The promise by Mayor Gerry Friedel to be more “transparent” could not be further from the truth. His mayoral campaign claimed excessive executive sessions would end. He also led us to believe the public deserves to be informed.
Alas, in my view, that's not the case. For executive sessions, Mayor Friedel's Council averages one per month (beginning January 2025 through October – where there are two posted. Remember, the mayor and council took two months off of meetings, too!) The reasons for an executive session are defined by law to only name the topic. But it's more about Friedel's promise – not the volume of executive sessions – that bothers me.
As a prospective mayor, he appears to have had no clue the reasons and needs for executive sessions. Even more frustrating, though, is the lack of clarity that is often the case on regular meeting agendas. For those items, it's not unusual for agendas to lack detailed staff reports. The topic is posted as the agenda item.
