An executive session of the Renton Technical College Board of Trustees was held on July 31 to discuss the future of Don Bressler as the college’s president.
The college announced the special meeting in advance, on July 27, which is necessary to meet the public notification requirements for special meetings and to announce there will be an executive session.
“The Board of Trustees will go into an executive session for the purpose of evaluating the performance of a public employee,” the July 27 notice read. The employee’s name was not given.
Executive sessions are closed to the public; however, all votes on any matter must be taken in an open public meeting. A governing body’s lawyer, in this case an assistant state attorney general, is typically present to ensure the board follows the law regarding what it can and cannot do outside the public’s view.
Ronnie Behnke, who chairs the RTC Board of Trustees, declined to say what was discussed at the executive session on July 31. However, she did say that no decisions were made on any matter in the executive session. All such votes must be made in open session.
Bressler has declined to comment.
Trustee Rich Zwicker posted a brief item on his blog about the July 31 meeting.
“No vote was taken. No decision was made,” Zwicker said in an interview today. He’s also a member of the Renton City Council.
So far, other than speculation on Randy Corman’s blog that an ouster of Bressler is political payback for Bressler’s non support of Kathy Keolker in the last mayor’s race, there has been no explanation why the board is looking at Bressler’s performance.
Bressler supported Mayor Denis Law in the mayor’s race. Behnke contributed to Keolker’s campaign. Corman, a member of the Renton City Council, was often at odds with Keolker during her one term as mayor.
The board has scheduled a meeting for 4 p.m. Tuesday at the college. The agenda includes an executive session but doesn’t indicate what will be discussed in the session. State law allows for an announcement at the meeting of the session’s purpose and how long it will take.
The meeting is in the Greco Building, K-201-202, on the RTC campus, 3000 N.E. Fourth St. This is a change from the room originally announced as the location for the meeting.
The topics of the open meeting include committee assignments at RTC and on a trustees’ association, a trustees’ fall conference, trustee evaluation results, summer graduation and comments from the audience.
However, there has been indication that Bressler’s employment will be discussed in the executive session and the board will reconvene in open session to take up an agenda item called “college governance.” The agenda indicates an action may be taken.
Bressler holds a number of positions on Renton organizations, including the Renton Rotary Club and the Renton Community Foundation.
