Dearborn Heights council moves into closed session on two legal cases, reconvenes and concurs with counsel

The Dearborn Heights City Council moved into a closed session at 5:41 p.m. during a special meeting to discuss two legal cases identified in the meeting record as “Chik Lee” and “Mergent,” and reconvened at 6:12 p.m. to accept special counsel recommendations.

Council members made and approved the procedural motions to enter the closed session and to reconvene publicly. Councilman Hassan Ahmad moved to enter closed session; Councilman Hassan Saab seconded the motion. After the closed session, Councilman Ahmad moved to return to open session at 6:12 p.m., a motion seconded by Councilman Saab. The council then voted to concur with the recommendations provided by special corporate counsel; that motion was made by Councilman Robert Constant and seconded by Councilman Saab. Each motion carried by voice vote.

The closed session was announced as covering two legal matters and included references in the public record to participation by the mayor, the chief of staff (Hernandez), corporation counsel, and representatives identified in the transcript as O'Reilly Roncillo. The council did not publicly disclose details of the legal matters during the open session. The council also moved to adjourn the special meeting and schedule a follow-up special meeting for 6:15 p.m.; that motion was made by Councilman Hassan Saab and seconded by Councilman Hassan Ahmad and carried.

All formal actions taken in the open session concerned procedural steps (entering/exiting closed session, concurring with counsel recommendations, and setting the next special meeting). No substantive public discussion of the underlying legal matters occurred in the open record.

The transcript identifies the two legal matters by the names quoted above; the council did not provide additional public details or filings during the session.