Executive committee approves minutes and votes to enter executive session on director compensation

The Executive Committee of the Massachusetts Cultural Council approved minutes from February 12 and the open session of the February 25 special meeting and voted to enter executive session on April 16 to discuss compensation for Executive Director Michael J. Bobbitt.

Chair Marc Carroll called for a motion and asked whether members had reviewed the minutes of the February 12 meeting. Ché Anderson moved to approve the minutes and Julie Wake seconded; by roll-call vote the committee unanimously approved the minutes with Committee Members Marc Carroll, Jo-Ann Davis, Ché Anderson, and Julie Wake present and Cecil Barron Jensen, Simone Early, and Iván Espinoza-Madrigal absent.

The Committee repeated the process for approving the open-session minutes of the February 25 special meeting; the motion passed by roll-call vote with the same attendance. The Chair then asked for a motion to approve the draft agenda for the April 22 Special Council meeting, anticipating that the Council will vote on Executive Director Michael Bobbitt’s compensation at that meeting; Ché Anderson moved and Julie Wake seconded, and the draft agenda was approved by roll-call vote.

Pursuant to Massachusetts Open Meeting Law procedures, the Chair then called for a motion to enter executive session for the purpose of conducting strategy sessions in preparation for negotiations with nonunion personnel—specifically to discuss and make a recommendation about compensation for Executive Director Michael J. Bobbitt. Julie Wake moved to enter executive session and Ché Anderson seconded; the Committee voted by roll call to enter executive session. Staff left the meeting and the YouTube broadcast was suspended at the start of the executive session, which began at 10:57 a.m.

Committee members indicated they would not reconvene in open session and intended to adjourn after the executive session. No compensation decision was announced in open session.