Malden council votes to enter executive session on open-meeting-law complaint and to review executive minutes

The Malden City Council voted in two separate roll-call motions to enter executive session.

First, the council voted 8–2 to go into executive session under exemptions cited on the agenda related to the open meeting law complaint (citing M.G.L. c.30A, §21A(1) and §21A(7) and referring to M.G.L. c.30A, §23B). Council discussion included a request from Councilor Colon Hayes that aspects of the matter be discussed in public; the chair determined the item met the legal standard for executive-session discussion. The roll call concluded with an 8–2 vote to enter executive session for the open meeting law matter.

Second, the council separately voted 10–0 to enter executive session under the exemption permitting review of executive-session minutes and to decide whether portions of those minutes should be released. The listed minutes under review included meetings referenced in the agenda (dates and paper numbers were read into the record). The council announced it would not reconvene afterward and would adjourn directly from executive session.

The city cited the relevant legal provisions on the agenda: Massachusetts General Law Chapter 30A, Section 21A(1) and Section 21A(7); the agenda text also referenced compliance with Chapter 30A, Section 23B. The council did not discuss the complaint’s merits in public before voting to enter executive session.