Selma City Council convenes closed session to discuss labor negotiations

The Selma City Council on May 26 recessed into a closed session to discuss labor negotiations with city firefighters and police bargaining units, the council said at the start of a special meeting in Selma City Council chambers.

The meeting opened with routine announcements, remote-participation details and instructions for public comment; staff advised callers to press *9 to raise a hand and *6 to mute or unmute. A staff member said attendees were asked to limit remarks to three minutes; staff reported no hands raised online during the public-comment period.

Before the closed session recess, the council reviewed rules for agenda additions under Government Code section 54954.2(b) and asked the city attorney whether any changes were needed. The clerk then said the council would recess to closed session under the Government Code provisions that authorize closed-session deliberations and specifically cited a conference with labor negotiators pursuant to Government Code section 54957.6.

Deputy City Manager Margie Fowler was named as the agency'designated representative for the closed-session labor-negotiation discussions. The employee organizations listed for the discussion were the Selma Firefighters Association/International Association of Firefighters Local 3716, the Fire Mid-Management Employees group, and the Selma Police Officers Association (SPOA). The council recessed into closed session at the conclusion of the item.

No motions or votes were recorded in open session on the meeting record provided; the only formal action in the public record for this meeting was the council's recess into closed session to conduct the listed labor-negotiation discussions. The council did not take public testimony during the open portion of the session.