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Waukesha council approves appointment of Katie Panella as city clerk after closed-session review
Summary
After a closed-session review under Wisconsin law, the Waukesha Common Council voted unanimously March 4 to appoint Katie Panella as city clerk and to approve the terms of the offer letter, including a two-week initial vacation allotment and a required technical diploma by Dec. 31, 2026.
The Waukesha Common Council on March 4 voted unanimously to approve the appointment of Katie Panella as city clerk for the City of Waukesha, following a closed session under Wisconsin Statutes Section 19.85(1)(c).
Council members returned to open session and approved a motion that explicitly included the terms of the conditional offer letter presented during the closed session. The council recorded the action as approved unanimously; the meeting transcript records no roll-call tallies for the motion beyond unanimous passage.
The terms described to the council during the open session included a starting vacation allotment of two weeks, accrual of 13.33 hours of vacation per month thereafter, and eight hours of sick leave per month. The appointment letter described the annual salary as “within the grade for the position.” The city indicated the position does not include a vehicle. The offer also requires Panella to successfully complete the Waukesha County Technical College organizational leadership technical diploma program (or a similar approved program) at the city's expense by no later than Dec. 31, 2026; failure to obtain the diploma was described in the meeting as a possible ground for termination.
The city attorney told the council he understood the terms as read in open session and indicated those were the terms the council was approving. The council voted after members said they were including the offer letter's terms in the motion.
No public discussion or amendment of the offer terms was recorded at the open meeting. The transcript shows council members moved into closed session under the cited Wisconsin statute to discuss the appointment and then returned to open session to take the vote approving the appointment and the offer terms.
The council adjourned after the vote. The appointment and its terms are recorded in the meeting minutes; the transcript does not show any further implementation steps or an effective start date beyond approval of the appointment and its terms.
