The Green Bay Police and Fire Commission on Oct. 23 convened a closed session to review patrol officer candidate backgrounds and interview a candidate, then reconvened in open session and voted to confirm that the individual will continue in the department's hiring process.

The commission said the special meeting included two agenda items, both handled in closed session under Wisconsin law. Commissioners Michael Dorf and [first name not specified] Bolton were present in person; Commissioner Boyle Rohloff attended via videoconference. Commissioners Cobb and Laux were excused.

Commissioners conducted one background review and one interview while in closed session, then returned to open session to report the result. Commissioner Bork moved to confirm the report and Commissioner Boyle Rohloff seconded; the motion carried on a voice vote. The commission reported the vote as "all those in favor: Aye." The meeting minutes state the commission "reviewed 1 background, conducted 1 interview and chose to continue that individual within their hiring process." No additional details about the candidate or next steps were released at the meeting.

The commission said it convened the closed session pursuant to Wisconsin Statutes governing closed sessions for employment matters; the chair cited the statute when announcing the closed session and the authority to reconvene and report out of closed session. The meeting then adjourned.

The action affirmed at the meeting was administrative: confirmation that the candidate will remain in the department's hiring process. No appointment, employment offer, salary decision, or effective date was announced during the open session, and the commission did not provide additional public details about the background review or the interview during the meeting.

A copy of the meeting agenda was distributed to commissioners in advance, and the meeting record indicates the session lasted only a few minutes from the start of roll call to adjournment. The commission did not schedule further public discussion of the candidate during the Oct. 23 meeting.