Council votes unanimously to enter closed session to discuss city center property disposition and related contracts

Councilmember Gibson moved that Richmond City Council go into a closed meeting under the Virginia Freedom of Information Act to discuss the disposition of publicly held real property and the award of contracts relating to the city center development project; the motion passed on a unanimous roll-call vote.

The legal basis for the closed session was cited by Gibson as Subdivisions A(3) and A(29) of Section 2.2-3711 of the Virginia Freedom of Information Act, which the clerk read into the record during the motion.

Gibson read the motion: "I move that the city council go into a closed meeting pursuant to Subdivision A 3 and A 29 of section 2.2-three 711 of the Virginia Freedom of Information Act to discuss, 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 expenditure of public funds relating to such city center development project in the terms and scope of such contract or contracts because discussion in an open session would adversely affect the bargaining position or negotiating strategy of the city." The council then voted by roll call; recorded votes in the transcript were affirmative from Gibson, Jones, Robertson, Lynch, Trammell, Abel Bacher, Vice President Jurden and President Newbill.

The council convened the closed meeting in the Second Floor Large Conference Room. After returning to open session, the council certified by roll call that, to the best of each member's knowledge, only public business matters lawfully exempted from open meeting requirements were discussed and that only matters identified in the motion were considered; the certification vote was recorded as unanimous.

No contract awards, property dispositions or negotiated terms were announced in open session at the meeting time recorded in the transcript.