Common Council Special Meeting

Common Council Special Meeting Whitewater Municipal Building Community Room, 312 West Whitewater St., Whitewater, WI 53190 *In Person and Virtual Monday, April 01, 2024 - 6:30 PM Citizens are welcome (and encouraged) to join our webinar via computer, smart phone, or telephone. Citizen participation is welcome during topic discussion periods. Please click the link below to join the webinar: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/83579476749?pwd=fdUwsXXzKhOGDK4a5X- x3RFUloKdRQ.RCn1mtyGu_2WC66j Telephone: +1 (312) 626-6799 US (Chicago) (Houston) Webinar ID: 835 7947 6749 Passcode: 501639 Please note that although every effort will be made to provide for virtual participation, unforeseen technical difficulties may prevent this, in which case the meeting may still proceed as long as there is a quorum. Should you wish to make a comment in this situation, you are welcome to call this number: (262) 473-0108. MINUTES CALL TO ORDER Council President Neil Hicks called the meeting to order at 6:30 pm. ROLL CALL Present Council President Neil Hicks Councilmember Brienne Brown Councilmember Jill Gerber Councilmember Lukas Schreiber Councilmember Patrick Singer Councilmember Carol McCormick Councilmember Lisa Dawsey Smith City Attorney Jonathan McDonell Public Works Director Brad Marquardt Common Council Special Meeting Minutes April 01, 2024 Page 2 City Clerk Heather Boehm PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE APPROVAL OF AGENDA A councilmember can choose to remove an item from the agenda or rearrange its order; however, introducing new items to the agenda is not allowed. Any proposed changes require a motion, a second, and approval from the Council to be implemented. The agenda shall be approved at each meeting even if no changes are being made at that meeting. Motion made to approve the agenda by Councilmember Singer, Seconded by Councilmember McCormick. Voting Yes: Council President Hicks, Councilmember Brown, Councilmember Dawsey Smith, Councilmember Gerber, Councilmember McCormick, Councilmember Schreiber, Councilmember Singer HEARING OF CITIZEN COMMENTS No formal Council action will be taken during this meeting although issues raised may become a part of a future agenda. Participants are allotted a three minute speaking period. Specific items listed on the agenda may not be discussed at this time; however, citizens are invited to speak to those specific issues at the time the Council discusses that particular item. To make a comment during this period, or during any agenda item: On a computer or handheld device, locate the controls on your computer to raise your hand. You may need to move your mouse to see these controls. On a traditional telephone, dial *6 to unmute your phone and dial *9 to raise your hand. CLOSED SESSION Adjourn to closed session, to Reconvene in Open Session, Chapter 19.85(1)(c), Wis. Stats. for purposes of “Considering employment, promotion, compensation or performance evaluation data of any public employee over which the governmental body has jurisdiction or exercises responsibility.” In particular, this closed session will be to discuss the City Manager’s employment and performance. Motion made to enter into Closed Session at 6:33 pm by Council President Hicks, Seconded by Councilmember Singer. Voting Yes: Councilmember Gerber, Councilmember McCormick, Councilmember Schreiber, Councilmember Singer. Voting No: Councilmember Brown, Councilmember Dawsey Smith. Motion made to come out of Closed Session at 9:05 pm by Councilmember Singer, Seconded by Councilmember Dawsey Smith. Voting Yes: Council President Hicks, Councilmember Brown, Councilmember Dawsey Smith, Common Council Special Meeting Minutes April 01, 2024 Page 3 Councilmember Gerber, Councilmember McCormick, Councilmember Schreiber, Councilmember Singer. CS-1. Regarding City Manager's employment performance-HR CONSIDERATIONS 2. Discuss and possible action regarding City Manager's employment performance-HR Council President Hicks opened the floor for citizen comments. Kim Adams (640 Stonefield Lane) addressed the Common Council regarding her concerns about the performance evaluation standards for the City Manager. She emphasized the importance of soft skills such as interpersonal communication, active listening, diplomacy, attitude, flexibility, conflict resolution, and emotional intelligence. Kim recounted a negative experience with the interim City Manager, Mr. Weidl, during a property line violation investigation, describing his rude and unprofessional behavior. She highlighted instances where Mr. Weidl was dismissive and lacked emotional intelligence, causing distress to her and her partner. Additionally, Kim expressed frustration over the City Manager's decision to chop down a tree despite her efforts to find a win-win solution. She urged the council to prioritize soft skills in performance evaluations for city managers and emphasized the importance of modeling leadership for the community's benefit. Larry Kachel (457 S Buckingham) expressed concern over the City Manager's tendency to make defamatory statements about community members, including himself. He criticized the perceived waste of time and money on certain actions, like a recent incident involving an attorney. He emphasized the close-knit nature of the community and the inappropriateness of such behavior. He hinted at potential further action in their official capacity for the next three weeks. No Action Taken ADJOURNMENT Motion made to adjourn at 9:18 pm by Councilmember Dawsey Smith, Seconded by Councilmember Singer. Voting Yes: Council President Hicks, Councilmember Brown, Councilmember Dawsey Smith, Councilmember Gerber, Councilmember McCormick, Councilmember Schreiber, Councilmember Singer Anyone requiring special arrangements is asked to call the Office of the City Manager / City Clerk (262-473-0102) at least 72 hours prior to the meeting. Common Council Special Meeting Minutes April 01, 2024 Page 4 2023-2025 City of Whitewater's 5 strategic goals: Build single-family homes, Communicate with the community without the newspaper, Support a thriving business community, Recruitment and retention efforts with a focus on diversity, and Prioritization of expenditures with available resources.