WISCONSIN RAPIDS, WI (WSAU) — City leaders in Wisconsin Rapids will consider abolishing committees in favor of having two city council meetings per month, with all proposed ordinances and rules going straight to the full council.
Mayor Shane Blaser says he expects the discussion to be lively on both sides. Some are worried about how long the committee-to-council process can take, and others are concerned about losing transparency if items are only discussed once before a final decision is made.
“Instead of waiting a month in between council [meetings,] we would meet every two weeks. Meaning approvals could move along quicker, versus a month in between meetings,” said Blaser.
That one-month wait between meetings also creates long agendas, which he says can become counterproductive especially if a lot of detailed or intense discussion happens. “You see people start to drop off. [It becomes] ‘Hey, let’s get through this, push this through.’ So yeah, it will be an interesting discussion.”
Blaser says he has some ideas about the proposal and does plan to bring them forward during tonight’s discussion. The item will be discussed as part of a Committee of the Whole meeting scheduled for 6 PM at City Hall.
Other topics Mayor Blaser discussed with WSAU’s Mike Leischer include:
Start of video- Preparations for US Senior Open
7:10- Proposal to eliminate committees in favor of two monthly council meetings
10:40- Billerud Mill update
13:30- Call to serve on city commissions
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