Mayor, Denver City Council move into executive session for legal advice on intergovernmental agreements

The Mayor moved that the council enter an executive session "pursuant to DRMC 2 34 a sections 3 and 6 for the purpose of receiving legal advice regarding negotiations of intergovernmental agreements," and the council approved the motion by voice vote. The Mayor then closed the general session and announced the body would enter the executive session.

Why it matters: The cited Denver municipal code provision permits the council to meet privately with legal counsel when discussing privileged legal matters, including negotiations with other governments. The council did not discuss the details of the negotiations in open session, and no formal roll-call vote listing members' individual votes was recorded in the public transcript.

What happened: At the close of a short general session, the Mayor asked for a motion to enter executive session; after the motion was offered the Mayor asked, "So all those in favor?" and members responded "Aye." The Mayor then stated, "With that, we will now close our general session and enter into executive session." The stated purpose was explicitly legal advice about intergovernmental-agreement negotiations.

What was not provided: The transcript does not identify who seconded the motion, nor does it record a roll-call tally by name. The meeting’s public record here contains only the motion language and verbal assent; the substance of the executive-session discussion is not part of the public transcript.

Next step: The council moved into executive session immediately after the vote. Any actions or outcomes that result from the executive session would be disclosed in accordance with applicable open-meetings rules and any subsequent public minutes or staff reports.