Whitewater’s Common Council met on Monday evening to appoint three residents to city boards or commissions, and thereafter to discuss the resignation and departure of her city manager, and finally to appoint an interim city manager.
All seven members of the Common Council were present. (For tonight, I’ll offer a summary of the principal 5.21.12 developments; for tomorrow, initial observations.)
Commission appointments.
Common Council approved members to the Police Commission (Mark McPhail), Zoning Appeals Board (Michael Sobolewski), and Planning Commission (Cort Hartmann).
Preliminary discussion of municipal leadership.
Council discussed the appointment of an interim city manager, the retention of a search firm to aid in the hiring of a permanent city manager, and the alternative possibility of a change in Whitewater’s form of government (to a mayoral-council form).
Council set further discussion of some of these items for the next regular session (Thursday, June 7th).
General provisions on changes in the form of government for Whitewater are available at Wis. Stat. § 64.01 et seq.
Current city manager’s resignation.
Following a return from closed session, Kevin Brunner, city manager, submitted his resignation effective June 22nd, and the Council waived an early termination penalty in the amount of $4,000.
Interim city manager.
Council appointed Cameron Clapper, now asst. to the city manager, as interim city manager, effective June 23rd. Clapper received a salary increase of $1250 per month in compensation for his additional responsibilities.
These were the evening’s preliminary steps in a longer process.