Council approves consent agenda items and votes to enter closed session on TIF 42 property acquisitions

At its Feb. 10 meeting the Janesville Common Council approved several consent-agenda items and then voted to convene into closed session under Wisconsin statute to discuss property negotiations.

Items approved on consent were: minutes from the Jan. 27, 2025 regular city council meeting; approval of the final plat for Rollingwood, 11th edition; a relocation order related to the Ruger Avenue reconstruction project; and a commendation for Jesse Ziegelman in recognition of more than 26 years of service to the city. The council handled those items under the consent process with no separate recorded roll-call discussion in the public transcript.

Later in the meeting, the council considered a motion to convene into closed session pursuant to Wis. Stat. §19.85(1)(e) and (g) “concerning the deliberation or negotiation of property purchases and other related public business whenever competitive or bargaining reasons require a closed session and with legal counsel . . . concerning strategy to be adopted by the body with respect to litigation” related to property acquisitions within TIF 42 for blight elimination and urban renewal purposes. The motion to go into closed session was made by Council member Williams, seconded by Council member Miller. The council voted in favor and the meeting went into closed session; the presiding officer announced the council would not return to open session.

The public record on the consent items is limited to the item descriptions; the closed-session motion cites Wis. Stat. §19.85(1)(e) and (g) as the legal basis for private deliberation. No public details of the negotiation or property parcels were given in the open meeting record.