Council splits 4-3 to release attorney e-mail; unanimously approves OPTIC investigation release

Vice Mayor Jason Lee moved to waive attorney-client privilege on a July 30, 2025 e-mail from the city attorney's office during Tuesday's council meeting, saying the council owed taxpayers access to documents created during prior investigations. Lee argued the release was necessary "because taxpayers paid for the circus" and to address public concern.

Opponents cautioned that waiving privilege broadly could expose confidential communications. "I do not wanna open up Pandora's box," Mayor Christina Fugazi said during debate, emphasizing legal limits and the need to protect certain counsel conversations. After more than an hour of discussion the council voted 4-3 to release the specific e-mail referenced on the agenda; Vice Mayor Lee told the dais he would release it personally if the council rejected the motion.

Separately, the council considered the OPTIC budget investigation report — a separate, taxpayer-funded review of staffing and budget changes — and voted unanimously to release the report and the documents listed on the agenda. Council members supporting the release said the report highlighted governance vulnerabilities and recommended policy fixes; others requested that staff follow up with a chronological timeline of relevant events and segregated cost details for each investigation so the public can understand line-item spending.

City staff said the OPTIC investigation identified departures from best practice in hiring and organizational changes but did not find policy or legal violations; the report recommended process improvements and clearer budget narratives. Council directed the city attorney and clerk to post the report and specified documents and to provide the public with expected timelines for any additional document releases.

Next steps: staff will post the approved materials and supply council with the itemized costs and a chronology of the investigations for future committee review.