MONROE - Dane County Circuit Court Judge Rhonda Lanford set August 13 to hear oral arguments in Green County Circuit Court, on a motion to intervene in a forfeiture case regarding allegations of open meeting violations in September 2013 by the City of Monroe Salary and Personnel Committee.
Lanford was appointed to the case, after the law firm, Gunta and Reak of Wauwatosa, representing the city in the case, filed a request on May 7 for the substitution of Lafayette County Judge William D. Johnston.
The motion to intervene as a party to the plaintiff comes from Monroe's former utilities director, Alan Eckstein, who was fired from his position during the course of a closed session of the Salary and Personnel Committee meeting Sept. 10, 2013. Eckstein contends he was wrongfully dismissed during that meeting and is seeking to be reimbursed for his attorney fees in the matter. The city is denying Eckstein is entitled to any compensation, reimbursement or relief.
During a 10-minute telephone conference Wednesday, Judge Lanford gave Attorney John Wolfgang of Gunta and Reak until July 21 to submit objections to the motion and gave Attorney Aaron Halstead, representing Eckstein, until July 28 to submit his reply. Lanford will be in Green County Circuit Court to hear their oral arguments August 13.
Green County District Attorney Gary Luhman, in the meantime, is "free to conduct any discovery," including interrogatories or documents, Lanford told him.
D.A. Luhman filed an initial complaint Feb. 6 for the State of Wisconsin, which centers on allegations that the city did not give proper notice of the committee meeting - in particular, the subject matter or purpose of a closed session of that meeting.
Four elected aldermen for the City of Monroe are named in the complaint, Brooke Bauman, Louis Armstrong, Reid Stangel and Charles Schuringa, for allegedly violating the state's open meeting law by acting beyond the scope or stated purpose of the publicly posted agenda. Bauman, Armstrong and Stangel still serve on the council. Schuringa did not seek re-election in April 2014.
Eckstein contends the closed session was for him to meet with the committee to discuss his dissatisfaction of how the city was handling his complaint of harassment. Eckstein said he was then asked to wait outside the room, while the committee continued its deliberations.
The committee adjourned from closed session, without returning to open session. Eckstein said he was not informed of any course of action the committee had decided to take. He was served with a letter the following day, barring him from entering city property and giving him an option to resign by 8 a.m. the next day, and informing him that he was dismissed immediately if he did not resign.
On a vote of 5-4, the Common Council on Sept. 17, 2013, upheld the committee's decision to terminate Eckstein.
Lanford was appointed to the case, after the law firm, Gunta and Reak of Wauwatosa, representing the city in the case, filed a request on May 7 for the substitution of Lafayette County Judge William D. Johnston.
The motion to intervene as a party to the plaintiff comes from Monroe's former utilities director, Alan Eckstein, who was fired from his position during the course of a closed session of the Salary and Personnel Committee meeting Sept. 10, 2013. Eckstein contends he was wrongfully dismissed during that meeting and is seeking to be reimbursed for his attorney fees in the matter. The city is denying Eckstein is entitled to any compensation, reimbursement or relief.
During a 10-minute telephone conference Wednesday, Judge Lanford gave Attorney John Wolfgang of Gunta and Reak until July 21 to submit objections to the motion and gave Attorney Aaron Halstead, representing Eckstein, until July 28 to submit his reply. Lanford will be in Green County Circuit Court to hear their oral arguments August 13.
Green County District Attorney Gary Luhman, in the meantime, is "free to conduct any discovery," including interrogatories or documents, Lanford told him.
D.A. Luhman filed an initial complaint Feb. 6 for the State of Wisconsin, which centers on allegations that the city did not give proper notice of the committee meeting - in particular, the subject matter or purpose of a closed session of that meeting.
Four elected aldermen for the City of Monroe are named in the complaint, Brooke Bauman, Louis Armstrong, Reid Stangel and Charles Schuringa, for allegedly violating the state's open meeting law by acting beyond the scope or stated purpose of the publicly posted agenda. Bauman, Armstrong and Stangel still serve on the council. Schuringa did not seek re-election in April 2014.
Eckstein contends the closed session was for him to meet with the committee to discuss his dissatisfaction of how the city was handling his complaint of harassment. Eckstein said he was then asked to wait outside the room, while the committee continued its deliberations.
The committee adjourned from closed session, without returning to open session. Eckstein said he was not informed of any course of action the committee had decided to take. He was served with a letter the following day, barring him from entering city property and giving him an option to resign by 8 a.m. the next day, and informing him that he was dismissed immediately if he did not resign.
On a vote of 5-4, the Common Council on Sept. 17, 2013, upheld the committee's decision to terminate Eckstein.