Our Common Council met on May 6th, and there are two topics that I will briefly address.
The local bus company contacted the city to request a change in the city ordinance regulating use of warning lights for school buses. There were two challenges with this request. No one from the bus company was able to attend the meeting, and the ordinance as proposed was unclear (did the bus company want discretion in the use of warning lights at all times, or discretion only occasionally?) The discussion at Council revealed that there was uncertainty, and so the matter was postponed for further discussion.
If a private concern wants a proposed ordinance change that directly and specifically involves its business, a principal of the concern should be available to answer any questions. The wording of the proposed change should also be consistent with what the business wants. That’s probably the least that a city should expect before considering the matter.
There was also a discussion of whether a Common Council member should sit on the Police and Fire Commission. The Council decided that the answer should be yes, but that the change would not take effect for one year (as there was a nomination process already underway for 2008).
There’s time (a year) to write about whether it’s permissible for a Common Council member to sit on the PFC. (Some cities in Wisconsin have this practice; there is a Wisconsin Attorney General’s opinion that contends a city may not place a Council member on a PFC.)
In any event, though, if one contends that our present arrangement has been working well, then might as well contend that anything works well.