Personnel Matters
Summary
Personnel Matters is a recurring closed-session agenda item that the City Council has convened under Virginia Code § 2.2-3711(A)(1) across numerous special meetings, work sessions, and regular meetings spanning from at least July 2024 through June 2026. The closed sessions are held in private with no public deliberation or recorded public votes on substance; upon reconvening, the Council routinely certifies unanimously that only lawfully exempt and properly noticed matters were discussed. The most significant publicly disclosed outcome tied to these sessions was the appointment of an Acting City Manager following the January 21, 2025 closed meeting. A longer, more notable outcome emerged by November 18, 2025, when remarks from council members indicated the conclusion of an extended City Manager search process and the appointment of Dan Alexander as City Manager. The frequency of closed sessions on personnel matters — with at least 20 instances documented between July 2024 and June 2026 — reflects ongoing personnel activity, including board and commission appointments alongside executive-level staffing decisions.
Open questions & options on the table
- No minutes or actions reports are yet available for several of the most recent scheduled closed sessions (including 2025-09-16, 2025-09-22, 2025-10-13, 2025-10-14 special meeting, 2025-10-23, 2025-11-04, and 2025-11-08), leaving their outcomes unconfirmed.
- It is not publicly known what specific personnel matters were discussed in the majority of these closed sessions beyond the two confirmed outcomes (Acting City Manager appointment in January 2025; City Manager appointment of Dan Alexander by November 2025).
- Whether any further significant personnel actions (beyond those already noted) resulted from the dense cluster of closed sessions in fall 2025 has not been disclosed in the public record.
Recent updates
[16] The Council held a closed meeting to discuss personnel matters.
[2] A closed meeting to discuss personnel matters was scheduled for this special meeting. No outcome is recorded as no minutes or actions report are yet available.
What members have said
Bates was referenced in the November 18, 2025 transcript in connection with remarks welcoming Dan Alexander as City Manager, with another member echoing Bates's comments on the matter.
At the November 18, 2025 meeting, McQuillan noted that the City Manager search had been a long process and the Council had worked very hard on it, acknowledging public frustration with the lack of transparency inherent in personnel matters handled in closed session.
A member of the public stated on the record at the December 10, 2024 meeting — the final meeting for five of six council members — that any major personnel decisions should be left to the incoming council and should not be made by an outgoing council, expressing concern about significant personnel changes being decided at that juncture.
The presiding member at the November 18, 2025 meeting congratulated and welcomed Dan Alexander, underscored that the search process was long and confidential by legal necessity, and acknowledged the public frustration caused by the closed nature of personnel proceedings.
Positions as recorded in meeting minutes; votes without recorded comment aren’t summarized.
Full history
- Jul 2, 2024City Council · item 2
[2] A closed meeting to discuss personnel matters was scheduled for this special meeting.
- Jan 21, 2025City Council · item 2
[2] The Council convened a closed meeting to discuss personnel matters, resulting in the appointment of an Acting City Manager.
- Feb 18, 2025City Council · item 6
[6] Council entered a closed meeting to discuss personnel matters following reconvening of the special meeting. No public action or outcome is recorded.
- Jun 17, 2025City Council · item 2
[2] Discussion of personnel matters was scheduled to occur in closed session.
- Jun 23, 2025City Council · item 2
[2] A closed meeting was scheduled to discuss personnel matters.
- Jul 22, 2025City Council · item Special Meeting - 2
[Special Meeting - 2] City Council convened in closed session to discuss personnel matters at the 6:00 p.m. special meeting.
- Aug 12, 2025City Council · item 2
[2] A closed meeting to discuss personnel matters was scheduled for this special meeting. No outcome is recorded as no minutes or actions report are yet available.
- Aug 26, 2025City Council · item 3
[3] A closed meeting to discuss personnel matters was scheduled; no outcome recorded yet.
- Aug 29, 2025City Council · item 3
[3] A closed meeting to discuss personnel matters was scheduled for this special session; no outcome is recorded as no minutes or actions report are available.
- Sep 2, 2025City Council · item 5
[5] The Council convened a closed meeting to discuss personnel matters, held in Room 339, City Manager Conference Room.
- Sep 16, 2025City Council · item 2
[2] A closed meeting was scheduled to discuss personnel matters. No outcome recorded.
- Sep 22, 2025City Council · item 2
[2] A closed meeting was scheduled to discuss personnel matters at this special meeting. No outcome has been recorded yet.
- Oct 7, 2025City Council · item 6
[6] Council held a closed meeting to discuss personnel matters; no further detail recorded in the public actions report.
- Oct 13, 2025City Council · item 3
[3] A closed meeting to discuss personnel matters was scheduled; no outcome or details recorded as no minutes or actions report are yet available.
- Oct 14, 2025City Council · item 3
[3] A closed meeting to discuss personnel matters was scheduled on the agenda for this special meeting.
- Oct 14, 2025City Council · item 2 (special)
[2 (special)] Council convened in closed session to discuss personnel matters prior to the regular meeting.
- Oct 23, 2025City Council · item 2
[2] A closed meeting to discuss personnel matters was scheduled for this special meeting. No outcome is recorded as no minutes or actions report exist yet.
- Nov 4, 2025City Council · item 2
[2] A closed meeting to discuss personnel matters was scheduled for this special meeting. No outcome is recorded as no minutes or actions report exist yet.
- Nov 8, 2025City Council · item 2
[2] A closed meeting to discuss personnel matters was scheduled for this special meeting. No outcome is recorded as no minutes or actions report are yet available.
- Jun 23, 2026City Council · item 16
[16] The Council held a closed meeting to discuss personnel matters.