Council recesses and votes to invite two staffers into executive session

The City Council voted at about 7:05 p.m. to invite Ashley Ferguson and the assistant city manager into an executive session and recessed regular business, the presiding official said.

Council members moved and seconded two separate motions to allow each person into the closed session. The first motion — to invite Ashley Ferguson "to discuss some numbers" while City Manager Mr. Petty was absent — was made by the presiding official and seconded by Councilman Pena. Councilman Pena said, "I'll second it." The presiding official called for the voice vote, saying, "All those in favor state 'aye.'" The motion passed by voice vote; the presiding official then said, "Miss Hurst, she get to come in."

Shortly afterward, Councilman Pena moved to invite the assistant city manager into the executive session, noting the assistant had been "working in their stead" while the city manager was out. The motion was seconded (the transcript records a second from the chief and a separate statement, "and second by Councilman Davis"). The presiding official again called for a voice vote and announced the motion passed. During the transition, the presiding official told the chief to return to their seat.

After the two motions were approved, the presiding official said the council would close regular session again at 7:06 p.m. and proceed into executive session. The public record in the supplied transcript ends as the meeting moved into closed session; no substantive discussion from the executive session is recorded in the transcript excerpt.

Votes in the transcript are recorded as voice votes; individual tally counts were not recorded in the supplied excerpt.