Members of the Pleasant Prairie Village Board recently debated changes to the order in which they conduct business during their meetings. In light of the extensive discussion that took place, members of the Pleasant Prairie Village Board have offered a more efficient course of action for citizens seeking resolution to, or action on, a concern brought before the Board. Citizens who are seeking a decision or action regarding their concern, and feel that it can only be resolved before the Village Board, are asked to contact Village Hall or a Board Member directly with their concern. If the concern cannot be resolved by the appropriate department within the Village, the Board and Village Administrator can schedule the topic for placement on a future Village Board Agenda.
This alternative was offered in response to discussion regarding the Citizen Comments section of the Village Board meetings. The discussion stemmed from two competing objectives of the Village Board members. One objective is to maintain an open dialogue between the Board members and residents through the Citizen Comments and Village Board Comments sections of the meeting. The other objective is to abide by Wisconsin's "Open Meetings Law" and not discuss at length, or take action on, any topic that was not pre-disclosed to the public on the agenda. Those who present during Citizen Comments see members of the Board listening but hear no response. Members of the Board hear the comments and concerns but may offer no solutions or commitments, because in doing so, they would be in violation of the law.
By presenting an issue or concern to the Board prior to a Village Board meeting, as opposed to addressing it during the Citizen Comments section of a meeting, the Board has the appropriate amount of time to listen, research and react. When necessary, the item can then be addressed by the Board after it has been placed on the meeting agenda and public notice of the topic has been legally posted. Citizen Comments still serves a valid function in maintaining a citizen's right to share opinions, information and ideas with the Village Board during public meetings. However, citizens are asked to recognize that the Board cannot legally have extensive discussion or take action on a non-publicly noticed topic. Contact information for Village Hall is available by clicking here. Contact information for the Village Board is available by clicking here.