State's attorney recommends continuing confidentiality of executive-session minutes, destroying old audio except pending litigation

Peoria County’s state's attorney recommended to the Ways and Means Committee on Aug. 25 that previously held executive-session minutes remain confidential because the need for confidentiality still exists and that the county destroy executive-session audio recordings older than two years, except for recordings that relate to pending litigation.

"It's the recommendation of the state's attorney's office that all previously held minutes continue to be held because the need for confidentiality still exists and to destroy the executive session audio recordings that are more than 2 years old, except for those that relate to pending litigation," the state's attorney said during the committee's review of executive-session records.

The committee voted unanimously to accept that recommendation; committee members made no additional comments during the recorded discussion.

Why it matters: Decisions about retaining or destroying executive-session material affect public records, confidentiality obligations and potential litigation discovery. The committee accepted the state's attorney's recommendation as presented.

What’s next: The county will follow the state's attorney's office recommendation as approved by the committee; the meeting record notes a unanimous vote but does not include a roll-call of individual member votes in the transcript.