I have three issues of our local weekly paper to cover, and I will begin with the July 3rd issue.
Stabbing near the Eastsider. The lead story describes charges against two men allegedly involved in a stabbing and beating.
The defendants were charged with felony battery and misdemeanor disorderly conduct counts. The Register notes that the Whitewater Police Department sought initially charges of attempted homicide.
The Register contends that the difference in the charge that his department sought and the charges filed does not bother Whitewater Chief Coan.
It should – it should be a sign to him that the leadership of the department cannot assess a significant case without over reaching.
(There was a similar disparity between request and charges months ago involving a standoff in Whitewater. See, Signs of a Broken Police Culture, Part 2.)
On the removal of a waiting period before reapplying for a rezoning petition. At a June 17th meeting, the Common Council voted 6-1 to remove a waiting period before an applicant could resubmit a rezoning application.
It was a sensible decision; the reapplication involves effort and deliberation that imposes its own cost on an applicant.
There is an unusual observation that Editor Dampier makes in course of her story: that City Manager Brunner’s advocacy against the waiting period was “a rare instance of strong promotion of a particular measure…”
In this matter, I would disagree. I noted after Council discussed the issue in April that the Administration was not wholly committed to some waiting period or no waiting period.
I agree, though, that this Administration seems to have few strong, consistent opinions of its own.
A serious problem presents itself: this is an easily swayed Administration that too quickly adopts ill-considered positions from self-important local figures.
To use the language of organizational pop psychology (to which the administration seems partial), this is an administration without a firm, principled center.
There is a place for a malleable approach, but that’s only true where supposed people of influence are reasonable.
I do not believe Whitewater is that place.