It wasn't exactly a matter of national security, more one of public health and safety.

Following the city council's Feb. 9 meeting, a grinning City Attorney Craig Ritchie requested a short executive session to discuss "a national security issue."

RCW 42.30.110 lists nine subjects as appropriate for an executive session, the first of which is, indeed, national security.

After a few minutes, the council emerged and voted to spend $22,000 to put fencing around several of the city's utilities, such as water and sewer plants.

Ritchie said that although preventing terrorist attacks often is cited as the purpose for protective measures such as covering reservoirs and fencing substations, the motivation usually is public health and safety.

He called for the closed-door session to prevent discussing the city's vulnerabilities in public, Ritchie said.