Council approves minutes, appoints planning commissioner and votes to enter closed session

During the Jan. 6 Centerville City Council meeting the council took three formal actions: it approved prior minutes, appointed a planning-commission member and voted to enter closed session for specified statutory reasons.

Minutes and appointment: The council moved to approve the Dec. 16, 2025 work-session and council minutes "as amended" and members voted in the affirmative. Mayor Clark Wilkinson then nominated Paul Mendenhall for the planning commission; the council moved, seconded and voted to appoint Mendenhall. A staff member noted that applications for boards and commissions are available on the city website and that anyone may apply when openings are posted.

Closed session motion: Near the meeting’s end a council member made a motion to enter closed session to discuss (1) the character, professional competence or mental/physical health of an individual and (2) the purchase, exchange or lease of real property, with the stated intent not to return to open council. The motion was seconded and the council voted "aye," meeting the two‑thirds vote requirement the trainer had explained earlier in the meeting.

What it means: The minutes approval and the appointment were procedural approvals to maintain the council’s record and staffing of advisory bodies. The council’s vote to go into closed session invoked statutory exceptions identified during the Open and Public Meetings Act training earlier in the meeting; the mayor will sign the required affidavit for any allowed closed-session categories that do not require audio recording or minutes.

Next steps: The council adjourned to closed session; no additional public actions were taken on record after the vote.