Hello Monroe! My name is Matt Sheaffer and I am in the midst of my first term on the common council of the City of Monroe. Despite the steep learning curve on matters before the council it has been fun to learn new things about what makes the city tick. What I have discovered while building my own knowledge of the city is that the City of Monroe is very active with outreach to the public and makes its business accessible to those who seek it.
What follows is a breakdown of all the ways residents can get information on what is happening with the City of Monroe.
● Posted agendas — this is the oldest and most traditional way of finding out what is happening at upcoming city meetings. In the state of Wisconsin, public notice of all meetings of governmental bodies must be posted at least 24 hours in advance of the meeting. A posting is literally a physical copy of the agenda hanging on a message board. Here in Monroe, upcoming agendas are posted on bulletin boards at City Hall and the Monroe Police Department. If an issue or item is not on the posted agenda, it cannot be deliberated or acted upon by the council or committee. This ensures that the public is aware of all upcoming decisions and deliberations before the city leadership.
● Social media — the City of Monroe has active accounts on Facebook (@cityofmonroewi), Instagram (@citymonroewisco) and X (@citymonroewisco). Over the last month there have been posts on leaf pickup, upcoming meetings, holiday observances, the city’s draft comprehensive plan, temporary water shutoffs, job openings and road closures.
● City of Monroe website (www.cityofmonroe.org) — Without question this is the most comprehensive source of city information. On the website there are links to sign up for e-blast alerts and a monthly digital newsletter both of which are full of city information and delivered right into your email inbox. There is a link to TextMYGov which is a texting-based resource to report issues in the city and sign up for text alerts. Contact information for all city council members and city administration can be easily accessed on the website. You can also find a video archive of every city meeting and a searchable copy of the city code. Curious about Monroe’s dog leash policy? Search for it and find it! I have it on good authority that the city website will be revamped in the coming months, making it an even easier resource for residents and businesses.
● Local media — The Monroe Times is the official newspaper of the City of Monroe. This means that all meeting minutes can be found towards the back of the paper within 2 weeks of the meeting occurring. In addition to the official posting of minutes, Monroe Times often covers important city business as part of their routine news coverage. Alders, city administration, department heads and the mayor have all been interviewed at various times for a wide range of topics. BigRadio (93.7FM) continues to be a reliable source of city news. The stations of BigRadio have tripled the number of staff resources dedicated to local news coverage in the past year alone. Their goal is to help reconnect the community to where they live, work, and play and share the stories that make up the fabric of who we are. During the regular “top of the hour” news you will routinely hear city staff talking about city business and upcoming initiatives. Our community is lucky for the local coverage in print and over the air.
● Open meetings — City Council members and city administration spend quite a bit of time in meetings. City Council meets every first and third Mondays of the month at 6:30 p.m. Most committee meetings occur on the second and fourth Mondays of the month, and less frequent committees meet once a month. All meetings are open to the public and, at city council meetings, residents and business/property owners have the opportunity to address the council regarding anything related to the city. This is not an opportunity that many have taken advantage of! Except for a few hot button issues over the last 18 months, there have been very few residents who have come in to address the council. If coming into a meeting is not an option, all city meetings are live streamed and archived by date on the city website.
I hope that this was helpful and that if you have questions about the city, you know where to start looking for answers. Please do not hesitate to reach out to me or any Alder regarding your thoughts on the betterment of our city.
— Matt Scheaffer is an elected alderman of the City of Monroe Common Council. He can be reached at msheaffer@cityofmonroe.org
