City manager announces closed session on Granite Construction Company litigation; council later reports direction to legal counsel

City Manager Eric announced that the Big Bear Lake City Council would adjourn to closed session on three items: an existing litigation identified by name as Granite Construction Company and two Fire Protection District matters described as conferences with legal counsel for anticipated litigation (one listed under Government Code section 54956.9(d)(4), quantity one case) and another listed for significant exposure to litigation under Government Code section 54956.9(d)(2). "We'll be adjourning to closed session. We'll be conducting closed session on 3 items," Eric said, and added that staff did not anticipate any reportable action from those items.

After the council reconvened, the deputy city clerk reported out that "the city council gave direction to legal counsel" and recorded that council members Herrick, Hicks, Melnick and Segovia voted in favor of the direction given to legal counsel. The clerk's statement in the transcript did not specify the content of the direction, whether there were additional votes, or whether any formal motion text was adopted; no other reportable action was announced in the provided record.

The transcript shows the council recessed to closed session following public comment and reconvened briefly to report the direction to legal counsel before adjourning. The city manager had told the public earlier that related materials and deliberations about the fire department were available on the city website.