Sagadahoc County commissioners enter and exit two executive sessions, adjourn after unanimous votes

Sagadahoc County Commissioners met in a special session Dec. 11 in the Commissioners’ Meeting Room at the Sagadahoc County Courthouse in Bath and unanimously approved motions to enter and exit two executive sessions before adjourning at 4:37 p.m.

Commissioner Steve August established a quorum and called the meeting to order at 3:35 p.m. He asked for a motion to hold executive sessions pursuant to Title 1 MRSA § 405 6 A and § 405 6 E. Commissioner Todd McPhee moved to go into executive session at 3:35 p.m. under § 405(6)(E); Commissioner Charles Crosby seconded, and the motion passed unanimously.

The board returned to open session at 4:03 p.m. after a motion from McPhee, seconded by Crosby, which the minutes record as a motion "to come out of executive session pursuant to Title 1 MRSA § 405 6 E." Immediately after, at 4:03 p.m., McPhee moved and Crosby seconded a separate motion to enter executive session under § 405(6)(A); the motion passed unanimously.

At 4:37 p.m. the board voted to come out of executive session; the minutes record that motion as being made by McPhee and tied to Title 1 MRSA § 405 6 E, seconded by Crosby, and passed unanimously. The same minute records McPhee moving to adjourn at 4:37 p.m., a motion Crosby seconded, which also passed unanimously. The meeting then ended.

The minutes cite Title 1 MRSA § 405 6 A and § 405 6 E as the legal bases for the executive sessions but do not disclose the subjects discussed while in executive session. The transcript record shows an apparent inconsistency: the board entered a second executive session citing § 405(6)(A) at 4:03 p.m. but the later exit motion at 4:37 p.m. is recorded as citing § 405(6)(E). The record does not specify the number of commissioners present beyond the quorum established or the substantive matters discussed in executive session.