Live streaming meetings from City Hall still a problem for commission

The Port Washington Police and Fire Commission on Monday once again postponed action on a proposal to move its meetings to City Hall, where they could be broadcast, and to post online the packet of information members receive about monthly agenda items.

Commission members said they want to wait until after a city survey of residents is concluded to decide whether to move their meetings to City Hall — something commission Chairman Rick Nelson said was suggested by Mayor Ted Neitzke.

The survey, which will seek residents’ views on a wide variety of topics, is intended to give officials input that will be used in creating a strategic plan for the city.

But Ald. Dan Benning, who recently proposed the changes, told the commission that moving the meetings to City Hall would give members and the public more space, allow the sessions to be livestreamed and broadcast on cable and recordings to be available.

“There will be some logistics to work out with City Hall, but none of them are unreasonable or insurmountable,” he said.

Agenda packets, Benning added, are public records that should be readily available and shouldn’t require a Freedom of Information Act request to access. 

If the commission does not make the information easily accessible, he said, it will look like it is trying to hide something.

Benning added that some information may need to be written in layman’s terms to make it easier for people to understand, and information that could identify some people could be omitted.

Both changes, Benning said, will help the public understand the role of the commission and make the police and fire departments operations more transparent, something that’s vital today.

In conversations with residents, Benning said, it was clear that “they don’t have a clue what the Police and Fire Commission is, what you’re responsible for. There’s a lot of mystique about the Police and Fire Commission.”

Several commission members said they are concerned that the monthly ambulance report includes the addresses the crew is called to, but Fire Chief Mark Mitchell said that information is public.

“I have a problem with us making sure we push out there the address for every ambulance call,” commission member Ed Johnson said.

Nelson said he would not allow this information to be released online until City Attorney Eric Eberhardt reviewed it.

“I have no objection (to posting the packets) with the exception of the addresses,” Nelson said.

Commission member Terry Tietyen said he is concerned that people might be subject to harassment if they appear before the board with a complaint and others find out.

He cited a person who appeared before the commission with concerns about motorcycle noise, saying that if the resident’s name and address was in the packet and it was posted online “it certainly would be easy to look at that and harass the guy.”

But, Benning said, the meetings and packet information are public.

Some commission members questioned how much time and money would need to be spent placing the agenda packets online, something Police Chief Kevin Hingiss said isn’t likely to be substantial.

Hingiss said he has some concerns about posting the agenda packets online, saying that even though the information is public it may not be bad if people “have to work for it.” 

The commission postponed action on the posting of the agenda packets, agreeing to continue discussions at its June 14 meeting.