'If something must be decided by the City Council, it must be decided in an official meeting and that meeting must be open unless it qualifies under one of the specific, narrow exemptions in the law,' Martin said. Press Association, told me that if the move had required a decision of City Council, then the unanimous decision and lack of a meeting would've been a clear violation of open meetings laws, which require public notification of an upcoming meeting and the meeting itself.' Former City Councilman Carl Mumpower and Chad Nesbitt, a former chairman of the Buncombe County GOP, said council violated state open meetings law by not holding a vote during an official public meeting.Īmanda Martin, attorney for the N.C.