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New Berlin Citizens for Responsible Government

Ralph Heun, a 38-year resident of New Berlin, will be blogging about issues of concern to the New Berlin Citizens for Responsible Government, an organization that promotes fiscal responsibility among all units of government.

New Berlin resident explains meanings of Wisconsin Open Meetings Laws

By Ralph Heun
Tuesday, Apr 8 2008, 12:26 PM

The following article is published as a Public Service of NBCRG
NBCRG does not endorse or repudiate any comments made by the writer.

Subject: re:Debunking Heun/NBCRG Blog Statements From Linda Richter Blog of April 1, 2208

Linda, (Richter)


"Let's get something else straight: Ald. Dave Ament called the Feb. 16 meeting at City Hall, but it was for area residents--not only his own District #7 constituents. The meeting dealt with Coffee Road changes, as well as sidewalks, side paths or bike trails in various areas of the City. Heun's statement that Ald. Poshepny (District #5) was not shouted down is untrue. When Ald. Poshepny attempted to speak, some members of the audience rudely yelled out. I witnessed that. Heun admits that Ald. Ament asked Ald. Poshepny not to speak. And yet, others at the meeting were allowed to speak."
 
I have not spoken to Ald. Ament regarding 'why he did what he did' - because I automatically understood the 'why he did what he did'. 
 
The reason for Ald. Ament's action (not allowing Ald. Poshepny to speak), was to avoid any discrepancy within the Wisconsin State Open Meetings Laws.  The Feb. 16th meeting was not an 'official' city meeting:
 
*An 'official' city meeting is comprised of:  A meeting where 2 or more aldermen address the public. an "official notice" must be published prior to 2 or more aldermen speaking to the public; "official minutes" must be taken if 2 or more aldermen address the public; those "minutes" must be available at a later time to the public via an open records request.
 
Ald. Ament's meeting was a neighborhood meeting.  Any impropriety at this meeting would have happened had Ald. Ament allowed Ald. Poshepny to speak. 

Further to the above issue, any address to the citizens by Ald. Posphepny could have caused the 'appearance' of a negative quorum.  In New Berlin, it has been deemed a 'negative' quorum equals 2 aldermen.

Shari Bosmans

 

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