After many months of considering a lawsuit against City Manager Gary McLean, Puyallup Councilmember John Knutsen has followed through on his threats. The suit, officially filed in Pierce County Superior Court on July 13, is asking the court to force McLean and City Attorney Cheryl Carlson to promptly provide Knutsen with access to unedited public records or cite disclosure law that prevents them from doing so.

Knutsen began discussing the possibility of a lawsuit with The Herald last November. He claims the city has repeatedly delayed requests for public records and redacted many pieces of information in the requests they have fulfilled. He also claims that state law requires the city to not only comply with his requests as a member of the public but goes further and allows him unfettered access based on his status as a council member.

McLean and Carlson have been given 20 days to response from the time they receive the summons. A tentative court date is set for Friday, July 31, where the city could produce evidence why they shouldn’t disclose the documents. Barring an out-of-court settlement, a mandatory hearing has been scheduled for Friday, Nov. 6.

More to come in The Herald’s July 22 issue.

Puyallup Mayor Don Malloy said last week the city council will be considering an agenda item at its July 28 meeting that would seek to ban the use of fireworks in city limits.

The timing of the announcement coincides with a controversy among downtown residents last week: the Nearly Naked Fireworks stand on North Meridian. The Herald is publishing an article in its Wednesday, July 8 issue dealing with the topic and whether the city can do anything to influence businesses with what Malloy called a “provocative, sexual nature.”

While the council’s ordinance isn’t dealing with banning fireworks sales inside the city, if passed it could have an effect on where fireworks vendors choose to locate.