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Resident presses Osage County commission over private meetings with Evergy; commissioners explain executive‑session rules
Summary
A resident accused county economic development staff of holding secret meetings with Evergy and urged more transparency; commissioners and a legal adviser said executive‑session exceptions for confidential financial discussions can be used but are a judgment call.
A public commenter told the Osage County Commission on Jan. 13 that private meetings between county economic development staff and Evergy amount to an improper secrecy that could harm taxpayers, and urged commissioners to stop the practice.
"Please tell Evergy our county is not for sale," Diane Denham said in public comment, accusing county economic development staff of arranging "secret executive session meetings with Evergy" and suggesting those meetings could shape outcomes before the planning commission or the public could weigh in.
The chair responded that the county’s economic development director works at the direction of the commission and does not act independently. The chair asked residents to bring concerns to the commission so they could be discussed directly.
A commission speaker then explained the Kansas Open Meetings Act exception often invoked for economic development discussions, which permits closed‑door meetings to discuss confidential financial affairs or trade secrets in limited circumstances. The speaker said the exception is "a judgment call" and noted the balance between protecting sensitive business information and maintaining public confidence. He added that commissioners can require that matters go to the planning commission first if they feel public vetting is needed.
Why it matters: The public raised concerns about transparency in economic development outreach, an issue that touches on trust in local government and the proper use of executive sessions. Commissioners stressed that the legal exception for confidential business information exists to enable sensitive negotiations but acknowledged that perception and public confidence matter.
What happens next: The commission asked critics to contact staff for clarification and indicated that further procedural questions about executive‑session use could be taken up in future meetings.
