Verona Common Council elects Helmke as council president, approves appointments and designates Verona Press as official newspaper

The Verona Common Council on April 15 elected Alder Mara Helmke as council president, approved council and citizen appointments to boards and commissions, designated the mayor to comment before the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin and named the Verona Press as the city’s official newspaper for legal notifications.

The organizational meeting opened with the swearing-in of four elected alderpersons; the oath was administered before the council moved into mayor’s business and organizational votes. "I would like to nominate Mara Helmke," Alder Tucker Long said during nominations for council president; the council then approved Helmke by voice vote after a motion from Ald. Lachlan Swanson and a second from Ald. Tucker Long.

The council also selected Ald. Lachlan Swanson as the council’s representative to the planning commission after a motion by Ald. Harrison and a second from Ald. Helmke. City staff noted Tyler Woods was listed in the packet as a reappointment to the planning commission and William Taylor was listed as a member who is on the zoning board of appeals; the council did not take separate roll-call votes on those planning commission citizen appointments during the portion of the meeting captured in the record.

The council approved the slate of council-member committee, commission and board appointments as presented in the meeting packet on a motion by Ald. Lytle with a second by Ald. Hunkie. The mayor asked for and received the council’s approval to serve as the city designee to comment on dockets before the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin; the nomination was moved by Ald. Tucker Long and seconded by Ald. Harrison.

On the designation of an official newspaper, the council followed state statutes requiring an annual designation and approved a motion by Ald. Helmke, seconded by Ald. Swanson, to name the Verona Press as the city’s official newspaper for legal publications.

All formal motions recorded in the transcript were decided by voice vote with no opposition noted in the meeting record. The meeting concluded with an adjournment motion by Ald. Harrison, seconded by Ald. Helmke; the council adjourned at approximately 6:08 p.m.

The session focused on organizational housekeeping—leadership, committee assignments, citizen appointments and statutory designations—and did not include extended debate on policy matters during the time recorded.