Council goes into executive session on litigation; motion to excuse absent member fails amid disagreement on notification

The Village of Lincoln Heights Council moved into executive session on Monday to discuss pending litigation and later returned to open session at 9:57 a.m., the minutes show.

Earlier in the meeting a motion to excuse Councilmember Dorrance Daniels from that night's meeting was made and seconded. A roll-call vote on that motion resulted in three 'aye' votes and three 'nay' votes, so the motion did not pass. Council members debated past practices and the proper method for notifying the clerk of absences; some council members said members should send an email or call the clerk in advance.

Shortly after the failed motion, Mayor Ruby Kinsey Mumphrey said she had just located a text message sent at 7:34 a.m. from Dorrance Daniels that read, "please excuse me. I'm still not cleared by my doctor to return." Council members discussed whether to bring the excuse motion back at the next meeting; procedural details about a motion to reconsider were raised and council agreed it would be simpler to revisit the matter at the next meeting.

Later in the agenda a motion "to go into executive session to discuss pending litigation" was moved, seconded and approved by roll call (six affirmative votes). The minutes record the council recessed for executive session and later returned to continue miscellaneous business, including approval of standing committee assignments.

The council did not disclose details of the litigation during public session; the executive-session motion was limited to "pending litigation."