Board of Aldermen votes to enter closed session under RSMo §610.021 for personnel matters

The Board of Aldermen voted Monday to meet in closed session under RSMo §610.021, subsections (3) and (13), to discuss personnel matters.

The vote occurred during a special meeting called by Mayor Fili. City officials cited RSMo §610.021(3) and (13) as the legal basis for closing the meeting to the public to address "hiring, firing, disciplining, or promoting of particular employees" and "individual identifiable personnel records." No members of the public spoke during the public-participation portion; the record states "there's no one here."

Alderman Hovind moved to go into closed session; Alderman Stewart seconded the motion. Roll-call votes recorded in the transcript show Alderman Kelly voting yes, Alderman Stewart voting yes, Alderman Hovind voting yes, and President Ward Loesch voting yes. The meeting then adjourned into closed session. The transcript does not record further public action or discussion after the motion.

This action is a formal use of the Missouri statute that allows municipal governing bodies to meet behind closed doors for certain personnel and privacy-protected matters. The meeting record provided does not specify the subject employee(s), any subsequent personnel actions, the duration of the closed session, or whether any formal personnel decisions were made in closed session.