The Warren County Board of Supervisors unanimously voted to enter an executive session on Aug. 13 to receive a briefing on settlement terms tied to Resolution 297. Chairman Garrity moved to clear the room after a supervisor requested a private briefing on the settlement.

Why it matters: The board said the discussion concerns litigation and settlement terms and invoked New York's Open Meetings Law §105(d) to justify the closed session, signaling the item is legally sensitive and may affect forthcoming votes or county liabilities.

The request for the closed session came near the end of the meeting when a supervisor asked for “a brief executive session, pitting, 5 2 97, please” and indicated the briefing would cover settlement terms. Chairman Garrity asked for the reason to be placed on the record and the board then voted by voice to move into executive session.

No settlement terms were discussed on the public record. The board’s action was a formal motion to enter executive session; members voted in the affirmative by voice and the room was cleared for the closed proceeding.

Because the briefing took place in executive session, no further detail about the settlement terms, the parties involved, or any recommended board action was presented publicly in the transcript. Any subsequent public vote or formal resolution adopting settlement terms would need to be recorded in an open session or appear in later minutes.

Next steps: The transcript shows the board planned to return from executive session and later consider Resolution 297; the public record does not include the substance of the settlement or any final decision at the time the meeting transcript ends.