| Normally, reading council
minutes is even more dull than watching the meeting. However, the
minutes for this meeting are a bit more revealing.
Remember, of all the people involved, only one is running
for mayor. What does this say about that person's behavior when
"nobody's looking"?
Back to
May 3, 2005
Before any minutes were published, this set of emails
were exchanged. Emphasis was added to some sections for
this web page.
----Original Message-----
From: Scott Berg [mailto:scott@scottberg.com]
Sent: Thursday, May 05, 2005 7:08 AM
To: Schmidt Kris; Tadych Renee
Cc: Marquardt Dean; Moschella Vince
Subject: Council minutes 5/3/05
Kris -
There were a couple of key points at the Council meeting of 5/3/05
that I would like incorporated in the minutes.
First, my recollection of the two votes on the Finger annexation is
that they were both 13-0-1 with Ald. Kilkenny abstaining. I believe
this was mis-reported in yesterday's MJS and want to make sure the
official record is clear.
Second, and I don't think this is the usual practice, I want Ald.
Kilkenny's point of order noted. It was requesting that comments on
a possible fire station on Capitol Drive be stopped due to not being
explicitly stated on the agenda. Parliamentarian Moschella ruled
that the comments were in order.
Thank you.
Scott A. Berg
Alderman, 5th District
This was the Clerk's reply:
Sorry, I was out of the office
yesterday at a Clerk's meeting. No one voted "Nay" I only have
Alderman Kilkenny abstaining. You were sitting next to the phone,
unless you heard something different from Alderman Blackburn, I
didn't hear any "nays".
I guess we could put the point
of order in the minutes as it is a motion of information, since we
only put in motions in the minutes. I haven't even worked on the
minutes as yet. I will finish them today.
Kris Schmidt
City of Brookfield
2000 N. Calhoun Road
Brookfield, WI 53005
262-796-6653
email: schmidt@ci.brookfield.wi.us
Fax: 262-796-6671
Here was Ald. Berg's follow-up,
including his rational for the change. Note that the press is not
infallible. The "15th alderman" refers to a child in the gallery
shouting "Aye!" when a vote was taken from the 14 alderman.
-----Original Message-----
From: Scott Berg [mailto:scott@scottberg.com]
Sent: Thursday, May 05, 2005 8:40 AM
To: Schmidt@ci.brookfield.wi.us
Subject: Re: vote on finger annex
Hi!
I was confused. It was Wednesday's Freeman that reported the 12-2
tally. The MJS had the correct vote. At least they didn't report the
"15th alderman"!
Thank you for accommodating the point of order. In my mind, it is
in the same class as a motion to table, since an adverse ruling
could stop or otherwise shape a discussion that could lead to
action.
Thanks!
Scott
With Ald. Berg's request in mind, the original preliminary minutes
had this section. Note the part shown here in boldface.
17)
Items removed from the Consent Agenda:
Plan Commission
6a) • P.C. Item #3:
Request of Thomas Finger et al for annexation of 73.2908 acres of
territory from the Town of Brookfield, located south of Lisbon Road,
east of Lannon Road and directly west of the western City limits.
The Plan Commission
recommended to approve the annexation petition and establish a
temporary zoning of "R-2" (not "R-3" as stated in the staff report)
single-family residential.
Alderman Kilkenny
raised a point of order relative to the discussion of fire service
to the new parcel straying from the agenda item. City Attorney
Moschella agreed there was relevancy to the issue at hand, i.e.
services to the annexed area.
Alderman Mahkorn moved
to adopt the recommendation of the Plan Commission. The motion was
seconded by Alderman Owen and carried Ayes 13, Nays 0 with Aldermen
Kilkenny abstaining.
And that's when things started getting strange.
Upon receiving the draft minutes, there appears to have been an email
from Ald. Kilkenny to the City Clerk to the effect of (the actual
email is not available):
Why is my over-ruled point of order in the
minutes? It makes me look like a fool by trying to stifle a
legitimate aspect of the topic under discussion. You haven't
documented any of my other unsuccessful efforts to control the
meeting without being the chair.
Again, the actual email is not available.
That lead to this reply from City Clerk Schmidt to Ald.
Kilkenny.
From:
Schmidt@ci.brookfield.wi.us [mailto:Schmidt@ci.brookfield.wi.us]
Sent: Monday, May
16, 2005 11:08 AM
To: Cindy Kilkenny;
Moschella@ci.brookfield.wi.us; scott@scottberg.com
Subject: RE: May
3rd minutes
There was a
request to include the point of order. Since it is a motion from
Robert's Rules, I included it. I would not have included any other
comments as these minutes are published and we try to keep our
publication budget down. It almost seems superfluous as the meeting
is on tape. To be perfectly honest, this whole thing is
being blown way out of proportion.
Kris Schmidt
City of Brookfield
2000 N. Calhoun Road
Brookfield, WI 53005
262-796-6653
email: schmidt@ci.brookfield.wi.us
Fax: 262-796-6671
That led to the following from Ald. Kilkenny:
The final official minutes went like this. Note
the part shown here in boldface.
The final official
draft:
17) Items removed from the Consent Agenda:
Plan Commission
6a) • P.C. Item #3: Request of Thomas Finger et al for annexation
of 73.2908 acres of territory from the Town of Brookfield, located
south of Lisbon Road, east of Lannon Road and directly west of the
western City limits.
The Plan Commission recommended to approve the annexation
petition and establish a temporary zoning of "R-2" (not "R-3" as
stated in the staff report) single-family residential.
Alderman Kilkenny raised a point of order stating the
discussion of fire stations strayed from the agenda item. City
Attorney Moschella requested that Alderman Berg, “Wrap it up”
relative to his comments on the fire stations.
Alderman Mahkorn moved to adopt the recommendation of the Plan
Commission. The motion
was seconded by Alderman Owen and carried Ayes 13, Nays 0 with
Aldermen Kilkenny abstaining.
Since Ald. Berg had already posted the preliminary
minutes on this web site, Ald. Kilkenny felt compelled to send this
note. Note the whole "now you know that I now what you wrote and I
changed so I'm better than you are. Nyah, nyah, nyah!" So,
are these minutes of an official government meeting or a personal power
trip?
So, what should we make of all this? Well,
here are some thoughts:
-
The
meeting minutes are not a verbatim transcript. Many important
statements are made throughout the meeting that are not recorded in
the minutes.
-
The
minutes do meet their most important goal: to accurately record
formal actions (votes) of the Council.
-
Was Ald.
Kilkenny's point of order intended to reign in some abuse of power
or was it just to compensate for a feeling of irrelevance?
-
Having a
video recording and telecast of the meetings has changed the rules,
allowing the public to judge for themselves which aldermen
have something to say and which only want to stifle every word not
meeting her or his approval.
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