Statham City Council approves settlement with Old Mill Properties, holds closed session on pending litigation

The Statham City Council voted unanimously on Nov. 18, 2025, to approve a settlement agreement with Old Mill Properties, LLC and to hold a closed executive session to consult with legal counsel on pending litigation. Councilmember Burnette moved to approve the settlement; Councilmember Terilli seconded. The vote was 4‑0 (Terilli, Bogenrieder, Patterson, Burnette voting yes).

The council then entered executive session at 6:35 p.m. after a motion by Councilmember Patterson, seconded by Councilmember Burnette, invoking the attorney–client privilege under Georgia law. Councilmember Bogenrieder moved to exit executive session at 6:46 p.m.; Councilmember Terilli seconded. The council recorded no votes during the closed session. City Attorney Jody Campbell said, "all discussions held during the Executive Session are protected as Attorney/Client Privilege and no votes were conducted during or after the executive session."

After returning to open session the council recorded a resolution stating that the closed‑session discussions were within the exceptions allowed by state law and authorized the mayor to execute an affidavit for the official minutes. An Executive Session Affidavit signed by Mayor Debi Krause and notarized records that the closed portion of the meeting was devoted to matters within the attorney–client privilege exception (O.C.G.A. §50‑14‑2(1)) and that the affidavit will be filed with the meeting minutes.

The actions taken on the settlement and the procedural steps to document the closed session conclude the council's public record of the litigation‑related discussion; the meeting adjourned at 6:47 p.m.