Bristol City Council adopts agenda and moves into closed session on personnel matters

The Bristol City Council met Monday, Jan. 6, 2025, adopted its agenda and voted unanimously to enter a closed session to discuss personnel matters, the council said.

Presiding official called the meeting to order and asked for a motion to adopt the agenda. "I move for the adoption of the agenda as presented," said an unidentified councilmember, and another councilmember seconded the motion. The clerk conducted a roll call; members recorded as Barnum, Holmes, Osborne, Pollard and Nate each answered "Yes," and the agenda was adopted.

The council then voted to convene a closed session. The presiding official announced the statutory basis, saying the council would move into closed session pursuant to Code of Virginia §2.2-3711(A)(1) for "discussion, consideration, or interviews of prospective candidates for employment, assignment, appointment, promotion, performance, demotion, salary, disciplining, or resignation of specific public officers, appointees, or employees of any public body." An unidentified councilmember moved to enter closed session and another seconded the motion; the clerk again took a roll-call vote, and the recorded responses were in the affirmative.

After the closed session, the presiding official stated that by roll call vote council members certify that only business matters lawfully exempted from open meeting requirements and specified in the motion were discussed during the executive session. The clerk called the roll and Barnum, Holmes, Osborne, Pollard and Nave answered "Yes." The meeting was then adjourned.

Votes at a glance: Adoption of the agenda — motion moved by Unidentified Speaker 2 (councilmember), seconded; roll-call recorded as Barnum: Yes; Holmes: Yes; Osborne: Yes; Pollard: Yes; Nate: Yes — outcome: approved. Motion to enter closed session pursuant to Code of Virginia §2.2-3711(A)(1) — moved by Unidentified Speaker 2 (councilmember), seconded; roll-call responses recorded (Farnam: Yes; Holmes: Yes; Osborne: Yes; Pollard: Yes; Nave: Yes) — outcome: approved. Certification of executive session — roll-call recorded as Barnum: Yes; Holmes: Yes; Osborne: Yes; Pollard: Yes; Nave: Yes — outcome: certified.

Authorities and legal basis mentioned in the meeting include Code of Virginia §2.2-3711(A)(1), cited by the presiding official as the statutory authority permitting the council to enter closed session for personnel-related discussions. No substantive public testimony, presentations, or other agenda items were recorded in the transcript provided.