DAPHNE, Ala.—The City Council Monday agreed to hold a May 13 employee hearing in executive session to handle what city attorney Jay Ross called “a quasi-judicial proceeding.”

This is the second such employee hearing, a continuation of the first meeting held last fall; the first meeting ended shortly before 11 p.m. without resolution.

Ross did not disclose the plaintiff’s name, citing the possibility that it could influence proceedings.

After hours of deliberation, council members, the plaintiff and their legal counsels decided to end their discussion and continue at a later date.

However, council members suggested that a time limit be imposed on this hearing.

“We spent 10 or 11 hours on this before,” Councilman Greg Burnam said.

Ross suggested that the council not set a time limit on proceedings, to ensure that all parties have ample time to present their cases.

Asked by Councilman Ron Scott if the hearing needed to be held in public, Ross said it was a matter more fitting for executive session; such meetings are closed to the public. Ross recognized the Alabama Open Meetings Law’s discretion about closed-door meetings that double as quasi-judicial proceedings.

Meeting in private would not violate the “Sunshine Law,” Ross said, adding “but the vote must be made public.”

Even so, the employee could request that the hearing be held in public.

In other business, council members:

May 15 is nationally designated as Peace Officers’ Memorial Day, to remember those who died protecting the public’s safety.

Curry recently won the Bryant Jordan Scholarship Award and will attend New Mexico Military Junior College.

Yelding coached football and basketball at Daphne and Fairhope high schools for 30 years.

The May 11 City Council work session will include a joint meeting between the council and Planning Commission. Members from each committee will discuss the city’s current land-use ordinance.

Urban planning and development advisor Adrienne Jones will present proposed rezoning changes and will explain the decisions behind making the rezoning changes.