Divided Port council settles on new time for meetings

The Port Washington Common Council will meet at a new time starting next month.

Aldermen recently agreed to begin council meetings at 6:30 p.m. on the first and third Tuesdays of each month instead of the current 7:30 p.m.

It was a compromise move made after several aldermen objected to a proposed 6 p.m. start time, saying that would make it difficult if not impossible for officials and residents who work in communities such as Milwaukee to attend meetings.

Ald. Deb Postl, who had presented the original recommendations last month, said the compromise was reached after receiving a “significant amount” of feedback from residents, staff and officials.

But not everyone agreed with the compromise, and there was a fair amount of discussion about several clauses in the ordinance — particularly the meeting time.

“Moving the meeting to before 7 really becomes a burden to make,” Ald. Mike Gasper, who cast the lone dissenting vote, said. “We have a lot of people in the city who do work a ways away. Six would be impossible. Six thirty would be tough. I’d be much happier seeing it at 7 p.m.

“We don’t want to exclude people.”

“Six is way too early,” Ald. Dan Benning agreed, adding, “Six thirty is going to be a challenge to cover” meetings of the Finance and License Committee, which traditionally meets before the Common Council.

He asked for a plan to be created for the committee, adding “that’s as important and critical.”

Gasper said the committe used to meet on alternate Tuesdays from the council, and said that could be considered, adding it would allow aldermen the chance to review the draft minutes before they meet.

Ald. Jonathan Pleitner, chairman of the Finance and License Committee, said he believes the committee can generally deal with a 5:30 p.m. start time, but said council meetings should not start earlier than 6:30 p.m.

Mayor Ted Neitzke said he suggested the earlier meeting time in order to make it easier for people who want to attend the sometimes lengthy council meetings but don’t want to wait hours before their topic is addressed.

It would also be easier for staff members whose work shifts end at 4:30 p.m. to attend meetings, he said.

No matter what, Pleitner said, the council should pick a time and stick with it so “citizens know when to find us.” 

Aldermen also walked back a proposal to eliminate one of two public comment periods during meetings, agreeing to keep both, and 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.

A proposal to 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” was also dropped with aldermen saying 24 hours is the minimum notice needed.

Ald. Pat Tearney questioned the six-hour provision, saying that when he campaigned for office “I heard mostly from people concerned about meetings held with very short notice.” Some told him they would have attended but found out about the sessions after they were over.

“Whether they’re allowed or not, I don’t think they’re a good idea,” Tearney said.