Mayor Michael Wanner affirms Jan. 7 closed Gunnison City meeting addressed real-property matters under Utah law

Mayor Michael Wanner signed a sworn statement dated Jan. 7, 2026, saying the sole purpose of a closed Gunnison City Council meeting that day was to discuss matters allowed under Utah Code § 52-4-205. "I, Michael Wanner, Mayor of Gunnison City and presiding officer of the Gunnison City Council, do hereby affirm that the sole purpose for closing the meeting held on the 7th day of January 2026, was to discuss matters permitted under the following provisions of Utah Code § 52-4-205," the statement reads.

The document specifically cites Subsection 52-4-205(1)(f), which the statement describes as permitting closed discussion of the "purchase, exchange, or lease of real property when public discussion would disclose the appraisal or estimated value of the property under consideration or prevent the public body from completing the transaction on the best possible terms." The statement says the closed session was conducted in accordance with the Utah Open and Public Meetings Act.

City Recorder Valerie Andersen attested the statement, and the document includes a signature block and the city's contact information at 38 West Center Street, Gunnison, UT 84634, with phone 435-528-7969. The statement also lists the mayor and council members associated with the record: Mayor Mike Wanner and council members Donald Childs, Stella Hill, Kim Pickett, Rohn Peterson and Brian Nielson.

The sworn statement functions as the official presiding-officer certification that the meeting's closed status complied with the statutory exemptions cited; it does not record any motion, vote or substantive deliberations. The statement does not specify the property at issue, any appraisal figures or subsequent actions by the council. Records requests or follow-up information would be handled through the city recorder's office at the address listed.