Knox County Board moves into closed session to discuss personnel, negotiations and pending litigation

Knox County Board Chair Jared Vakuten presided over a special session on Dec. 12 and asked the board to move into closed session to discuss personnel matters, collective bargaining negotiations, security procedures, property and pending litigation.

"I will take a motion to enter closed session for personnel, collecting negotiation, security procedure, property, pending litigation 5, ILCS 1 1 22 c 1 2 8," the chair said, as recorded in the meeting transcript. A board member seconded the motion and the clerk called the roll for a vote.

The clerk read the roll and members present answered in the affirmative; the chair announced the board would recess into closed session and the room was cleared. The transcript records the board entering closed session and later reconvening to consider further business.

Closed sessions are permitted under state law for certain topics but limit public access to the discussion and records; the transcript contains a statutory citation as spoken in the meeting but the citation text in the record appears garbled and is reported here exactly as stated in the transcript.

After the closed session the board returned to public session and continued with the agenda. The meeting record does not include further public detail on what was discussed during the closed session.