Hallandale Beach commission holds attorney‑client session on Sarah Danbury lawsuit

Mayor Joy Cooper announced the Hallandale Beach City Commission recessed into an attorney‑client session under Florida Statutes §286.011 to discuss litigation filed by Sarah Danbury against the city, case number CACE24005525. "The time is now 05:15PM," Cooper said when describing the session and its scope.

Cooper said the session was estimated to last no longer than a half hour and listed participants who would attend the closed meeting: Vice Mayor Michelle Lazaro; Commissioner Joy Adams; Commissioner Annabelle Lima Tom; City Manager Dr. Hurrell; City Attorney Jennifer Marino; and outside counsel Christopher Stearns. Commissioner Butler was recorded as absent.

Cooper said the proceedings would be recorded by a certified court reporter and that "at the conclusion of all litigation discussed, the transcript will be made part of the public record." The commission recessed to a back conference room for the discussion. The mayor later returned to the dais and announced the attorney‑client session had been terminated and invited members of the public to return for further proceedings.

The commission did not record any public votes in the portion of the meeting covered by the transcript provided. No substantive details about the claims or the city’s legal strategy were stated on the public record during these remarks.