Ladysmith council directs staff to prepare condemnation plan for dilapidated property after closed session

After meeting briefly in closed session, the Ladysmith Common Council directed the Director of Public Works to make the exterior of a dilapidated property safe and to prepare a plan to condemn the property.

Mayor Grotzinger announced the council entered closed session under Wis. Stat. 19.85(1)(g) to confer with legal counsel regarding strategy on litigation-related matters and later reported that the council took a formal step in open session to direct the Director of Public Works, K. Gorsegner, to secure the property's exterior and prepare a condemnation plan. The minutes record that this direction followed closed-session consideration of a letter to the property owner.

The minutes do not provide the property's address, the owner’s name, or a timetable for formal condemnation steps. The council recorded prior motions to enter closed session by roll call and noted that it returned to open session before the direction was announced. The minutes state Councilors agreed to continue negotiations in a separate closed-session matter concerning potential purchase or transfer of industrial properties.

Next steps recorded in the minutes: public-works staff were assigned to make the exterior safe and to prepare a condemnation plan; the minutes indicate staff will report back to the council but do not specify a date for that report.