Port Washington data center, group claims open meetings violations
Port Washington data center
PORT WASHINGTON, Wis. - A grassroots group on Wednesday announced it is suing the city of Port Washington over what it said are open meetings law violations related to a controversial data center project, an assertion the city has since denied.
Group's claims
What they're saying:
Great Lakes Neighbors United said it filed a lawsuit that claims the Port Washington Common Council improperly held extended, closed-session meetings to deliberate and negotiate terms of a developer's agreement with Vantage Data Centers. Their complaint alleges substantive terms of the agreement were discussed largely outside public view before councilmembers approved it.
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Wisconsin law requires governmental bodies to conduct public business in open session unless a specific statutory exemption applies. Under Wisconsin’s Open Meetings Law, a court can declare actions taken as a result of unlawfully held closed sessions void.
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GLNU asserts there was no valid competitive or bargaining reason to justify closing the meetings. Their complaint argues that given the scale and long-term impact of the project, deliberations should have occurred in open session to ensure transparency and public oversight.
The group said their lawsuit asks a judge to review the closed meetings and invalidate the developer’s agreement if violations are found. The matter has also been presented to the Ozaukee County District Attorney's Office for investigation and potential enforcement under state law.
City responds
The other side:
On Thursday, the city of Port Washington released the following statement in response to the claims, asserting that it has been "in compliance with all open meetings requirements" throughout the process and that city officials went "well beyond" what was required as they communicated to the public.
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The city also said it was not aware of anyone filing a lawsuit, but that it was aware of a complaint filed with the district attorney's office, which is not a lawsuit.
"Inaccuracies in this complaint are so blatant and easily disproven that we wonder whether they are simply the result of sloppy work, or committed on purpose to continue pushing false narratives. Knowingly signing a complaint that contains false information is a potential criminal violation," the city's statement added.
Full statement
Editor's note: This story was updated on Feb. 19 to include information from the city of Port Washington's response.
The Source: FOX6 News referenced statements from Great Lakes Neighbors United, the city of Port Washington and prior coverage of the data center project.