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City Council holds closed executive session on potential litigation; no public action expected
Summary
At a May 19 special virtual meeting, the City Council moved into an executive session to discuss potential litigation with legal counsel under state law. Council approved the agenda and excused two members before adjourning directly from the closed session; no public actions were anticipated.
The City Council held a special virtual meeting May 19, 2025, and entered an executive session to consult with legal counsel about potential litigation under the Revised Code of Washington (RCW) 42.30.110(1)(i), Mayor Ross said.
Mayor Ross opened the meeting and noted it was being held via Zoom and that the recording would be posted on the city’s YouTube channel. “So are this is potentially going to last for 50 minutes,” Mayor Ross said, adding the session would include the city attorney, city administrator and finance director.
The council first voted to excuse absent members and to approve the agenda. Councilor Washington moved to excuse the absences; the motion was seconded by Mayor Pro Tem Holloway and carried unanimously. Councilor Washington then moved to approve the agenda; Councilor Cotton seconded that motion and the vote passed unanimously. The transcript records that two councilors were excused; one is identified consistently as Councilor Johnson and the other is recorded in different places as either Councilor Benson or Councilor Vinson (the transcript is inconsistent on that name).
City Attorney Dana Burke, City Administrator Mike Chambliss and Finance Director Drew Butte were listed by the mayor as attendees for the executive session. The mayor said no actions were anticipated following the executive session and that the meeting recording would cease while the council was in closed session. The council did not return to open session and adjourned directly from the executive session, the mayor said.
Because the subject of the executive session was potential litigation discussed with legal counsel, the council did not discuss substantive case details in public during this meeting. The mayor instructed the city clerk to record the executive session’s concluding time in the meeting minutes.
The meeting’s substantive outcome for the public record consisted of procedural votes to excuse absent members and to approve the agenda; no policy decisions or other public actions were reported at the meeting’s close.
