Welcome to Wausau sign. Image courtesy: WAOW TV
CONLEY COMMENTARY (WSAU) – We think of retreats as a way to get away from the everyday hustle and bustle. That perhaps people of different backgrounds and different opinions might form bonds that let them work better together if they spend a weekend at a cabin on a lake somewhere.
My church’s board of elders might benefit from a retreat. We’ve even talked about it. We work well together; our faith is a common bond. But do we agree on everything? No, and perhaps we’re not supposed to. Maybe a hike along a scenic trail and a summer outdoor meal at sunset would do us good.
But retreats are problematic for government – because the work of government is supposed to be done in public settings. You and I – the taxpayers – are supposed to be able to see what’s going on.
The State Department of Public Instruction got this spectacularly wrong. A group of top DPI administrators got out of Madison and held a retreat at a resort in Wisconsin Dells. Their topic: how to address new testing standards for students. Surely that’s a topic of interest to the public. But the public was cut out of the discussion because the discussion took place during a retreat. That, and the cost of the weekend in The Dells, is now under investigation.
The Wausau City Council is making a change that makes retreats more open-government friendly. In past years, the council members would sequester themselves in the basement at City Hall over a weekend. The discussions would be videotaped and shown on cable access after the fact. That’s not what open government should look like.
This year the retreat will be in the council chambers, livestreamed as it happens, and will include a public comment period. Those are welcome changes.
Getting away so public servants can bond is a noble goal. But being transparent when conducting public business is more important. That’s why retreats are problematic.
Chris Conley
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