Commissioners of Island County Diking District 1 will meet today to begin a defense of a lawsuit that has been filed against them by some residents of the district.

The special meeting will be at 10 a.m. at the conference room of Edwards & Associates, 5492 S. Harbor Ave. in Freeland.

On the agenda will be the hiring of an attorney to defend the commission in the suit filed by Citizens In Support of Useless Bay Community.

The suit was filed to stop the district from collecting money for its new pump project from property owners in the district. The suit also addresses long-simmering complaints that diking district officials did not properly notify residents of district hearings and commissioner elections.

Also on today’s agenda will be a review of assessment rolls, next year’s budget and the pump station.