Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Land Use Data Center topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Port Washington council moves into closed session to discuss potential data center, annexation
Summary
At its Jan. 7 meeting the Port Washington Common Council voted to enter two closed sessions to discuss negotiation strategies with Red Granite Development on a potential data center predevelopment agreement and to discuss annexation negotiations with the Town of Port Washington.
The Port Washington Common Council voted unanimously Tuesday to convene closed sessions to discuss negotiation strategies related to a proposed data center and potential annexation.
Mayor Ted Nitsky read motions sending the council into closed sessions under Wisconsin Statute 19.85(1)(e), which permits closed deliberations when competitive or bargaining reasons require confidentiality. The first session was to discuss negotiation strategies for a predevelopment agreement with Red Granite Development Company LLC pertaining to a potential data center; the second concerned negotiation strategies for entering an agreement with the Town of Port Washington related to annexation of certain land in the town.
Public commenters had urged greater transparency before the council voted. Pat Morrissey of 120 West Dodge Street said residents were learning new details only recently and asked whether the Great Lakes Compact had been contacted about “new or increased diversions of water from Lake Michigan,” and urged that affected landowners be heard. "The secrets up until tonight that you hold keep the public in the dark," Morrissey told the council.
Alderman Neumeyer made the motion to enter the first closed session; the motion was seconded and carried on a vocal roll call in which each ward signified “aye.” A second motion to enter closed session on annexation was also moved and seconded and carried on a voice vote; the council then recessed to a closed session scheduled to begin at 7:20 p.m. in the chambers downstairs.
The council did not make public decisions in open session on either item; the motions and vote to convene closed session were the formal actions recorded at the Jan. 7 meeting.
Questions raised during public comment included the scope of the proposed development (commenters said it could be more than 1,000 acres), the timing and content of nondisclosure agreements (NDAs), possible impacts on existing landowners, and whether annexation of town land would be pursued. The council’s motions and the Wisconsin statute cited limit public disclosure of negotiation strategy while bargaining reasons exist.
No binding agreements were announced in open session, and the council scheduled to resume public business after the closed sessions.
