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Petersburg council moves into closed session to discuss property acquisition, legal counsel and personnel matters
Summary
The Petersburg City Council voted on May 19 to convene a closed session to consider potential real property acquisitions and dispositions, receive legal advice on pending matters and discuss personnel appointment and performance under Virginia law; the motion was seconded and carried by roll call.
The presiding officer of the Petersburg City Council moved on May 19 for the body to convene a closed session “for the purpose of discussion or consideration of the acquisition of real property for public purpose and the disposition of public real property,” citing state open-meeting exceptions and the potential harm to the city’s bargaining position if the matters were discussed in public, the presiding officer said.
The presiding officer told the council the closed session would also include receiving legal advice and status updates from the city attorney and referenced the Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code (2021 edition) and Petersburg city code §22-50 in explaining the scope. The motion additionally identified personnel matters — specifically performance, assignment and appointment of public officers — as topics to be discussed under the closed-session statute.
Council member Smith Lee moved to convene the closed session and a second was recorded. The clerk then called the roll; members listed during the roll call included Council member Cuthbert, Council member Jones, Council member Meyers, Council member Woodhouse, and Council member Smith Lee, and Mayor Cam was noted present. The presiding officer announced that the motion carried and the council entered closed session.
No substantive outcomes from the closed session were disclosed on the public record in the transcript. The council later returned to open session and proceeded to a certification of compliance with the applicable Virginia code before adjourning the closed-session portion of the meeting.
