Reedsburg council moves into closed session to discuss negotiation and potential sale of city property

The Reedsburg Common Council voted to enter a closed session under Wisconsin Statute 19.85(1)(e) to discuss matters related to purchasing or negotiating the sale of public property and other specified public business where competitive or bargaining reasons require confidentiality.

At the meeting mayoral staff read the statutory authority and said the council would consider entering closed session “for the purpose of deliberating or negotiating the purchasing of public properties, investing in public funds, or conducting other specified public business wherever competitive or bargaining reasons require a closed session.” A motion to enter closed session was made by Common Council member Dietrich and seconded by Common Council member Becker; the council voted in favor and the motion carried.

No substantive details about the properties or the prospective negotiations were disclosed in open session. The council recessed for a short period to hold the closed session. The transcript indicates the council intended to use the statutory exception for competitive or bargaining reasons; any actions following the closed session would be recorded when the council returned to open session or on a subsequent agenda.

Because the council invoked a statutory closed-session exception, the meeting record in open session limited discussion to the statutory citation and the motion to go into closed session. Specific negotiation positions, property identities, or bargaining details were not discussed publicly at that time.