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Council discusses cell‑phone etiquette during meetings; no new restrictions adopted
Summary
A proposal to restrict council members’ cell‑phone use during meetings drew debate. The committee voted to leave rules as-is for open meetings; a motion to create specific guidelines (silence/face down, emergency exceptions, closed‑session restrictions) did not pass final amendment.
Muskego councilors debated whether to adopt a formal rule restricting cell‑phone use during meetings but ultimately left the city’s meeting etiquette unchanged for regular sessions while discussing narrower closed‑session expectations.
Alderman Hammel raised the subject, calling the habit of frequently looking at phones during council meetings “inappropriate, rude, and disrespectful” and urged a formal policy. Other members said they rely on phones for notes, research or emergency contact and that blanket bans risk unintended consequences. The discussion produced competing suggestions — requiring phones face down or on vibrate, prohibiting replying to text messages except for emergencies, or requiring phones to be turned off during closed sessions — but councilors disagreed on enforcement and scope.
Outcome
The committee declined to adopt a new citywide ban on phone use during open meetings (motion to leave the policy as-is passed). Council members agreed closed‑session expectations should be more stringent; no formal ordinance or rule change was adopted at the Oct. 14 meeting. The mayor offered to draft suggested etiquette guidelines if the council wanted a starting point for future consideration.
Why it matters: The debate involved competing priorities: maintaining focus and respect in public meetings while allowing members to receive emergency contacts and consult notes or calendars. No enforcement mechanism was adopted, and any formal rule would require council action in a future meeting.
Ending
Councilors requested a draft guideline be prepared for future discussion rather than a binding ordinance. For now, the council retains the current practice: members are expected to exercise discretion about phones during public meetings.
