Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Economic Development Executive Session topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Council moves to executive session to discuss economic development under Open Meetings Act section 36‑25A‑7
Summary
The council voted to move into a brief executive session to discuss an economic development matter (referred to as the "prejudice project") with potential end user; city attorney Brent Bond cited Open Meetings Act section 36‑25A‑7 and said no vote would be required afterward.
The Mobile City Council moved into an executive session to discuss an economic development matter, reading the statutory justification into the record.
Brent Bond, the city’s attorney with the law firm Adams Reese, asked the council to move into executive session under the Open Meetings Act Section 36‑25A‑7 to discuss an economic development matter described in the meeting as the “prejudice project” involving the city and a potential end user. Bond told the council the session would not require a vote or a return to open session for formal action on the matter.
“So moved,” one council member said; the motion was seconded and the clerk then conducted a roll‑call vote. President Small, Vice President Gregory, Council member Penn, Council member Carroll, Council member Davis and Council member Woods all answered “Yes” on the roll call recorded in the transcript and the council proceeded to the executive session. Staff estimated the session would last about 10 to 15 minutes.
Why it matters: Executive sessions invoked under Section 36‑25A‑7 are used to discuss sensitive economic development negotiations where public disclosure could harm competitive or bargaining positions; the transcript notes no subsequent vote would be necessary.
Next steps: The council moved into the executive session; the transcript does not include the substance of the closed discussion or any later action.
