Skip to main content

Request By:
[NO REQUESTBY IN ORIGINAL]

Opinion

Opinion By: CHRIS GORMAN, ATTORNEY GENERAL; Thomas R. Emerson, Assistant Attorney General

OPEN MEETINGS DECISION

This matter comes to the Attorney General as an appeal by Anthony R. Trusty in regard to the response of the city of Louisville to his allegations that the city has violated the terms and provisions of the Open Meetings Act.

In a letter to the President of the Board of Aldermen, dated May 2, 1994, Mr. Trusty referred to a special meeting of the Committee of the Whole, held on April 26, 1994, in which the agenda for the meeting was described as, "R-58-4-94 Resolution Approving an Addendum to PSC 94-2785 and PSC 94-3049 for Frank Burke Sr. and Wyatt, Tarrant and Combs."

Mr. Trusty said that immediately upon convening the special meeting the chairman called for a motion to go into executive session to discuss "pending litigation. " Various persons present at the meeting objected because the agenda for the special meeting made no mention of pending litigation. When the closed session ended one of the committee members stated that unspecified pending litigation was discussed during the closed session.

On behalf of the city of Louisville, Christina Heavrin, Esq., replied to Mr. Trusty in a letter dated May 5, 1994, and denied that there had been a violation of the Open Meetings Act. She stated that even if there was an inadvertent violation there is nothing to remedy since no action was taken at that time. Ms. Heavrin further stated that since an agency need not comply with KRS 61.815 when discussing proposed or pending litigation, whether a meeting is a regular or special meeting makes no difference. She confirmed that litigation was discussed in the closed session.

In a letter dated May 11, 1994, and received on May 13, 1994, Mr. Trusty appealed to this office. In part he stated the issue is whether a public agency may close a public meeting to discuss the awarding of a contract for legal services rather than the tactics, strategies, work product, theories or other privileged matter that might be involved in the actual legal proceedings. He also mentioned KRS 61.810(1)(c), the exception to public meetings relative to matters in litigation, and KRS 61.823, the provisions pertaining to special meetings.

This office also received a letter from Ms. Heavrin, dated May 17, 1994, in which she responded to Mr. Trusty's letter of appeal. She stated that the committee's purpose in going into closed session on April 26, 1994, was to discuss pending litigation and not the choice of lawyers or the awarding of a contract. No vote was taken at the closed session nor was there a collective decision, a commitment, or a promise to make a decision. Ms. Heavrin again denied that there was a violation of the Open Meetings Act.

KRS 61.823 deals with special meetings of public agencies and subsection (3) of that statute provides:

The public agency shall provide written notice of the special meeting. The notice shall consist of the date, time, and place of the special meeting and the agenda. Discussions and action at the meeting shall be limited to items listed on the agenda in the notice.

The meeting with which we are concerned, conducted on April 26, 1994, was without question a special meeting. Therefore, the committee could only deal with matters set forth in the agenda and the only item on the agenda was "R-58-4-94 Resolution Approving an Addendum to PSC 94-2785 and PSC 94-3049 for Frank Burke Sr. and Wyatt, Tarrant and Combs." Such an item would appear to this office to involve a change or an addition to contracts and not a discussion of pending litigation involving the city of Louisville. See 93-OMD-119, copy enclosed, dealing with KRS 61.810(1)(c), the exception to open and public meetings involving a discussion of pending litigation against or on behalf of the city.

The appealing party has challenged the city's right to go into a closed session relying in part on the city's violation of KRS 61.823(3) and maintaining that "pending litigation" was not the item discussed at that closed session. While the city concedes that the committee went into a closed session to discuss pending litigation it justifies such action by asserting the nonapplicability of KRS 61.815 and the apparent nonapplicability of KRS 61.823.

KRS 61.815 sets forth the requirements that must be followed by a public agency relative to conducting closed sessions. That statute reads as follows:

(1) Except as provided in subsection (2) of this section, the following requirements shall be met as a condition for conducting closed sessions authorized by KRS 61.810:

(a) Notice shall be given in regular open meeting of the general nature of the business to be discussed in closed session, the reason for the closed session, and the specific provision of KRS 61.810 authorizing the closed session;

(b) Closed sessions may be held only after a motion is made and carried by a majority vote in open, public session;

(c) No final action may be taken at a closed session; and

(d) No matters may be discussed at a closed session other than those publicly announced prior to convening the closed session.

(2) Public agencies and activities of public agencies identified in paragraphs (a), (c), (d), (e), (f), but only so far as (f) relates to students, (g), (h), (i), (j), (k), and (l) of subsection (1) of KRS 61.810 shall be excluded from the requirements of subsection (1) of this section.

This office disagrees with the city as to the nonapplicability of KRS 61.815 which sets forth the procedures to be followed when a public agency goes into a closed session. In OAG 80-248, copy enclosed, we dealt with KRS 61.815 and, while we acknowledged that the statute in effect then was somewhat confusing, as is the situation now, we said in part:

We believe that the legislative intent is that agencies, per se, which are exempt from complying with the Open Meetings Law, such as the Parole Board, juries, the Governor's cabinet, committees of the General Assembly and other agencies exempted by statute or by the Constitution do not have to go through the formalities set forth in KRS 61.815, and that agencies which are not exempt per se but which go into closed session to deal with an excepted subject matter must observe those formalities.

The city and committees created by it are covered by the provisions of the Open Meetings Act (KRS 61.805(1)(c) and (g)). The committee in question, if it were to go into a properly called closed session, would have to follow the procedures set forth in KRS 61.815.

As noted, KRS 61.823, pertaining to special meetings, limits a public agency to discussions and action at a special meeting of only those items listed on the agenda in the notice of the special meeting. This provision applies to all public agencies including, of course, the city of Louisville. The only exception to this provision is where an emergency has arisen but nobody has stated or even implied that the situation here constituted an emergency.

Since the agenda for the special meeting listed as the only item a matter pertaining to a change or an addition to contracts, the city's committee violated the Open Meetings Act when it went into a closed session during that special meeting to discuss matters involving litigation. The city's committee also violated the provisions of the Open Meetings Act by its failure to follow the provisions of KRS 61.815 concerning the requirements to follow in regard to conducting closed sessions.

The city of Louisville may challenge this decision by initiating action in the appropriate circuit court within thirty days from the date of this decision. See KRS 61.846(4)(a) and KRS 61.848. Pursuant to KRS 61.846(5), the Attorney General shall be notified of any action filed in the circuit court, but he shall not be named as a party in that action or in any subsequent proceedings under the Open Meetings Act.

1993

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 321

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 231

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 230

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 229

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 228

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 227

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 226

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 217

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 320

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 224

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 225

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 319

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 223

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 221

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 222

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 220

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 219

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 218

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 207

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 208

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 317

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 318

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 216

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 206

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 315

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 215

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 214

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 212

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 213

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 205

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 314

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 211

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 210

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 313

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 204

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 312

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 203

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 209

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 202

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 199

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 201

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 200

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 182

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 183

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 311

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 310

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 308

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 181

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 309

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 198

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 180

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 197

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 196

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 195

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 179

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 307

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 178

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 306

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 193

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 194

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 177

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 176

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 304

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 303

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 175

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 302

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 192

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 191

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 190

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 188

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 189

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 174

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 187

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 301

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 186

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 185

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 184

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 166

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 300

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 299

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 165

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 298

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 164

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 173

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 172

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 170

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 171

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 297

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 163

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 168

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 169

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 296

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 295

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 161

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 162

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 167

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 160

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 159

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 158

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 146

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 293

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 157

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 154

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 155

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 233

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 156

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 232

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 153

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 291

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 292

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 152

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 150

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 149

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 151

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 234

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 145

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 235

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 144

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 148

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 236

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 147

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 129

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 290

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 130

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 237

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 143

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 142

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 238

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 141

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 140

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 139

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 289

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 287

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 138

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 288

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 239

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 137

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 136

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 135

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 134

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 286

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 131

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 284

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 132

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 282

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 285

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 133

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 128

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 111

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 112

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 127

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 280

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 281

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 126

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 125

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 121

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 122

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 123

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 124

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 119

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 120

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 110

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 279

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 278

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 118

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 109

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 117

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 116

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 115

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 114

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 113

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 108

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 277

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 106

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 107

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 105

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 96

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 104

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 276

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 103

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 102

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 101

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 95

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 275

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 100

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 99

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 98

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 273

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 93

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 94

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 274

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 97

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 83

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 82

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 81

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 80

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 79

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 78

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 92

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 272

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 90

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 77

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 89

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 91

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 88

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 76

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 86

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 75

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 87

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 85

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 74

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 84

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 73

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 72

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 71

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 70

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 59

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 68

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 67

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 69

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 57

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 66

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 56

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 58

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 64

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 65

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 55

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 54

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 63

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 53

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 52

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 51

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 61

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 60

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 50

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 62

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 48

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 49

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 47

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 46

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 43

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 44

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 42

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 45

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 33

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 32

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 31

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 39

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 29

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 30

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 41

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 28

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 27

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 26

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 25

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 24

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 40

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 38

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 23

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 328

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 21

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 322

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 36

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 37

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 22

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 35

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 294

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 19

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 327

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 330

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 331

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 316

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 305

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 20

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 18

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 34

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 9

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 8

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 11

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 10

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 283

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 17

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 326

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 324

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 16

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 15

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 325

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 5

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 14

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 6

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 7

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 12

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 13

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 329

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 323

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 2

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 1

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 4

1993 Ky. AG LEXIS 3

LLM Summary
The decision addresses an appeal regarding an alleged violation of the Open Meetings Act by the city of Louisville. The city held a special meeting where the agenda listed only a resolution approving an addendum to contracts, but the committee went into a closed session to discuss pending litigation. The decision finds that this action violated the Open Meetings Act because the discussion in the closed session did not align with the agenda of the special meeting, and the city failed to follow the required procedures for conducting a closed session as outlined in KRS 61.815.
Disclaimer:
The Sunshine Law Library is not exhaustive and may contain errors from source documents or the import process. Nothing on this website should be taken as legal advice. It is always best to consult with primary sources and appropriate counsel before taking any action.
Type:
Open Records Decision
Lexis Citation:
1994 Ky. AG LEXIS 219
Neighbors

Support Our Work

The Coalition needs your help in safeguarding Kentuckian's right to know about their government.