Two Danville city commissioners walked out of an executive session Monday night that they had voted against entering.
Kevin Caudill and J.H. Atkins left the closed-door meeting called for personnel matters and refused comment on either the purpose of the meeting or their reasons for leaving.
At the conclusion of a three-and-a-half hour regular meeting, about 9 p.m., Assistant City Attorney Stephen Dexter said there was a need for an executive session to discuss possible litigation in addition to discussion of personnel matters that could result in the dismissal of an employee.
The vote to enter the session was split 3-2, with Caudill and Atkins both voting “no,” and Commissioners Gail Louis and Ryan Montgomery, along with Mayor Bernie Hunstad, voting “yes.”
About 9:45, Caudill and Atkins left the session, which was being held in a meeting room in the legislative portion of city hall, gathered their belongings from the main commission chamber and exited the building.
When the remaining commission members returned from executive session about 20 minutes later, no action was taken.
Caudill declined to comment on why he and Atkins decided to leave.
Atkins, who jokingly asked Monday whether the commission would be able to get through the session in 15 minutes, had voted “no” to entering an executive session at a previous meeting, at the time citing the fact that the meeting already had run too late.
The exception to open meetings laws used to justify the session is covered under KRS 61.810(1)(f). The law states: “Discussions or hearings which might lead to the appointment, discipline or dismissal of an individual employee, member or student without restricting that employee’s, member’s or student’s right to a public hearing if requested. This exception shall not be interpreted to permit discussion of general personnel matters in secret.”
The lengthy closed-door session was not the first in which one of the stated subjects was possible firing and no action was subsequently taken.
Kevin Caudill and J.H. Atkins left the closed-door meeting called for personnel matters and refused comment on either the purpose of the meeting or their reasons for leaving.
At the conclusion of a three-and-a-half hour regular meeting, about 9 p.m., Assistant City Attorney Stephen Dexter said there was a need for an executive session to discuss possible litigation in addition to discussion of personnel matters that could result in the dismissal of an employee.
The vote to enter the session was split 3-2, with Caudill and Atkins both voting “no,” and Commissioners Gail Louis and Ryan Montgomery, along with Mayor Bernie Hunstad, voting “yes.”
About 9:45, Caudill and Atkins left the session, which was being held in a meeting room in the legislative portion of city hall, gathered their belongings from the main commission chamber and exited the building.
When the remaining commission members returned from executive session about 20 minutes later, no action was taken.
Caudill declined to comment on why he and Atkins decided to leave.
Atkins, who jokingly asked Monday whether the commission would be able to get through the session in 15 minutes, had voted “no” to entering an executive session at a previous meeting, at the time citing the fact that the meeting already had run too late.
The exception to open meetings laws used to justify the session is covered under KRS 61.810(1)(f). The law states: “Discussions or hearings which might lead to the appointment, discipline or dismissal of an individual employee, member or student without restricting that employee’s, member’s or student’s right to a public hearing if requested. This exception shall not be interpreted to permit discussion of general personnel matters in secret.”
The lengthy closed-door session was not the first in which one of the stated subjects was possible firing and no action was subsequently taken.
