Richmond City Council enters closed session on City Center property disposition and contracts

Council Member Gibson moved and the council approved a motion to go into a closed meeting to discuss the disposition of publicly held real property and the award of contracts related to the City Center development project, citing exemptions in the Virginia Freedom of Information Act.

The motion, read into the record, invoked Subdivisions A.3 and A.29 of §2.2-3711 of the Virginia Freedom of Information Act to allow discussion of (1) the disposition of publicly held real property for the purpose of the City Center development project and (2) the award of a contract or contracts involving the expenditure of public funds relating to that project "because discussion in an open session would adversely affect the bargaining position or negotiating strategy of the City," the motion said.

Clerk roll-call prompts recorded affirmative votes for members present. The clerk announced that the motion had been approved and that the closed session would be held in the Second Floor Large Conference Room. After the closed meeting, the council returned to open session, the council certified by roll call that only topics identified in the motion were discussed, and the informal meeting adjourned.

The action recorded in the transcript is procedural: council entered and exited the closed session under the statutory exemptions. The transcript does not include substantive details of property disposition or contract terms because those were discussed in closed session and not reported in the public record.