MONROE - On Tuesday, the Monroe Common Council:
• Granted a temporary Class "B" fermented malt beverage license to Monroe Theatre Guild in conjunction with Comedy Night on Jan. 22, 23, 29 and 30.
• Approved an ordinance to rezone property located at 730 8th Ave., 720 8th Ave., 620 8th Ave., 815 8th St., 819 8th St. and 801 8th St. from a light industrial designation to general business district, or commercial zone.
• Authorized a resolution for a purchase and development agreement between the city of Monroe and Eastland Feed and Grain Inc. for a 10-acre parcel of land located on the northeast side of the Honey Creek Industrial Park. The business from Shannon, Illinois, has until Jan. 1, 2017 to complete construction on a processing and storage facility for feed and grain.
• Accepted a letter of resignation from Colin Simpson, director of public works, and agreed to pursue finding a replacement. Council members decided to encourage long-time employees within the department to apply, but also determined an open hiring process was best. Discussion at the Salary and Personnel Committee prior to the council meeting included adding new requirements to the test such as a personality assessment and skills questions with the inclusion of supervisors within the department during the interviewing process.
• Approved the revised Airport Operations Contract, which was changed slightly from the previous contract approved in December to accommodate language changes and to eliminate the requirement that a report be submitted to the board before hiring new staff.
• Reduced the size of the Board of Public Works to three members with one alternate as a part of the effort to shrink city standing committee sizes as the result of a decision that the Salary and Personnel Committee had violated Wisconsin Open Meeting Law.
• Held discussion with City Attorney Rex Ewald to assess what options the city has going forward with attendance at committee meetings by non-committee members. Ewald had no tangible answer because of the decision made regarding open meeting law. He said based in the decision, there is always a potential for problems when council members are present, but he did not interpret any case as one that designated council members as banned from standing committee meetings because it impedes public access.
• Heard Alderman Michael Boyce suggest using the camera system already in place at council chambers for each committee proceeding held there due to the underused potential of the system. Aldermen briefly discussed the possibility but did not take any action on the issue.
• Granted a temporary Class "B" fermented malt beverage license to Monroe Theatre Guild in conjunction with Comedy Night on Jan. 22, 23, 29 and 30.
• Approved an ordinance to rezone property located at 730 8th Ave., 720 8th Ave., 620 8th Ave., 815 8th St., 819 8th St. and 801 8th St. from a light industrial designation to general business district, or commercial zone.
• Authorized a resolution for a purchase and development agreement between the city of Monroe and Eastland Feed and Grain Inc. for a 10-acre parcel of land located on the northeast side of the Honey Creek Industrial Park. The business from Shannon, Illinois, has until Jan. 1, 2017 to complete construction on a processing and storage facility for feed and grain.
• Accepted a letter of resignation from Colin Simpson, director of public works, and agreed to pursue finding a replacement. Council members decided to encourage long-time employees within the department to apply, but also determined an open hiring process was best. Discussion at the Salary and Personnel Committee prior to the council meeting included adding new requirements to the test such as a personality assessment and skills questions with the inclusion of supervisors within the department during the interviewing process.
• Approved the revised Airport Operations Contract, which was changed slightly from the previous contract approved in December to accommodate language changes and to eliminate the requirement that a report be submitted to the board before hiring new staff.
• Reduced the size of the Board of Public Works to three members with one alternate as a part of the effort to shrink city standing committee sizes as the result of a decision that the Salary and Personnel Committee had violated Wisconsin Open Meeting Law.
• Held discussion with City Attorney Rex Ewald to assess what options the city has going forward with attendance at committee meetings by non-committee members. Ewald had no tangible answer because of the decision made regarding open meeting law. He said based in the decision, there is always a potential for problems when council members are present, but he did not interpret any case as one that designated council members as banned from standing committee meetings because it impedes public access.
• Heard Alderman Michael Boyce suggest using the camera system already in place at council chambers for each committee proceeding held there due to the underused potential of the system. Aldermen briefly discussed the possibility but did not take any action on the issue.