The Hamilton County Commission went behind closed doors Thursday to discuss a legal matter with the county attorney, the second such meeting this month.
The commission went into the closed session on July 15, and Commissioner Larry Henry said both meetings were “generally” on the same topic, though he couldn’t say what the topic was.
“I’m not aware that it’s in court,” Henry said.
After the meeting, commissioners returned to their regular public meeting.
According to Frank Gibson, executive director of the Tennessee Coalition for Open Government, there are few permissible reasons a government body can go behind closed doors. It can discuss pending lawsuits, but the commissioners cannot vote during the closed meeting. The commission also can close its doors if it’s been threatened with a lawsuit, Gibson said.
“Commissioners can discuss what happened in the meeting because the attorney-client privilege belongs to the client,” Gibson said. “The lawyer cannot ethically discuss what went on in the meeting.”
When asked about the meeting, County Attorney Rheubin Taylor would not specify whether the issue was currently in litigation. Other commissioners and County Mayor Claude Ramsey had no comment.
“These are always touchy issues,” Commissioner Jim Coppinger said. “They’re not to be discussed.”