Councillors took the unusual step of moving into non-public at the beginning - rather than the end - of the council's finance, strategy and development committee meeting on Monday.
Members of the public, the media and even council staff were asked to leave the private session, which continued for more than two hours.
Only Warren Larsen, the author of a critical review of Dunedin City Holdings Ltd's governance, and Bill Baylis, also involved in the review, were invited to remain and answer councillors' questions.
The move into non-public at the beginning of the meeting was apparently to suit the pair's timetable, but Mr Cull was tight-lipped about the session when contacted yesterday.
He told the Otago Daily Times he could not comment on the discussion or any outcome yet, "but we will make an announcement, or provide information, as soon as we can. It will be a week or so", he said.
The debate came after it was revealed in July an $8 million annual shortfall in dividend payments from DCHL was expected.
That was followed by the release of Mr Larsen's critical report into DCHL governance in August, which described a "high level of dysfunction" within the organisation and recommended councillors should no longer also serve as company directors.
Cr Paul Hudson is also DCHL's chairman and a director of three of six DCHL subsidiaries - Aurora Energy Ltd, City Forests Ltd and Delta Utility Services Ltd.
A move to change directorships was expected before DCHL's general meeting on October 31, and Mr Cull last month indicated a healthy return by DCHL in its latest annual report would not save Mr Hudson.
The DCHL report revealed a profit of almost $19 million and a $23.3 million dividend to the council, part of $106.3 million in cash and dividends paid to the council over the past five years.
