La Plata Town Council votes to enter closed session to consult counsel on personnel and administrative matters

The La Plata Town Council voted unanimously July 1 to enter a closed session to consult with counsel about legal implications and risks tied to ongoing personnel and administrative matters.

A council member moved to go into closed session citing statutory authority Section 3-305(b)(7) to obtain legal advice; the motion said the discussion would involve privileged attorney–client communication and legal strategy not appropriate for public disclosure. The motion was seconded and approved on a roll-call vote in which every member present answered “Aye.”

Mayor Maya James and Councilmen Guttenberg, McCormick, Sampson and Johnson were present for the special meeting, which began at 6:00 p.m. The council first adopted the agenda by vote before taking up the closed-session motion. After the closed-session motion passed, the council adjourned the special meeting at 6:02 p.m.

The council did not state specifics of the personnel or administrative matters on the public record; the motion and roll call indicate the topic was confined to attorney–client privileged discussion as the statutory basis for closure. No ordinances, budget actions or appointments were taken in the portion of the meeting recorded in the public transcript.

The action to close the meeting means further details about the subject discussed and any advice provided by counsel will not appear in the public minutes, except as required by law when the council returns to open session or issues a public statement. The transcript available for this meeting records only the motion, the stated statutory authority (Section 3-305(b)(7)), the unanimous roll-call vote and the subsequent adjournment.