Cumberland County meeting moves into closed session under North Carolina statute

Vice Chairwoman Jones moved that the meeting enter a closed session to discuss attorney-client matters under North Carolina law, and members voted to go into closed session. The motion was seconded and approved by voice/raise of hands; no public discussion of the subject was recorded before the meeting went into closed session.

The motion, offered by Vice Chairwoman Jones, stated: “Yes. I make a motion that we move to go into closed session for attorney client matters pursuant to NCGS 143-318.11(a)(3).” The presiding chair then asked for a vote, saying, “Any discussion on the motion? Hearing none, I’ll ask for your vote. Raise your right hand.” The chair announced that the body was “now in closed session.”

Later in the meeting, a motion was made to adjourn the closed session and return to open session. That motion referenced the same statute — North Carolina General Statutes § 143-318.11(a)(3) — and was seconded. The chair called for the vote, and members indicated their agreement by voice/raising hands; the meeting then resumed open session.

The public record provided in the transcript includes only the procedural motions to enter and exit closed session and the brief calls for a vote; it does not disclose the substance of any attorney-client discussions held in the closed session. Under the cited statute, attorney-client discussions in closed session are exempt from disclosure.

No additional motions, votes, numerical tallies, or substantive details about the matters discussed in closed session were recorded in the provided transcript excerpts.