Finance committee moves to closed session to negotiate land and easements for Business Campus Trail East–West Connector

The Wausau Finance Committee voted July 8, 2025, to enter closed session under Wisconsin Statutes 19.85(1)(e) to deliberate or negotiate the purchase of public property and temporary limited easements for the Business Campus Trail East–West Connector project. The items named in the agenda were properties at 8101 and 7801 International Drive.

Alder Tierney read the closed-session motion into the record, citing the statute: "Pursuant to section 19.85 sub 1 sub e of the Wisconsin statutes for deliberating or negotiating the purchase of public properties, the investing of public funds, or conducting other specified public business, Whenever competitive or bargaining reasons require a closed session regarding possible action, a normal payment personal report for business campus trail, East dash or e dash west connector project ID 6999Dash18Dash11 for the following properties, 8101 International Drive and 7801 International Drive."

Henke seconded the motion to go into closed session. The committee then took a roll-call vote: McElhinney — aye; Gisselman — aye; Henke — aye; Tierney — aye. The committee announced it would reconvene in open session to take up any business or action if necessary and then proceed to joint committee items.

The item had been agendized for closed session, and no substantive negotiation details were discussed in open session. The committee did not record any formal decisions about purchase terms or easement grants in open session. The transcript includes two different renderings of the project ID ("699918Dash11" and "6999Dash18Dash11"); staff will need to confirm the correct project identifier in subsequent records.