The question is, could any action taken in closed session be legal or binding. Negotiations,a matters of a personal nature can be private but can a monetary commitment? I agree that a lame duck board special executive meeting one day before the new board is sworn in should be of great concern.
If they come to a decision, they have to return to open session to vote. They are not allowed to take votes in closed session. People may, however, sit around a long time waiting to see what happens. If they can't resolve whatever issue they are discussing in closed session, they will just come out and the president will declare no action will be taken.
Thanks Bernice. That was the po9int that I was trying to make. The executive session is part of the called special meeting and in theory they have to return to the special meeting before adjourning. They could be counting on the Council meeting Monday night, and their habit of having long executive sessions to discourage any pubic participation. I hope Jerry will use this maneuver in his communications to the Commissioner.
I have been reporting on Plainfield for more than 30 years, first at the Plainfield Today weekly, then at the Courier News and after retirement on the Plainfield Plaintalker blog and its successor, Plaintalker II.
For feedback, questions, or corrections, send a note to: bernice.paglia "at" gmail.com.
4 Comments:
What action could the defeated incumbents and their "team" possibly want to take in such a rush before the new Board members are seated?
This smells fishy to me!
The question is, could any action taken in closed session be legal or binding. Negotiations,a matters of a personal nature can be private but can a monetary commitment? I agree that a lame duck board special executive meeting one day before the new board is sworn in should be of great concern.
If they come to a decision, they have to return to open session to vote. They are not allowed to take votes in closed session.
People may, however, sit around a long time waiting to see what happens. If they can't resolve whatever issue they are discussing in closed session, they will just come out and the president will declare no action will be taken.
Thanks Bernice. That was the po9int that I was trying to make. The executive session is part of the called special meeting and in theory they have to return to the special meeting before adjourning. They could be counting on the Council meeting Monday night, and their habit of having long executive sessions to discourage any pubic participation.
I hope Jerry will use this maneuver in his communications to the Commissioner.
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