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Clawson council adds Ethan Hahn to interview list after debate over notice and remote participation
Summary
At a May 4 special meeting, the Clawson City Council agreed to add applicant Ethan Hahn to the interview roster and allow him to participate remotely after council members and staff debated public-notice and Open Meetings Act implications; the council deferred the final appointment to its May 5 meeting.
Clawson — The Clawson City Council voted on Monday to add applicant Ethan Hahn to the end of the council’s interview schedule and to allow him to join by remote connection, after a lengthy discussion about notice and procedure.
Council member Slowinski moved to add Hahn, saying he had been selected for interviewing at an earlier meeting and could participate by Zoom. “I was surprised to see Glenn Shepherd as the candidate interview when at the meeting that we had last, we had selected, Ethan Hahn to be interviewed,” Slowinski said. The motion drew support from other council members and a second from Council member Pelton.
City legal counsel Nishai advised the council that permitting an interviewee to appear remotely would not violate the Michigan Open Meetings Act because the attendance limitation in that statute applies to council members, not to interviewees or witnesses. City administrator Eker told the council the administration had “carried out to the letter this body’s direction,” while Mayor Moffett raised concerns about public notice for adding a participant after the agenda was published.
Council members agreed to schedule Hahn’s interview around 8 p.m. and discussed procedural safeguards so an applicant joining remotely would not observe other candidates’ interviews. The council closed interviews and moved the appointment decision to its regular meeting on May 5.
No formal vote tally for the addition was recorded in the discussion the council held on the motion; the record shows the council agreed to add Hahn and to proceed with the four interviews later in the evening.
