Photo of the Day: Whoops

Metro Wire Staff

A PowerPoint presentation (with a developer’s logo blurred by Metro Wire staff), intended for closed-session discussion during private negotiations with a developer at the city’s April 9 finance committee meeting, remains open for public view while committee members continue the meeting after going back into open session.

The discussion was vaguely listed on the agenda as, “Negotiating a potential development agreement in Tax Incremental District #5 (Northside)”, which Metro Wire staff later confirmed related to the former Cooper Motor site on the 500 block of Division St.

Along with the front page of the proposal, several other slides showcasing the project were visible along the side of the four 64-inch viewing screens in the conference room where the meeting was held, for the last several moments of the meeting, which lasted about one minute after reconvening into open session.

Mayor Mike Wiza, who was not present at the meeting but was asked for a comment on Thursday, said the oversight didn’t concern him because “there’s nothing being divulged there, nothing that could potentially damage negotiations.”

When asked for his reaction, City Attorney Andrew Beveridge said he had no comment.

Comptroller-Treasurer Corey Ladick said he was unaware the presentation was still open when the committee re-entered open session, but said he would “take extra caution” in the future.

Under state law, government bodies enter into closed session for a number of reasons, to include personnel issues, negotiating terms of property purchases, and investments or TIF incentives offered to developers. The law protects both the developer and the city for the purposes of competitiveness.