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Prattville council debates release of 2018 Condrey pay study; privacy and public-records clash
Summary
A council resolution requiring the unredacted release of the 2018 Condrey classification and compensation study prompted extended debate. Supporters cited fiduciary transparency; opponents and the city attorney warned the study was a draft containing personal information and may be exempt from disclosure.
The Prattville City Council spent the largest portion of its meeting debating a resolution that would require immediate release of the 2018 classification and compensation study prepared by Condrey and Associates in its original, unredacted form.
Proponents argued the council needs the work product to fulfill fiduciary duties and to understand historical data used to set employee pay. "Access to the work product of the 2018 classification and compensation study ... is essential for the City Council to responsibly evaluate employee compensation," the resolution stated.
Councilor Newman and several colleagues opposed unfiltered public release. Newman said the council must "balance full transparency with a basic right to privacy and security for the men and women who work for this city," arguing the 2018 study contained personally identifiable information and draft materials that could expose employees and the city to liability if released without redaction or safeguards.
A councilor who said they had spoken with Condrey said the author indicated the document was not a draft, and that access should be possible. Another councilor described prior in-office reviews where members examined study materials in HR with guidance from the HR director.
The city attorney advised the council that the version he reviewed appeared to be in draft form and contained extensive personal information obtained in confidence. He cited Alabama public-records case law and attorney-general opinions distinguishing final records from drafts and staff recommendations and said, "that would not be, in my opinion ... subject to disclosure or public release" in its draft state.
The resolution directed Condrey and Associates to transmit the 2018 work product directly to council members' official city email addresses without non-disclosure requirements. Councilors debated alternatives raised during the meeting, including in-person reviews in HR, work sessions with Condrey to present final results, or requiring redactions to protect personal data.
The transcript records council discussion and a roll-call-style vote call at the end of the item, but it does not include a recorded tally in the minutes provided. Councilors also noted a new 2026 pay study is underway and said that final public documents from Condrey marked as "final" could be published on the city's website once they are completed.
Next steps discussed included pursuing a work session for the 2026 pay study where Condrey or HR could present data to the full council and clarifying what parts of the 2018 working materials are subject to disclosure.
