Saugatuck council holds closed session to consult counsel on three ongoing lawsuits

The Saugatuck City Council voted Oct. 9 to hold closed sessions to consult with legal counsel about multiple ongoing lawsuits, citing Michigan’s Open Meetings Act. The council entered closed session at 5:25 p.m. and returned to open session at 6:27 p.m.

Mayor Pro-Tem Baldwin moved, and Councilmember Anderson seconded, a motion to meet in closed session pursuant to MCL 15.268(e) and (h) to discuss trial or settlement strategy in Maplewood Hotel Corporation v. City of Saugatuck and the Saugatuck Historic District Commission (Case No. 24-69059-AA). The motion carried on a unanimous roll call vote. Councilmember Anderson moved, and Mayor Pro-Tem Baldwin seconded, a second closed-session motion to consider a confidential written legal opinion in Saugatuck Neighbors v. City of Saugatuck (Case No. 24-69537-CZ); that motion also carried unanimously. Later, Councilmember Muncey moved, and Mayor Pro-Tem Baldwin seconded, to enter closed session to consult with legal counsel on two ongoing Dune Ridge cases (Case Nos. 21-64709-CZ and 22-65713-CK); the motion carried unanimously.

The council’s meeting minutes record the motions, statutory basis (MCL 15.268(e) and (h)), and the times the council entered and exited closed session. The minutes do not report any votes or public outcomes resulting from the closed sessions.

Attorney Chris Patterson was listed among those present for the meeting. The minutes do not include further public detail about the substance of the legal discussions or any resolutions reached during the closed sessions.