Adams County committee convenes closed session to consider agreement with Whistling Wind's Retrievers on animal-control matters

Near the end of its September meeting the Adams County Planning & Zoning Committee voted to convene in closed session under Wisconsin Statute §19.85 to consider “deliberating or negotiating the purchasing of public properties, the investing of public lands, or conducting other specified public business whenever competitive or bargaining reasons require a closed session.” The stated purpose was to consider an agreement between Adams County and Whistling Wind's Retrievers regarding animal control.

A motion to go into closed session was moved and seconded, and the roll-call vote to enter closed session was recorded. Committee staff instructed a member joining by Zoom to be removed from the open session before closed deliberations began.

Because the committee moved into closed session under statutory authority, the public record of the meeting stops at the point of the vote to go into closed session; no further details of the committee’s deliberations in closed session were disclosed in the public portion of the meeting.

Why it matters

The county’s negotiations with an outside organization over animal-control services have operational implications for how animal-control and related enforcement services are provided in Adams County. The committee cited the statutory exception for competitive or bargaining reasons when moving into the closed session.

What’s next

The committee did not disclose the outcome or content of the closed-session deliberations in the public record. Any final agreement or actions would be revealed to the public if and when the committee or county board votes in open session or releases documentation.