Council moves to closed session to discuss economic development negotiations under Ohio law

The Lebanon City Council on Aug. 12 voted unanimously to enter an executive session to discuss economic development negotiations and related confidential information. The chair cited Ohio Revised Code provisions permitting closed sessions for economic development discussions, listing multiple sections (including references to R.C. chapters and statutory ranges) and explaining the need to protect negotiation strategy, applicants’ proprietary information and the potential investment or expenditure of public funds. Council approved the motion and second by roll call; the meeting then recessed into a closed executive session where, according to the chair’s statement, the city planned to consider professional and financial information related to requests for economic development assistance and negotiations with other political subdivisions when public disclosure would impair the city’s bargaining position or reveal trade secrets. The public record in the meeting shows only the council’s roll-call vote to enter executive session and the statutory bases read into the record. Any substantive outcomes or binding agreements resulting from the executive session would either be placed on a future public agenda or recorded in a manner consistent with Ohio’s open-meetings law and related exemptions.