Council Prayer Proposed

WAITSBURG - Last week, new City Councilman KC Kuykendall asked the council whether it would like to add a prayer or invocation to the opening procedures of the monthly council meeting.

The council did not make a decision last Wednesday on whether the members would like a prayer to be added to the proceedings because it would like to hear from community members on the topic.

"It was an obvious gap in our proceedings," Kuykendall said the morning following his proposal. "It has an obvious benefit to our process."

Kuykendall said the benefit that is missing now from council meetings is the establishment of an "appropriate acknowledgement of God as the giver of our unalienable rights."

In addition to being legal, Kuykendall cited cities like Puyallup and Cle Elum that have at least discussed starting the council meetings with an invocation or prayer.

The city of College Place has begun its council meetings with a prayer likely since it was incorporated in 1949, according to College Place city staff members. The Washington State floor sessions of the house and Senate in Olympia begin with an invocation.

"It's an appropriate part of local government," he added. "We are a nation under God. We unashamedly use the Pledge of Allegiance at all school and local government events."

City Administrator Randy Hinchliffe said through his research adding the invocation to Waitsburg City Council meetings is legal and it is strictly a policy decision the council can choose to make. However, he said he learned the prayer has to be strictly non-denominational and cannot use language that denotes specific religions, including "Jesus," "Allah" or even "Goddess."

Local attorney Mike Hubbard also said it is legal, but the prayer needs to be "very, very non-denominational."

When Kuykendall proposed the prayer idea last Wednesday, Councilmen Karl Newell and Kevin House stayed quiet on the subject. Councilman Scott Nettles was vocal that a prayer might alienate some community members.

"I'd really be hesitant on the chance you might offend," Nettles said. "We never have (before) and I don't see a reason to now. We're here to represent the public. It sounds like something that's for a certain person rather than the public at large. If they want to request it - the people should request it."

Councilman Marty Dunn also said he was hesitant to institute an invocation because he didn't remember the Waitsburg council beginning with a prayer.

Kuykendall said there is no reason to drive a personal agenda but he said he's interested in public feedback.

And if the council decides to vote against his proposal, Kuykendall said he hopes the community will send a clear message.

"It's a settled issue until the constituency convinces the council otherwise," Kuykendall said. "We should not simply make a no-vote decision on this simply because we're afraid it's a change in tradition."