Select Board and School Committee go into executive session under 'exception 4' to discuss security

At the Town of Needham Select Board meeting on June 10, the School Committee and Select Board voted to adjourn into a joint executive session citing the Open Meeting Law and "exception 4" to discuss security personnel or devices and related strategies.

The School Committee first moved and seconded to return to open session following an executive session; the transcript records the School Committee motion to go into executive session as made by Michael Grace and seconded by Andrea Carter. A roll call of school committee members — Michael Grace, Andrea Carter, Matt Spenger, Alyssa Scatcherd and Michelle McElbrine — recorded "aye" votes and the clerk announced a 5-0-0 vote approving the motion.

Later the Select Board motioned to enter executive session "pursuant to exception 4 to discuss unemployment of security personnel or devices and strategies with respect thereto," and the motion included the School Committee and the chair and vice chair of the finance committee in the session. The transcript does not identify the member who made the Select Board motion by name. The Select Board roll call recorded affirmative votes by Kennel, Josh, Mary Anne, Cathy and the chair, and the chair announced that the Select Board was in executive session.

Under the Open Meeting Law citation used by meeting participants, the boards exited the public portion of the meeting to hear the sensitive material in closed session; the transcript shows the boards planned to return to open session at approximately 06:45.

Because the discussion occurred in executive session, the transcript excerpt available does not disclose the content of the security discussion. The motions and roll-call outcomes recorded in the public portion of the meeting are included here.