of RCW 42.23 and based on Washington case law discussed above, it is my opinion that Darrel Koss can take office without violating the statute, as long as the garbage contract is not amended during his term in office,” DeWulf wrote in his opinion to the city council.

The current contract with Wheatland Waste Systems is set to expire about six months before Koss’s four-year term on the council would be up.

Tuesday, Koss was not sworn into his city council seat. He said he is waiting.

“I want to make sure I don’t jeopardize my contract in any way,” Koss said.