PFAS Advisory Sign, January 4, 2023. PC: Fox 11 Online
MARINETTE, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – The Marinette City Council violated the state’s Open Meeting Law with two closed sessions in 2020 discussing PFAS issues, a state appeals court ruled Tuesday.
Ald. Douglas Oitzinger sued, claiming that meetings on Oct. 6 & 7, 2020, violated the Open Meetings Law. A circuit court ruled one meeting did but the other did not. Appeals ensued.
“Based on this court’s prior decision (in another case) and our determination that the plain language of the Open Meetings Law’s exemption in WIS. STAT. 19.85(1)(e) (2021-22)4 does not apply, we conclude that the Council violated the Open Meetings Law by going into closed session on October 6 and 7, 2020. Accordingly, as the prevailing party, we conclude that Oitzinger is entitled to his reasonable attorney fees for privately enforcing the Open Meetings Law,” the court ruled in the 39-page decision.
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