By Becky Holland
COCHRAN — Cochran Mayor Carla Coley acknowledged Wednesday that city officials going directly into the conference room for a specially called executive session Tuesday, rather than beginning the meeting in the City Auditorium as advertised, was an oversight.
The executive session was scheduled for 5:30 p.m. prior to the regular Cochran City Council meeting. The meeting notice listed the City Auditorium as the location.
Instead of beginning the meeting in the auditorium, Coley, council members and Interim City Manager Angela Redding went directly into the conference room.
In follow-up questions, The Ledger asked Coley whether the meeting was formally called to order and, if so, where and at what time; whether a vote was taken to enter executive session; and whether the meeting was reconvened afterward and formally adjourned.
“When we meet specifically for an executive session, we almost always hold the meeting in the conference room and close the door when we enter into executive session,” Coley said. “Since I have been on City Council, I am not sure we have ever held an executive session prior to a regular meeting.”
Coley said officials were working under a tight timeline in an effort to get to the regular meeting.
“I did not notice that Mrs. Redding had listed the location in the auditorium,” Coley said. “Not beginning in the auditorium was an oversight on my part.”
Coley said the purpose of the executive session was personnel.
“There was no public business conducted, and no votes were taken,” she said.
Coley’s response did not specifically answer whether the specially called meeting was formally called to order, whether council voted to enter executive session or whether the meeting was reconvened and formally adjourned following the closed session.
Following the executive session, The Ledger observed Councilman Gary Ates ask Coley a question concerning what would happen next. Coley indicated the matter would be addressed together at a later time.
Asked about that exchange, Coley said it related to the personnel discussion.
“The question that Councilman Ates asked was a clarification of when we planned to address personnel matters discussed in executive session,” Coley said.
The city subsequently proceeded with its regular council meeting in the auditorium.
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