Portage County committee delays decision on sale of healthcare center after public accuses secrecy

The Portage County ad hoc committee charged with advising on potential buyers for the county healthcare center voted to go into closed session to discuss negotiation strategy after a public commenter alleged the county had hidden key documents and begun marketing the property before the committee existed.

Nancy Rob, a resident who identified herself during public comment, said she obtained documents through Freedom of Information Act requests that she said show marketing activity beginning Jan. 22, 2025, before the committee’s first meeting and well ahead of a March broker presentation and an April listing agreement signature. “If you’ve got nothing to hide, hide nothing,” Rob said, urging the committee to stop holding closed sessions and to be more transparent with the public.

The chair read the committee’s charge and the statutory basis for a closed session under Wisconsin law concerning deliberating or negotiating the purchase of public properties for competitive or bargaining reasons. The read statement described the subject matter as review of proposals and negotiation of terms related to letters of intent for a possible sale of the Portage County Healthcare Center, located in Stevens Point. (The meeting transcript alternately cited the facility with different labels and street numbers; the committee did not resolve those discrepancies during the public meeting.)

Committee members approved the prior meeting minutes by voice vote after a motion to approve that was recorded as moved by Rakowski and seconded by Scott. Later, the committee took a separate motion to convene in closed session under Wis. Stat. §19.85(1)(e); the motion was recorded in the meeting minutes as moved by Scott and seconded by Rakowski, and the committee voted in favor.

After returning to open session, the chair said the committee would take no action at that time, requested additional due diligence and information about potential buyers, and set a follow-up meeting for Aug. 26. The chair described the decision as difficult and said staff would compile more details for committee review before any formal action.

The meeting record and public comment included several specific timeline claims (committee established Dec. 3, 2024; marketing began Jan. 22, 2025; broker presentation March 27; listing agreement April 30) put forward by the resident commenter as evidence of early broker involvement; the committee did not, during the meeting, provide a detailed public accounting that resolves those dates. The committee’s actions at this meeting were limited to approving minutes, voting to enter closed session, and then declining to take any formal public action pending further diligence.

A follow-up session is scheduled for Aug. 26, when the committee is expected to revisit letters of intent and any recommendations arising from staff due diligence.