The Board of Aldermen voted 5-0 Monday, Aug. 25, to move into a closed session under Missouri law to discuss personnel matters, Mayor Filley said. "May I have a motion to go into closed session for RSMo. §610.021(3) and (13)?" the mayor asked, referencing exemptions for certain personnel matters.

The meeting matters because the cited sections of the Missouri Sunshine Law allow public bodies to close meetings for discussions of hiring, firing, discipline or performance records for identifiable employees, reducing public access to the substance of those deliberations.

At the special session, Alderman Cleve moved to go into closed session. "I would make that motion," Cleve said. Alderman Stewart seconded. The clerk then called the roll; Alderman Kelly, Alderman Cleve, Alderman Stewart, Alderman Hovind and Alderman Lush each answered "Yes." Mayor Filley then announced, "With a vote of 5 to 0, the ayes have it, and we will now go into closed session."

The clerk stated there was no public participation for the meeting before the motion to close. The transcript contains no further public details about what was discussed in closed session or any formal actions taken there. The record in the public transcript ends with the board moving into closed session; any votes or actions taken during that closed session were not disclosed in the public portion of the meeting as provided in the transcript.

If the board takes formal action in closed session, Missouri law generally requires minutes or a record of certain actions be made public afterward; the transcript provided does not include any post-closed-session disclosures.