Commission recesses into closed session to discuss eminent domain settlement

The St. Augustine City Commission recessed into a closed executive session to receive legal advice on settlement negotiations and litigation expenses in a pending eminent domain lawsuit, City Attorney Isabel Lopez told the body.

"I do request as your city attorney advice from the city commission regarding settlement negotiations and litigation expenses in the pending eminent domain matter for case number CA25-0827," City Attorney Isabel Lopez said. Lopez identified the case as City of St. Augustine v. Lynn Kluger, Gary Steely, Darrell Baumstein and Sonya Baumstein.

Lopez said the closed session participants would be limited to the mayor, Nancy Sykes Klein; Vice Mayor Barbara Blonder; Commissioners Cynthia Garris and John DePrater (Commissioner Jim Springfield was noted absent); City Manager David Burcham; City Attorney Isabel Lopez; outside counsel Michael Cavendish; and a certified court reporter, Carmen Gaetanos. "The participants to the closed session will be limited to the members of the city commission," she said.

Lopez estimated the meeting in the conference room would last about 30 minutes and said the commission would reconvene in open session afterward. "When we are done, we will reconvene in sunshine," she said. She also told the commission that any final settlement would be brought to a full public meeting for action.

The transcript provides no record of a formal motion, second or roll-call vote to authorize the closed session; the presiding officer directed the recess and the commission moved into executive session by consensus for the stated legal discussion. The body adjourned the public meeting and listed an expected reconvene time of 05:00.

No final settlement, vote or policy decision was recorded in the public portion of the meeting; Lopez said any final settlement would be returned to a future public meeting for consideration.