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Participate by Phone
 


The Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission has a conference bridge line, so that anyone unable to attend an open meeting in person can participate by telephone.

Please call the commission’s Records Center at (360) 664-1234 several days before the open meeting to notify them that you wish to participate via the conference bridge line. Records Center staff will ask you your name, whom you represent (if any), and which item you are interested in. You will also be asked whether or not you intend to speak or if you are only available for questions. The information you supply will be noted on the sign-in sheet, for use by the chairperson.

The conference bridge has 20 ports, therefore, if the agenda has items of high interest, you may be unable to dial in, if the lines are already in use. It is suggested that you call the bridge line about five minutes before the beginning of the meeting. Generally, the bridge line is set up approximately 15 minutes before the meeting begins.

The telephone number for the conference bridge line is (360) 664-3846. Once you have dialed into the bridge line, you will hear a short tone on the phone. This indicates that you are connected with the conference bridge line. Initially, the bridge line is “muted” at the beginning of the meeting.

Please be sure to mute your phone when you are listening in, as others on the bridge line can hear every noise that is made in the background from your location. Also, once the bridge line is opened by the chairperson, any sounds will be audible over the PA system in the hearing room.

Once you have been verbally acknowledged by the chairperson as being on the conference bridge line, you can then speak into your telephone to interact with the commissioners. PLEASE NOTE: If you put your line on hold while you listen to the meeting, please be sure that your telephone system does not play music, which can be heard by the others on the bridge line, as well as the people in the hearing room. You may end your call to the conference bridge line by hanging up your telephone.