Mayor Blackburn sends council into closed session to discuss two litigation matters

Mayor Blackburn called the meeting to order and asked that roll be taken; all five council members were recorded as present. The City Attorney confirmed there were no public speakers and then outlined two closed-session items, after which the council moved into closed session.

The City Attorney said the first closed-session item would be to "discuss significant exposure to litigation, 1 case," and that the matter was authorized under Government Code Section 54956.9, subdivisions D2 and E3. The second item, the City Attorney said, was a meeting with legal counsel to discuss an existing lawsuit, "C4FA versus the County of San Diego," authorized under Government Code Section 54956.9(1).

The transcript records Mayor Blackburn asking the City Attorney to take the council into closed session and the City Attorney describing the two items and the statutory authority for each. The record in the provided transcript ends with the City Attorney's recitation of the closed-session items; no public discussion or vote on council floor is recorded in the provided segment beyond the mayor's request to enter closed session.

Closed sessions under Government Code Section 54956.9 permit local agencies to meet privately with legal counsel about specified litigation matters; they are not open to the public. The transcript does not include further details about the subject matter of the litigation, the parties involved beyond the lawsuit title provided, legal arguments, expected outcomes, or any subsequent actions taken or votes recorded in open session.

The meeting record in the supplied transcript segment does not show any public comment on the litigation items and does not include additional scheduling, staff direction, or follow-up steps. The council proceeded to the closed session as described in the City Attorney's announcement.