To the editor:
The number of people who used to attend Clintonville City Council meetings has diminished to just a handful, if that many. Yet many critical issues are under consideration, including the 2016 budget, the need to repair the Hemlock Street bridge, funding the needed storm sewer in the industrial park to eliminate flooding of factories, and also the sale of Angelus to a nonprofit organization — costing the city $300,000 in lost tax revenue.
It also appears that council members are not voting for what they know, but who they know.
At a recent meeting, the agenda included the appointment of a representative to the Badger Power Marketing Board. The acting mayor and the mayor discussed this, and the acting mayor submitted a name to Badger Power. Even I know that all committee appointments need council approval first. This experienced council member did not think this committee appointment needed council approval.
The candidate nominated by the mayor is employed as a graphic designer at Converting. His wife works for the mayor, doing her website and taking photographs. After the mayor, who was attending her first meeting in three or four months, nominated the gentleman, another council member stated she had considerable experience in the electric utility industry. A member of the utility commission, she worked for Wisconsin Electric for 13 years, chaired a national committee for the Edison Electric Institute and her graduate study was funded by the Electrical Women’s Roundtable. Resumes for the alderperson and the appointee recommended by the mayor are on file at City Hall.
After citing experience in utilities and finance, the alderperson stated the case for an elected official to represent residential taxpayers since a rate case is coming up. She noted that large industrial customers have already met with people preparing the rate case and pleaded that industrial customers not bear the rate increase.
When it came time to vote, the motion to confirm the mayor’s appointee failed. One alderperson took issue when another implied people were being told how to vote. Encourage the mayor to look for utility experience.
If you have not been attending council meetings, perhaps you will want to drop by the second Tuesday at 6 p.m. I hear some members of the council are reneging on the promised street light restoration.
Rochelle Laude,
Clintonville
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