Executive sessions are essential.
The City Council has spent significant time in executive session in the past two years, primarily to discuss negotiations related to the Bee Cave Road expansion project. My opponent has made this an issue in her campaign against me.
All of the discussions about right-of-way acquisition must take place in executive session because of the sensitive nature of real estate negotiations we’re conducting with every property owner. It’s impossible to discuss executive sessions without also discussing attorneys’ fees.
Here is what executive sessions are and why we conduct them:
So to sum up it up: Widening Bee Cave Road = a lot of Executive Sessions = a lot of land contracts = a lot of legal fees.
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All of the discussions about right-of-way acquisition must take place in executive session because of the sensitive nature of real estate negotiations we’re conducting with every property owner. It’s impossible to discuss executive sessions without also discussing attorneys’ fees.
Here is what executive sessions are and why we conduct them:
- The widening of Bee Cave Road and its continuous two-way left turn lane, along with other improvements, will reduce congestion and improve public safety. By law, the City is responsible for acquiring the necessary right-of-way. Almost all of this land has been acquired by negotiated agreement with the property owners who voluntarily enter into real estate transactions with the City. This effort has taken years of careful negotiation and substantial legal guidance.
- The City has a fiduciary responsibility to spend taxpayer dollars wisely and not overpay for properties. If we were to discuss these negotiations in open session, every property owner on the street would want to be the last one to negotiate a deal so that he or she could benefit from seeing how every other deal was negotiated. It would be totally impractical and unrealistic – and would needlessly cost the taxpayers millions of dollars.
- Decisions are not made and votes are not taken in Executive Session. Whenever there’s a decision to be made, the issue is discussed in open session, a public hearing is held, and a vote is taken.
- Roughly a third of all regular council meeting agenda items involve an Executive Session, and the vast majority of those are directly related to the Bee Cave Road project. Prior to the Bee Cave Road project, there were significantly fewer Executive Sessions.
So to sum up it up: Widening Bee Cave Road = a lot of Executive Sessions = a lot of land contracts = a lot of legal fees.
- continue to Attorney's Fees Have Increased
- return to Straight Talk about West Lake Hills City Council