Aldermen balk at mayor’s call for earlier meetings

The Port Washington Common Council is poised to make some fairly significant changes to its meetings.

However, those changes may face some challenges when the proposed ordinance change comes before aldermen on Tuesday, Aug. 17.

The changes include moving the council’s traditional 7:30 p.m. Tuesday meeting time to 6 p.m. and limiting public comments during the sessions.

But the 6 p.m. start time for the meetings, which are held on the first and third Tuesdays of each month, was questioned by two aldermen who said it’s too early.

“Anybody who works 9 to 5 is going to have real trouble getting to a 6 p.m. meeting,” Ald. John Sigwart said, especially people who work in Milwaukee and other parts of the metro area.

“I just think it’s too early,” he said.

That sentiment was echoed by Ald. Mike Gasper, who said he often travels for work to Green Bay and other communities just as far away. 

It’s difficult but manageable to get to a 7:30 p.m. meeting from those places, he said, but impossible to get to a 6 p.m. meeting.

“I’m going to be an hour late to a lot of meetings,” he said. 

Ald. Deb Postl, who worked on the proposed ordinance changes, said Mayor Ted Neitzke, who was not at Tuesday’s meeting and asked that discussion be delayed until the Aug. 17 meeting, asked for the earlier start time. 

She said he told her that when he was campaigning for office, many people said the meetings begin too late for them to attend.

A memo accompanying the proposed ordinance change noted that earlier meetings would better accommodate consultants and contractors who must attend council meetings.

The proposed changes would also eliminate one of two public comment periods during council meetings. 

Currently, people can address the council at the beginning and end of each meeting, but the proposed ordinance would only accommodate one public comment period at the beginning of each meeting.

Postl said that change was also proposed by Neitzke, who said few people remain in the audience until the end of council meetings.

The proposed change would, however, allow officials to discuss but not act on issues raised by the public during the comment period, “provided, however, that extensive discussion and action on such matter shall be deferred until specific notice of the subject matter can be given as required by law.”

Currently, officials do not respond to issues brought up during public comments to avoid a conflict with the Wisconsin Open Meetings law that requires matters to be discussed by governmental bodies to be noticed on an agenda so the public knows what will be talked about.

The proposed ordinance would allow a special meeting of the council to be called by the mayor with six hours notice “if for good cause 24-hour notice of the meeting is impossible or impractical.”

“I find that unacceptable,” Sigwart said, saying 24 hour notice is preferred.

The proposed ordinance also includes language allowing for electronic meetings.