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Motion to release May 26 closed‑session record fails as commissioner cites lawsuit and alleges overreach
Summary
Commissioner Paul Cousins moved to release the May 26 closed‑session recording with redactions, saying the meeting exceeded the statute's narrow personnel‑session scope; the motion received no second and failed. A heated exchange followed, with personal accusations and reassignment of liaison duties amid pending litigation.
Commissioner Paul Cousins moved on June 7 that the Board authorize release of the May 26 closed‑session recording to the fullest extent permitted by law, with redactions limited to personally identifying employee information and any material protected by statute. Cousins said he listened to the closed‑session recording and concluded portions exceeded the narrow statutory purposes for personnel closed meetings; he said he had filed a lawsuit and asked that the record be released to allow public review of elected officials’ conduct.
"I will state publicly that I cannot help fix a problem if I am cut out of the process and not even made aware of a problem… I heard allegations presented as fact that were later shown to be false," Cousins said during the public portion of the meeting. He moved to release the recording with limited redactions; no commissioner seconded the motion, and the motion failed.
That defeat preceded a lengthy, confrontational exchange involving commissioners and staff. One commissioner (speaker 4) read a prepared statement criticizing Cousins' behavior and accusing him of repeatedly putting staff in difficult positions; Cousins rejected aspects of the criticism, describing past incidents and insisting he had not been informed of the earlier closed session. The meeting included sharp words and several personal accusations, after which commissioners reassigned liaison responsibilities for certain offices at the request of staff who said they were uncomfortable with existing liaison arrangements.
Why this matters: the closed‑session dispute involves claims about statutory limits on executive‑session topics under Utah’s Open and Public Meetings Act and has produced litigation the commissioner initiated. The board’s decision not to release the record keeps the matter largely within the court process for the time being.
What’s next: a lawsuit related to the May 26 closed session has been filed; commissioners said the courts will now consider the legal issues. The board reassigned some liaison duties (e.g., assessor and treasurer liaisons) during the meeting; staff indicated pending litigation constrained further actions.
