Anchorage Municipality votes not to release executive session recording, cites attorney–client privilege

Miss Brawley, a member of the Anchorage Municipality, moved that “the recording of the executive session shall not be released on the grounds of attorney client privilege.” Miss Brawley’s motion was seconded by Mister Walms, and the chair stated the motion was approved by unanimous consent. The chair said, “These tapes will not be released.”

The chair also announced that Member Martinez had left before the vote and “we can record him absent on that vote.” The chair further noted that, after the initial roll call for the executive session, “we were joined by another attorney from the municipal attorney's office, Linda Johnson.” Linda Johnson was identified in the meeting as an attorney with the Municipal Attorney's Office.

The action was a formal motion to withhold the recording of an executive session on attorney–client privilege grounds; no further details about the subject of the executive session were provided on the public record. Following the vote, the meeting proceeded to audience participation and brief member comments. A public commenter, Jamie Lopez of New Anchorage, spoke during the audience-participation period about attending a funeral and unrelated local matters. Several members offered brief remarks of thanks to the department of law during member comments.

No statutory citation or additional legal justification beyond the invocation of attorney–client privilege was recorded in the transcript. The chair said the decision was taken by unanimous consent of those present and that the recording would not be released.