Santa Barbara City Council adjourns to closed session on existing and anticipated litigation

The Santa Barbara City Council convened a special meeting Tuesday, March 17, opened with the pledge of allegiance and promptly moved to a closed-session item concerning litigation, the clerk announced.

The clerk read Item 1 recommending that the council “hold a closed session to confer with the city attorney regarding existing litigation pursuant to Government Code section 54956.9(d)(1), (d)(2) and (e)(3),” and asked the council to adjourn into closed session to take appropriate action as needed. A staff member reported there were no members of the public connected online to speak on the matter.

The reading and the statutory citation were the only substantive items discussed publicly at the meeting. Councilmembers recorded present during roll call included Councilmember Friedman; Councilmember Santa Maria; Councilmember Gutierrez; an individual identified in the record as Bruno Snedden; Councilmember Harmon; Councilmember Jordan; and Mayor Rouse. The mayor said the council would adjourn to closed session and that it did not anticipate a report out.

Closed sessions under Government Code section 54956.9 allow local legislative bodies to meet privately with legal counsel to discuss pending or anticipated litigation. The council’s public record for this special meeting contains no additional details about the subject matter of the litigation or any expected timeline for returning to open session.

No motions, votes or public decisions were recorded on the transcript prior to the adjournment to closed session.