Common Council held its first session of the month last night. Discussion of some highlights from that session appears below:

Library Expansion Plans. More space for people, less space for books (as new media require less space): that’s a sensible modification. Adjustment in the total space required, and a survey of community wishes for a library, are similarly reasonable plans.

Bartender’s License with a Probationary Period. It’s reasonable to approve a license with a probationary period, if there should be concerns about the bartender’s conduct. A business owner has an incentive, after all, to assure compliance.

Sign-Up Process. Council tried a same-day sign-up process for those attendees wishing to speak. It’s permissible, but fussy and burdensome. There’s also risk in it. While it’s true that Council could eliminate general public comments altogether, it’s a fallacy to believe that the greater always includes the lesser.

(That one can prohibit something entirely doesn’t mean that one can allow it any way one wishes: because all on-street parking could be banned doesn’t mean that the city could exclude only smaller groups, such as Presbyterians or Laplanders, from parking.)

Quick question: Is the sign-up sheet only in English? If it deters non-native English speakers from commenting, because of the difficulty of completing it, or for those who wish to speak but have difficulty with literacy generally, it’s a bad idea. (The signup sheet does not seem to be in the Council packet for this meeting.)

I’ve not noticed any problem with order at Council meetings lately; this is an unnecessary step. Best bet for order: a simple time limit. More than that puts Whitewater on the bumpy road to Chetek, WI’s policy.

A CDA Research Specialist. I’m sure it’s fine to have an intern, but the Whitewater Community Development Authority’s needs are far greater. One could start with assuring that there are no more failed TID districts, wasteful spending programs, failures to comply with clear, simple federal guidelines, or blatant conflicts of interest at CDA meetings.

Talking about an intern simply ignores the CDA’s inability to meet the standards scores of other Wisconsin community development organizations meet. First research project for a CDA intern: How Not to Make the Mistakes We’ve Been Making.

Liquor License Quota. Our city’s large enough by population to have two additional alcohol licenses, beyond the number now issued. We’ve at least one new restaurant that could use a full license, and the city could benefit — as almost everyone agrees — from additional, proper restaurants.

It was the right idea to expand the quota, recognizing that expansion of the quota does not assure issuance to a particular establishment.

Questions about the Hawk Bowl’s Licenses. Dr. Nosek, formerly of the Common Council, spoke about the two permits now held by the Hawk Bowl. (Dr. Nosek had no objection to a license for the Black Sheep restaurant; he thought it might come from one of the two the Hawk Bowl now apparently holds.)

I’ve been critical of many of Dr. Nosek’s views (that’s my form of understatement), but – genuinely – I have come to admire his tenacity and rhetorical skill. Both were on display last night: Nosek quickly reframed the topic from the issuance of additional licenses to questions about whether the Hawk Bowl should hold the licenses that it now does.

He did more, even, that reframe the question: he sought to shift the burden of proof and effort to the city to assure that the existing license holder was legitimately in possession of its current licenses. This adroit shift came despite that license holder having been approved for its annual renewal just this July.

If a license holder has been (especially recently) re-approved, this city should only investigate supposed irregularities after the submission of a detailed and substantial list of concerns. Mere conjecture that the licenses seem illegitimate shouldn’t be sufficient to prompt city action. That license-holder has property rights, too, and those rights deserve more regard than irregular, unexpected municipal investigations of dubious merit.

And yet, and yet, I still admire (sincerely) Dr. Nosek’s ability to take a discussion down his preferred path. One either meets him at the trailhead, so to speak, promptly in reply to his remarks, or winds along a route of his choosing.

Street Construction. Whitewater’s goal should be to complete a project on time and on budget. It’s that simple.

The Emerald Ash Borer. A small insect threatens the many ash trees in Whitewater and elsewhere. There are several hundred such trees in the city; there are countless thousands nearby. There’s time enough, though, to assess possible costs thoroughly before the city’s budgeting is completed this fall.

The Fire Station. It’s prudent to hire a consultant to consider expansion or a new station for the fire department.

Next: About Whitewater’s Restaurants.