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Virginia Beach school board votes to pay outstanding BEC bills, will seek reimbursement; met in closed session on VEC and other litigation
Summary
The Virginia Beach City Public Schools School Board on March 4 voted unanimously to instruct the superintendent to pay outstanding BEC bills while continuing to pursue reimbursement for any amounts later determined to be fraudulent, overpaid or otherwise inappropriately awarded.
The Virginia Beach City Public Schools School Board on March 4 voted unanimously to instruct the superintendent to pay outstanding BEC bills while continuing to pursue reimbursement for any amounts later determined to be fraudulent, overpaid or otherwise inappropriately awarded.
Chair Kathleen Brown called the special meeting to order at 7:31 p.m. and said the purpose of the session was a closed meeting "for the purpose of discussing with school board legal counsel, the Virginia Employment Commission litigation, and other pending litigation matters." Vice Chair Weems moved the board into closed session under the exceptions in the Code of Virginia cited on the record.
The board first adopted the meeting agenda by voice vote. Vice Chair Weems then read the statutory exceptions the board relied on to close the meeting, citing Code of Virginia § 2.2-3711(A)(7) and (8) — allowing consultation with legal counsel about actual or probable litigation where open discussion would adversely affect the public body's negotiating or litigating posture — and noting the session would include consultation regarding the status of VEC litigation and other pending matters. The motion to go into closed session was seconded by Member Melnick and passed 10-0.
After the closed meeting, the board reconvened in public and certified that, to the best of each member's knowledge, only matters lawfully exempted from open meeting requirements were discussed and that the matters heard were those identified in the motion to convene the closed meeting. That certification was moved by Member Bowensteel, seconded by Member Melnick, and approved by a 10-0 vote.
Following the certification, Member Bowensteel moved "that the superintendent pay the outstanding BEC bills but continue to seek reimbursement for those claims and interest determined to be fraudulent, overpaid or otherwise inappropriately awarded." The motion was seconded by Member Melnick and approved on a recorded voice tally of 10 ayes and no recorded no or abstain votes; individual roll-call votes were not read into the public record in the transcript provided.
The transcript does not provide dollar amounts, the identity or full name represented by the BEC abbreviation, or a timeline for payment or reimbursement. The motion instructs the superintendent to make the payments and to continue efforts to recover funds where appropriate; the board did not specify a deadline or describe specific recovery processes in the public portion of the meeting.
The board adjourned at 7:57 p.m.
Votes at a glance - Adoption of agenda: moved by Member Callan, seconded by Member Melnick; outcome: passed (10 ayes). - Motion to recess into closed session under Code of Virginia § 2.2-3711(A)(7) and (8): moved by Vice Chair Weems, seconded by Member Melnick; outcome: passed (10 ayes). - Certification of closed session under Code of Virginia § 2.2-3712: moved by Member Bowensteel, seconded by Member Melnick; outcome: passed (10 ayes). - Motion to have the superintendent pay outstanding BEC bills and continue to seek reimbursement for amounts determined to be fraudulent, overpaid or inappropriately awarded: moved by Member Bowensteel, seconded by Member Melnick; outcome: passed (10 ayes).
