Village of Jackson personnel committee enters closed session to consider public works candidates and 2025 pay plan

The Village of Jackson Personnel Committee on March 11, 2025, approved minutes from its Feb. 28 meeting and voted to go into a closed session to receive information about candidates for the director of public works position and to discuss the village's 2025 employee compensation plan.

The committee convened at 6:15 p.m. The committee approved the minutes for the personnel committee meeting of Feb. 28, 2025, on a motion by Trustee Emmerich and a second by Trustee Kroepke; the motion carried. The chair then moved that the committee go into closed session under Wisconsin Statutes 19.85(1)(c) to consider employment, promotion, compensation or performance-evaluation data of public employees.

Trustee Kroepke, Trustee Emmerich and President Heckendorf voted "aye," and the motion to enter closed session carried. The committee stated the closed session would be used to receive information about candidates for the director of public works position and to discuss the 2025 Village of Jackson employee compensation plan. No additional public action or votes on hiring or pay changes were recorded in the public portion of the meeting.

Under state law cited by the committee, discussions about specific employee candidates and compensation may be held in closed session; any formal hiring decisions or changes to compensation that require public action would be recorded in a subsequent open meeting or in a later public record. The committee did not announce a timeline for returning to open session or for any public votes related to hiring or the compensation plan.

The meeting record shows limited public-facing debate: the agenda items covered roll call, approval of minutes and the vote to enter closed session. Further deliberations about candidates and the pay plan took place in closed session and therefore are not described in the public transcript.