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Kouts clerk‑treasurer asserts statutory right to attend proposed executive session; council had sought to limit attendance
Summary
Council President Tyler Brock proposed holding an executive session later the week of July 13. Clerk‑Treasurer Laurie Tribble told the council she would attend and cited Indiana Code IC 36-5-6(a)(10), saying the clerk‑treasurer is legally mandated to serve as the clerk of the legislative body and may not be excluded from executive sessions.
Council President Tyler Brock proposed holding an executive session on a date later that week. Clerk‑Treasurer Laurie Tribble told the council she would attend and said she has a statutory duty under IC 36-5-6(a)(10) to serve as the clerk of the legislative body and to attend its meetings, including executive sessions. The minutes note Clerk‑Treasurer Tribble will submit documents about executive sessions to Attorney Schwerd for review and that the Public Access Counselor has issued opinions reinforcing that a clerk‑treasurer cannot be barred from executive-session attendance.
The minutes record a disagreement over whether the clerk‑treasurer should be excluded from the executive session; Council President Brock reportedly said the clerk‑treasurer was not to attend, and Tribble disputed that position on legal grounds. No executive session took place at the July 13 meeting and the council set potential dates; the clerk‑treasurer and attorney will confer before any session is held.
