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Wausau Ethics Board unanimously finds Mayor Doug Denny violated municipal code, orders corrective action
Summary
The City of Wausau Ethics Board unanimously adopted a decision finding Mayor Doug Denny violated a provision of the city municipal code and directed the chair to execute the decision; the board also scheduled a follow-up meeting for Nov. 11 to resume work on ethics-code recommendations and to approve hearing minutes.
At a meeting reconvened at 5:12 p.m., the City of Wausau Ethics Board unanimously adopted a decision finding Mayor Doug Denny violated a provision of the City of Wausau municipal code and ordered him to conform his conduct to the city ethics code.
The decision, moved and seconded during open session after a closed-session deliberation, states that “the ethics board determines upon clear and convincing evidence presented in this matter that Mayor Doug Denny violated section 2.03 0.03 paragraph j of the City of Wausau municipal code,” and directs the ethics board chair to execute the decision and the ethics board secretary to deliver a copy to the respondent.
The board voted unanimously. Board members answering the roll call recorded in the transcript were Dexter (Yes), Hosler (Yes), DeVos (Yes) and Kearns (Yes). The motion was recorded as carrying unanimously.
Board members then turned to scheduling and next steps. Members said the board had paused other work when it received this complaint and should now return to drafting recommendations for the common council to consider amending the ethics code. The board discussed possible dates and agreed to attempt a follow-up meeting on Nov. 11 at 4:30 p.m., noting that Nov. 11 is Veterans Day and that availability should be confirmed with the absent member, Kate Palmer. A board member said the board needs four members for a quorum.
The board also agreed that the follow-up meeting should include approval of the hearing minutes from the matter and a continuation of prior efforts to develop improvements for the city ethics code. A board member volunteered that staff (identified in the discussion as Cody) would reach out to other board members to confirm availability and provide notice.
The board adjourned after the scheduling discussion. The ethics board chair was directed to sign and execute the written decision and the ethics board secretary to deliver it to the respondent, per the adopted motion.
