Wisconsin Code § 19.85

Exemptions
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(1) Any meeting of a governmental
body, upon motion duly made and carried, may be convened in

closed session under one or more of the exemptions provided in
this section. The motion shall be carried by a majority vote in
such manner that the vote of each member is ascertained and
recorded in the minutes. No motion to convene in closed session
may be adopted unless the chief presiding officer announces to
those present at the meeting at which such motion is made, the
nature of the business to be considered at such closed session, and
the specific exemption or exemptions under this subsection by
which such closed session is claimed to be authorized. Such announcement shall become part of the record of the meeting. No
business may be taken up at any closed session except that which
relates to matters contained in the chief presiding officer’s announcement of the closed session. A closed session may be held
for any of the following purposes:
(a) Deliberating concerning a case which was the subject of
any judicial or quasi-judicial trial or hearing before that governmental body.
(b) Considering dismissal, demotion, licensing or discipline
of any public employee or person licensed by a board or commission or the investigation of charges against such person, or considering the grant or denial of tenure for a university faculty
member, and the taking of formal action on any such matter; provided that the faculty member or other public employee or person
licensed is given actual notice of any evidentiary hearing which
may be held prior to final action being taken and of any meeting
at which final action may be taken. The notice shall contain a
statement that the person has the right to demand that the evidentiary hearing or meeting be held in open session. This paragraph
and par. (f) do not apply to any such evidentiary hearing or meeting where the employee or person licensed requests that an open
session be held.
(c) Considering employment, promotion, compensation or
performance evaluation data of any public employee over which
the governmental body has jurisdiction or exercises
responsibility.
(d) Except as provided in s. 304.06 (1) (eg) and by rule promulgated under s. 304.06 (1) (em), considering specific applications of probation, extended supervision or parole, or considering
strategy for crime detection or prevention.
(e) Deliberating or negotiating the purchasing of public properties, the investing of public funds, or conducting other specified
public business, whenever competitive or bargaining reasons require a closed session.
(ee) Deliberating by the council on unemployment insurance
in a meeting at which all employer members of the council or all
employee members of the council are excluded.
(eg) Deliberating by the council on worker’s compensation in
a meeting at which all employer members of the council or all
employee members of the council are excluded.
(em) Deliberating under s. 157.70 if the location of a burial
site, as defined in s. 157.70 (1) (b), is a subject of the deliberation
and if discussing the location in public would be likely to result in
disturbance of the burial site.
(f) Considering financial, medical, social or personal histories
or disciplinary data of specific persons, preliminary consideration of specific personnel problems or the investigation of charges
against specific persons except where par. (b) applies which, if
discussed in public, would be likely to have a substantial adverse
effect upon the reputation of any person referred to in such histories or data, or involved in such problems or investigations.
(g) Conferring with legal counsel for the governmental body
who is rendering oral or written advice concerning strategy to be
adopted by the body with respect to litigation in which it is or is
likely to become involved.
(h) Consideration of requests for confidential written advice
from the elections commission under s. 5.05 (6a) or the ethics
commission under s. 19.46 (2), or from any county or municipal
ethics board under s. 19.59 (5).
(2) No governmental body may commence a meeting, subsequently convene in closed session and thereafter reconvene again
in open session within 12 hours after completion of the closed
session, unless public notice of such subsequent open session was
given at the same time and in the same manner as the public notice of the meeting convened prior to the closed session.
(3) Nothing in this subchapter shall be construed to authorize
a governmental body to consider at a meeting in closed session
the final ratification or approval of a collective bargaining agreement under subch. I, IV, or V of ch. 111 which has been negotiated by such body or on its behalf.

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