Arapahoe County commissioners enter executive session on police contract talks and legal settlement

The Arapahoe County Board of County Commissioners voted to convene an executive session to discuss bargaining strategy for potential revisions to the county’s collective bargaining agreement with the Fraternal Order of Police and to receive legal advice on a remaining settlement matter.

Commissioner Jeff Baker (District 3) moved that the board go into executive session “pursuant to Section 24-6-402(4)(e) of the Colorado Revised Statutes to develop strategy and instruct negotiators with respect to potential revisions to the collective bargaining agreement with the Fraternal Order of Police and also pursuant to Section 24-6-402(4)(b) of the Colorado Revised Statutes to receive legal advice regarding [a] remaining settlement matter.” The motion was put to a voice vote and approved after those present responded “aye.” Individual votes were not recorded in the transcript.

The statutes cited allow a public body to meet in executive session to receive legal advice and to discuss negotiation strategy in certain labor matters. The county did not provide additional public details about the specific bargaining positions or the settlement named in the motion; the transcript references the settlement matter with the phrasing heard as “Oz Ozawa,” which was not further explained in the public record.

The commission’s public proceedings moved into the closed session immediately after the vote. No further remarks about timing, expected duration, or next public steps were recorded in the available transcript.

Arapahoe County’s practice of invoking the cited Colorado statutes puts the bargaining and settlement discussions behind closed doors; any formal actions that require a public vote would be returned to the commission’s open session and appear in future minutes if and when taken.