Council approves remote participation for councilor and moves into closed session to discuss real estate, contracts and city manager finalists

The City Council voted to allow Councilor Harris to participate remotely for medical reasons and then moved into a closed meeting to discuss real property, contract negotiations and city manager finalists.

Councilor Harris told the council, "I'm calling from home, and, the reason is medical," when asked to state for the record where he was participating from and why. The council approved remote participation by voice vote recorded in the transcript as 6-0.

Shortly after, the presiding officer moved that the council enter a closed meeting citing exemptions in the Virginia Code to discuss "the acquisition or disposition of real property where discussion in open meeting would adversely affect the bargaining position or negotiating strategy of the public body," the award of a public contract where open discussion would harm bargaining, and consultation with legal counsel on specific legal matters — including real estate contract discussions and a support agreement with the EDA — and to discuss personnel matters regarding city manager finalists. The motion was seconded and passed on a roll-call vote recorded in the transcript as 6-0.

After the closed session, council members completed the statutorily required certification that only matters exempted under the Virginia Code were discussed. The transcript records a subsequent motion related to the certification that was moved by Councilor Day and seconded by Councilor Week; that motion was recorded in the transcript as passing 5-0. The meeting concluded with a motion to adjourn.

The council did not discuss or vote on substantive contract terms, property transactions, or name a finalist for the city manager position in the portions of the transcript provided.