GARDEN CITY —The Garden City Town Council Monday voted to place the office staff on administrative leave.

The vote came after a nearly two-hour closed door session that Mayor Tim Eskew said was for personnel reasons. Prior to going into executive session, the council passed a resolution naming Amy Black as interim town clerk. Councilman Michael Black abstained from the vote, as the interim clerk is his sister-in-law.

They also passed resolutions removing town clerk Shannon James from the town bank accounts and giving Ty Watwood access to the town books and computers.

After the council came back out of executive session, Black read a statement from the council: “After discussion and advisement from the town auditor, office staff has been placed on administrative leave pending further notice.”

The only other business the town conducted at its meeting prior to going into executive session was approving the minutes of the previous meeting and approving paying all invoices, with the exception of the $1,650 invoice from St. John & Associates from the water account. Black, who asked that the invoice not be included in the motion to pay bills, did not elaborate on the reason.