MONROE - One alderman proposed a change of city committees Tuesday, citing the need for more cohesion between two groups overseeing finances and city employees.
Monroe Common Council heard fellow member Michael Boyce make an argument for conjoining the Salary and Personnel and the Finance and Taxation committees. Boyce serves as the chair of the Finance and Taxation Committee, which includes council members Brooke Bauman, Charles Koch and Ron Marsh. Bauman is the chair of the Salary and Personnel Committee, which includes aldermen Richard Thoman, Jeff Newcomer and Boyce.
Boyce said he hoped to shorten the time it takes for items to be considered because both the finance and the personnel committees tend to deal with the same issues.
"Perhaps it would make the council more nimble," Boyce said.
Even the membership overlaps, Mayor Louis Armstrong conceded, because the chair of one committee serves on the other. Though Armstrong said his first inclination would not be to combine the two groups, but rather coordinate better between the two. Namely, he said discussions of salaries needed to be completed earlier in the year, before the finance committee begins budget season around September or October.
Boyce said other communities similar in size to Monroe operate with fewer committees. Monroe has six standing committees. The city of Portage has five, according to its website. Matters of finance are handled by members of the Finance/Administration Committee while personnel issues are overseen by the Human Resources Committee. The city of Marinette also handles issues separately between its Personnel and License Committee and the Finance and Insurance Committee.
In Burlington, a Committee of the Whole oversees both issues, involving all council members and the mayor, according to its website. Monroe discussed forming a committee of the entire council, but rejected the idea in December 2015 after a ruling over state open meetings law indicated it might not be possible to form one large committee. They discussed the idea again during Tuesday's meeting, but did not come to a consensus.
Because of that same ruling, a quasi-majority of council members present during the committee meetings - when there are enough to form a quorum - may speak for the city without full council involvement. That's why the combination of two committees would require limiting the new body to four people, who would make decisions that six appointees generally tackle before recommending to the full council.
Alderman Tom Miller repeated past criticism of a similar practice when reducing the membership of committees over a year ago.
"I don't like the idea of so few people having a say in important issues," Miller said.
Bauman, who chairs the personnel committee, said she was not opposed to the idea but understands the need for transparency which separation provides to the public. She suggested hosting joint meetings between the two groups, but City Administrator Phil Rath pointed out that would also violate open meetings law.
Fellow council member Chris Beer said the move would create more efficiency, noting the process now is "just constant back and forth."
The council did not decide whether to proceed in consideration of the combined committees, though both Boyce and Bauman said as chairs of the respective committees, neither would be opposed to it.
Monroe Common Council heard fellow member Michael Boyce make an argument for conjoining the Salary and Personnel and the Finance and Taxation committees. Boyce serves as the chair of the Finance and Taxation Committee, which includes council members Brooke Bauman, Charles Koch and Ron Marsh. Bauman is the chair of the Salary and Personnel Committee, which includes aldermen Richard Thoman, Jeff Newcomer and Boyce.
Boyce said he hoped to shorten the time it takes for items to be considered because both the finance and the personnel committees tend to deal with the same issues.
"Perhaps it would make the council more nimble," Boyce said.
Even the membership overlaps, Mayor Louis Armstrong conceded, because the chair of one committee serves on the other. Though Armstrong said his first inclination would not be to combine the two groups, but rather coordinate better between the two. Namely, he said discussions of salaries needed to be completed earlier in the year, before the finance committee begins budget season around September or October.
Boyce said other communities similar in size to Monroe operate with fewer committees. Monroe has six standing committees. The city of Portage has five, according to its website. Matters of finance are handled by members of the Finance/Administration Committee while personnel issues are overseen by the Human Resources Committee. The city of Marinette also handles issues separately between its Personnel and License Committee and the Finance and Insurance Committee.
In Burlington, a Committee of the Whole oversees both issues, involving all council members and the mayor, according to its website. Monroe discussed forming a committee of the entire council, but rejected the idea in December 2015 after a ruling over state open meetings law indicated it might not be possible to form one large committee. They discussed the idea again during Tuesday's meeting, but did not come to a consensus.
Because of that same ruling, a quasi-majority of council members present during the committee meetings - when there are enough to form a quorum - may speak for the city without full council involvement. That's why the combination of two committees would require limiting the new body to four people, who would make decisions that six appointees generally tackle before recommending to the full council.
Alderman Tom Miller repeated past criticism of a similar practice when reducing the membership of committees over a year ago.
"I don't like the idea of so few people having a say in important issues," Miller said.
Bauman, who chairs the personnel committee, said she was not opposed to the idea but understands the need for transparency which separation provides to the public. She suggested hosting joint meetings between the two groups, but City Administrator Phil Rath pointed out that would also violate open meetings law.
Fellow council member Chris Beer said the move would create more efficiency, noting the process now is "just constant back and forth."
The council did not decide whether to proceed in consideration of the combined committees, though both Boyce and Bauman said as chairs of the respective committees, neither would be opposed to it.