Committee schedules executive session and labor-negotiations closed session, plans training and presentation

The FNA Committee added an executive session at 6:00 p.m. and a closed session for labor negotiations to the draft City Council agenda, noting an outside attorney will attend the 6:00 session.

Committee members also discussed providing training on executive-session rules. Staff said there is a training scheduled for Sept. 15 aimed at open-session commission members, and offered to do a short refresher at the next Monday meeting; an outside attorney was expected to include a refresher for the committee as part of that session. One committee member said, “I think for the 6PM, I think we have an outside attorney who's planning on being there at 6PM regarding the union closed session.”

Committee members debated whether the planning commission may hold executive sessions; one member said, “I think at least the planning commission can have executive sessions,” and another responded, “They can? No. I don't think so. I'd have to look into that.” The chair and staff agreed to present a general overview of executive-session rules to the committee of the whole as an informational presentation (not in closed session) and asked members to submit questions in advance so staff could research and prepare answers.

The committee added a separate closed labor-negotiations session alongside the executive session at 6:00 p.m. and kept the council’s 7:00 p.m. roll call and open meeting items for later. The transcript records the scheduling directions and training plans but does not include any formal bargaining details or final outcomes of negotiations; those subjects were scheduled for closed session.

The committee noted the external lawyer’s time was limited and asked that the schedule be efficient. Staff and leadership also confirmed the committee would list collective bargaining on the executive-session notice and monitor attendance so outside counsel’s time would not be wasted.