They Strike Again

City Hall Freak Show: The Fight for Transparency Meets a Brick Wall of Bureaucratic Rot 

The March committee of the whole meeting started as all these sordid affairs do under the flickering fluorescence of municipal mediocrity, where the ghosts of bad decisions past linger in the stale air. City Council President Mary Jo Fesenmaier, armed with the radical notion that people should actually know what their government is doing, proposed a simple ordinance: record and live-stream all city meetings, and hold your breath make the relevant documents available three days in advance. A shocking idea, really, in a town where elected officials are often left to make decisions based on data that might as well be scrawled on cocktail napkins moments before a vote. 

Mayor Todd Krause, a man who frequently waxes poetic about transparency while clutching the levers of power with both hands, nodded along. It was a fine idea, a noble cause government in the sunlight, democracy unshackled from the shadowy whispers of the back room. All members of the Committee of the Whole, perhaps momentarily afflicted with a bout of civic responsibility, agreed to ship it off to the Finance and License Committee. A formality, surely. 

Then, like a cockroach scurrying back into the dark when the kitchen light clicks on, Alderperson Sherri Ames emerged to kill the whole thing. Ames, reigning queen of the Finance Committee, now refuses to even put it on the agenda. Just months ago, she was booted from the Business Improvement District commission for behavior described as “truculent,” a polite term for the kind of backbiting, passive-aggressive sabotage that only thrives in the festering swamp of small-town politics. 

Is this her revenge? A grotesque little power play against Krause and Fesenmaier? A last-ditch effort to keep the city’s backroom dealings comfortably opaque? Hard to say. What’s obvious, though, is that Ames is less interested in open government and more in settling scores. A sick person indeed, one who would rather let transparency die on the vine than allow the public a glimpse behind the curtain. 

This is the way the machinery of local government grinds on not with a bang, but with a shrug and a procedural stall. If history tells us anything, it’s that power is never given freely; it must be pried from the hands of those who hoard it. The question is whether anyone in this town has the stomach for the fight. 

Here is the proposed new Lake Geneva,Wisconsin ordinance

CITY OF LAKE GENEVA, WISCONSIN 
ORDINANCE NO. [Insert Number] 
AN ORDINANCE TO REQUIRE LIVE STREAMING AND VIDEO RECORDING OF ALL COMMISSION MEETINGS AND TO ENSURE PUBLIC ACCESS TO MEETING DOCUMENTS 

WHEREAS, the City of Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, is committed to fostering transparency, accountability, and public engagement in government decision-making; and 

WHEREAS, the use of live streaming and video recording technology enhances accessibility, enabling residents to stay informed about municipal governance; and 

WHEREAS, the Wisconsin Open Meetings Law (Wis. Stat. § 19.81 et seq.) underscores the importance of public access to governmental proceedings; and 

WHEREAS, ensuring timely public access to meeting documents further enhances transparency and allows residents and commission members to be informed in advance of discussions and decisions; 

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED by the Common Council of the City of Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, as follows: 

Section 1. Requirement for Live Streaming and Video Recording 

1. Applicability 

This ordinance shall apply to all commissions established by the City of Lake Geneva, including but not limited to: 

• Standing committees 

• Standing commissions 

• Advisory commissions 

• Ad hoc commissions created by the Common Council or Mayor 

2. Live Streaming 

(a) All commission and committee meetings, whether conducted in person, virtually, or in a hybrid format, shall be live-streamed on the City of Lake Geneva’s official website or an equivalent publicly accessible online platform. 
(b) The live stream shall provide both video and audio of the meeting in real time. 

3. Video Recording 

(a) All commission and committee meetings shall be video recorded in their entirety, capturing all discussions, presentations, votes, and public comment periods. 
(b) Recordings shall be archived and maintained by the City Clerk’s Office for a minimum period of ten (10) years. 
(c) Recordings shall not be edited except to improve clarity or resolve technical issues, provided that such edits do not alter the substantive content of the meeting. 

4. Public Accessibility 

(a) Archived video recordings shall be made available to the public on the City’s official website or equivalent platform for a minimum of ten (10) years from the date of the meeting. 
(b) Recordings shall comply with all applicable accessibility standards, including the provision of closed captioning or transcripts for individuals with disabilities. 

Section 2. Public Access to Meeting Documents 

1. Availability of Documents 

(a) All documents, reports, agendas, and supporting materials intended for discussion or action at any meeting of the City’s commissions, boards, or committees shall be made available to the public and commission members. 
(b) These documents shall be posted on the City of Lake Geneva’s official website no later than three (3) business days before the scheduled meeting. 
(c) If additional documents become available after the initial posting, they shall be uploaded as soon as practicable, with clear notation of the update. 

2. Exceptions 

(a) Documents that are legally exempt from public disclosure under state or federal law shall not be subject to this ordinance. 
(b) In cases of emergency meetings where three business days’ notice is not feasible, documents shall be made available as soon as possible. 

Section 3. Exemptions 

1. Closed Sessions 

This ordinance does not require the live streaming, recording, or public disclosure of documents for closed sessions conducted in accordance with Wis. Stat. § 19.85, provided the statutory requirements for entering a closed session are met. 

2. Technical Failures 

In the event of technical difficulties that prevent live streaming, the meeting may proceed provided that: 

• The meeting is video recorded in its entirety and made publicly available as soon as practicable; and 

• The technical failure is documented and reported to the City Clerk within twenty-four (24) hours. 

Section 4. Implementation 

1. The City Clerk’s Office shall ensure the availability of necessary equipment and technology to facilitate live streaming, video recording, and public access to documents. 

2. The Clerk’s Office shall provide training and support to commission staff to achieve compliance with this ordinance. 

3. The City shall allocate sufficient funds to establish and maintain the infrastructure required for implementation. 

Section 5. Enforcement and Penalties 

1. Instances of non-compliance with this ordinance shall be reviewed by the Mayor and Common Council. 

2. Repeated or willful failures to comply may result in administrative measures or disciplinary action as deemed appropriate by the Common Council. 

Section 6. Effective Date 

This ordinance shall take effect on [Insert Date], following its passage and publication as required by law. 

Section 7. Severability 

If any section, clause, provision, or portion of this ordinance is deemed invalid or unconstitutional by a court of competent jurisdiction, the remainder shall remain in full force and effect. 

Adopted by the Common Council of the City of Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, on this [Insert Day] day of [Insert Month], [Insert Year]. 

Signed: 
[Mayor’s Name], Mayor 
[City Clerk’s Name], City Clerk 

[Mayor’s Name], Mayor 

[City Clerk’s Name], City Clerk 

_{Correction: Alderperson Sherri ames was not removed from the downtown BID.She resigned.}