The announcement was made during a special press conference that itself was not listed on the public agenda.
"People deserve to know exactly what their government is doing," Whitmore told reporters. "That's why we're committed to discussing transparency extensively in private."
According to officials, the executive session was called to discuss personnel matters, legal strategy, economic development opportunities, and several other topics that collectively encompass approximately 97 percent of local government activity.
The mayor stressed that transparency remains a top priority.
"We want residents to feel informed," he said. "At the appropriate time, after all decisions have been finalized, documents have been redacted, consultants have been paid, and nobody remembers why the issue mattered, we will absolutely provide a summary. Promise."
City staff later clarified that the summary would likely be delivered in the form of a 428-page PDF uploaded to the city website at 4:57 p.m. on the Friday before a holiday weekend.
Residents expressed mixed reactions.
"I appreciate their commitment to openness," said local taxpayer Denise Reynolds. "I just wish I knew what they were being open about."
Others remained optimistic.
"I attended the meeting," said resident Greg Martin. "Well, technically I attended the part before they asked everyone to leave. But from what I could tell, transparency was discussed very thoroughly."
Economic development officials praised the mayor's efforts.
"Transparency is critical to building trust," said one official who requested anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly about transparency. "We believe the public should have confidence that important decisions are being made somewhere."
The announcement follows a growing trend among local governments seeking to improve public engagement while simultaneously minimizing opportunities for public engagement.
Industry experts say the practice has become increasingly common.
"Today's residents expect transparency," explained municipal governance consultant Brad Thomas. "The challenge is delivering the feeling of transparency without the administrative burden of actual transparency."
To address the issue, several communities have adopted innovative approaches including interactive dashboards with no underlying data, public listening sessions with no microphones, and strategic plans that prominently feature the phrase citizen input despite containing no evidence of it.
Following the executive session, council members emerged smiling but declined to answer questions.
"We had a productive discussion," said one council member.
"What did you discuss?" a reporter asked.
"Transparency."
"Can you tell us anything about it?"
"No."
At press time, the city had announced a public workshop to discuss openness, accountability, and citizen trust. The workshop will be held next Tuesday at 10:00 a.m. in a conference room that seats six people and is located behind a locked door.
