The Galesburg City Council recently discussed business that was questionable for executive session, according to audio that was inadvertently streamed online by the city and recorded by WGIL Radio.
Among the items in question from the Dec. 5, 2022, executive session was City Manager Gerald Smith seeking council approval to advertise for a new position of assistant city manager/director of public works. Closed sessions are generally reserved for discussing the appointment, employment, compensation, discipline, performance, or dismissal of specific employees.
While executive sessions are intended to be closed to the public and the media, the city inadvertently live internet-streamed the first 25 minutes of the closed session on Dec. 5. WGIL Radio automatically records the live streams of council meetings and has retained the audio portion of the meeting. The audio could be heard by anyone listening live to the internet stream that night.
WGIL reported Monday that Ward 1 Alderman Bradley Hix and Ward 7 Alderman Larry Cox have filed Open Meetings Act violations complaints against Galesburg Mayor Peter Schwartzman and City Manager Gerald Smith. The aldermen say the violations occurred Dec. 5 and 19, and were filed last week with the Illinois Attorney General’s Office of Public Access Bureau.
WGIL has reached out to the Public Access Counselor Office of the Illinois Attorney General for its interpretation on the executive sessions in question.
Smith did not attend the Dec. 5 meeting in person, but participated remotely and said that he was seeking the council’s approval to create the new position of assistant city manager/director of public works for the sole intent of seeking a qualified minority applicant.
During the executive session, Smith repeatedly referred to the fact the city of Galesburg was facing EEOC complaints from a former employee. Neither the complainant’s name nor position were identified, nor was the nature of the complaint.
With the city facing EEOC complaints, Smith told council members and the mayor that he felt it was important to introduce diversity into the management level of Galesburg city government.
Listen to the meeting audio here …
