Tattoo policy tops council agenda
By Terry Murry on Wednesday, February 9th, 2022 in Columbia Basin News More Top Stories
WALLA WALLA – The Walla Walla City Council meets tonight (Wednesday) at 6:30 p.m. and will further discuss the city’s tattoo policy. Mayor Tom Scribner said this item was put on the agenda after the council was approached by some people wanting the city to have a focused and more strongly worded tattoo policy.
“They claim that council, when we last discussed the issue and decided not to have a specific tattoo policy as they proposed, violated the Open Public Meetings Act,” Scribner said. “They also sent a formal public records request and claim that they were not given all the documents that should have been produced. They have threatened to sue the city for such.”
Scribner said the city residents stated that if the city tattoo policy would be put on the council agenda for further discussion, they would forgo a lawsuit, at least for now.
Following a discussion and public comment period, Scribner said the council could act and direct staff to draft a policy. However, Scribner said what he thinks, and what he will argue for, is that after public comment, council schedule the matter for more discussion at a work session. Then at that work session, those who want a more focused or strongly worded tattoo policy make a presentation, council will ask questions and hear from City Attorney Tim Donaldson and then reset the matter for formal action at a city council meeting.
The city’s tattoo policy began to be questioned in June 2020 after a picture of Walla Walla Police Officer Nat Small’s tattoo began circulating on social media. Small, who served as a scout sniper in the U.S. Marine Corps prior to becoming a peace officer, had a tattoo inked in 2010 which featured brass knuckles overlaid on a double S, which stood for scout sniper. the bears the name of his fellow soldier, Claudio Patino IV, who was killed by Small’s side in Afghanistan in 2010. Small later had the tattoo altered after concerns were raised over its context and the public’s misconception of it.
Also on the agenda, the council is expected to award the bid for the Poplar Street reconstruction project from Colville Street to Fifth Avenue to Apollo, Inc. for more than $6.5 million. Construction is expected to begin this spring and will include removing and replacing traffic signals, modifying lane configuration to include a single vehicle lane in each direction and adding a center two-way left turn lane. Water, sewer, and storm-water lines will be replaced and improved.
The council is also expected to purchase 30 portable radios to replace end-of-life radios at the Walla Walla Fire Department for just over $58,000 through a National Association of State Procurement Officials contract.
Limited seating is available for the public. Attendees must wear face masks or shields. The meeting is available on the city’s website or via Zoom. The meeting ID number is 814 1940 1760.
