Battle Ground City Council holds executive session to review employee performance; no action taken

The Battle Ground City Council met in a closed executive session on July 6 to review the performance of a public employee, Mayor Overholser said. The council returned to open session at 8:21 p.m. and took no formal action.

Mayor Overholser announced that the council would enter the executive session pursuant to RCW 42.30.110(1)(g), stating, "The session will last 1 hour, commencing at 07:01 and ending at 08:01 with no action to follow." The council later extended the session by 20 minutes, setting the new end time at 8:21 p.m.; the extension was announced aloud during the session.

During the meeting’s roll call, the clerk, Liz, recorded Mayor Overholser, Deputy Mayor Vail, Council Members Munson, Kuipers and Bowman as present; Council Member McCoy joined online; Council Member Ferrer was absent. The presiding official noted the city clerk was present and that the motion to excuse a member would need to be considered at the July 20 regular meeting because it was outside the agenda for the special session.

No motions or votes were recorded on the public record during this special meeting. Mayor Overholser said explicitly that no action would follow the executive session. The council reconvened the open meeting at 8:21 p.m., announced that the next regular council meeting is scheduled for Monday, July 20 at 7 p.m. (budget committee at 6 p.m.), and adjourned the special meeting at 8:21 p.m.

The transcript supplied does not specify a year for the July 6 date; the article reports the date as given in the meeting record. The council cited state statute RCW 42.30.110(1)(g) as the authority for the closed session.