Rutherford County social services board enters closed session over personnel matter

The Rutherford County Department of Social Service Board convened a special meeting and voted to enter a closed session to discuss a personnel matter under North Carolina law.

Chair called the meeting to order at 4:02 and said the board had a single agenda item: a closed session to consider a personnel matter under North Carolina General Statutes §143-318.11(a)(6). A board member moved to accept the agenda “as presented,” the motion was seconded and the board voted aye to approve it.

After the board discussed who should attend the closed session, including the county attorney and whether the director should be present, Director Hunt arrived. (The public transcript contains an inconsistent alternate transcription, “Director Honey,”; the record is unclear on the correct spelling of the director’s name.)

Following the director’s arrival, a board member moved that the body enter closed session to discuss the personnel matter; the motion was seconded and the board voted in favor. The public transcript contains no substance from the closed session itself, which is permitted by state statute.

The board returned to open session later in the meeting. Chair announced that the next regularly scheduled meeting would be Wednesday, March 18 at 04:00 in the same room. With no further action, a board member moved to adjourn; the motion was seconded, the board voted aye and the meeting was adjourned.

No formal actions or personnel decisions were disclosed in the public record. The board’s use of the closed-session exception at N.C. Gen. Stat. §143-318.11(a)(6) is recorded in the meeting transcript; the transcript does not contain details of what was discussed or any votes taken during the closed session.