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I have a question about City Council meetings.
Is it normal for a council to recess a meeting to allegedly approve an employment application for a government position and also decide they made a mistake in calculating how much a developer owes the city during the same recess? To clarify, the council was progressing through agenda items, then paused to go behind closed doors to make these decisions. I’m unsure if the developers’ lawyers joined them, but I did notice the lawyers left the room where we were watching the meeting.
Is this standard governmental practice? Additionally, the lawyers were with the councilors and mayor behind closed doors before the meeting even started.
For Councilmembers to hold a private meeting during a public meeting, a proper motion for an executive session must be made, stating a valid reason as required by law.
However, Councilmembers can meet with their attorney at any time without needing to make an executive session motion. As long as a city attorney is present and legal advice is being provided, such a meeting is permissible