Wausau Ethics Board votes to meet in closed session on motion to depose city officials

The Wausau Ethics Board voted unanimously to enter a closed session to consider a respondent's Motion to Compel the depositions of City Attorney Anne Jacobson and City Clerk Caitlin Bernardi in a pending complaint involving Mayor Doug Denny. The board convened, read the statutory closed-session language, and approved the move by roll call before retiring for the private session.

The closed-session authority cited was Wisconsin Statutes chapter 19, specifically section 19.85(1)(g), which permits a governmental body to confer with legal counsel about litigation strategy. The chair read the statute aloud before making the motion; a board member seconded it and the clerk called a roll-call vote that recorded four yes votes and no opposition.

Board legal counsel Eric Larson and the respondent's counsel, attorney Andrew Erlinson, attended the meeting, along with Mayor Doug Denny and the clerk. The motion was procedural: to hold a private conference with counsel about how to respond to the respondent's request to depose the city attorney and city clerk. The board indicated it would reconvene in open session afterward if necessary to take any action stemming from the closed deliberations.

At the roll call on the closed-session motion, members identified as Dexter, Hassler, De Vos and Kearns were recorded voting yes. After the vote the chair directed the group to retire to the closed session; the clerk confirmed the board would meet "upstairs" for the private discussion.

No formal ruling on the Motion to Compel depositions was taken in open session during the portion of the meeting captured in the transcript. Any decision on that motion, or any follow-up public action, would appear in subsequent meeting minutes or a later public session if the board reconvenes to act on closed-session items.