Wausau council: appointments, rules changes, vacancy process and other measures approved

The Wausau Common Council on Sept. 9 approved a number of administrative and governance items after debate on several. Highlights:

- Appointments and ethics board: The council confirmed Michael Martins to the Historic Preservation Commission and confirmed a police and fire commission appointment; both passed unanimously. The mayor lso nominated a member to the ethics board; councilmembers debated whether to act while an ethics investigation remains open and ultimately tabled consideration of the ethics-board nominee indefinitely, 9-1.

- Minutes and record-keeping: Council members debated augmentation memos attached to clerk-prepared minutes and voted to remove an augmentation memo attached to the June 10 minutes, approving the clerk raft as the official record. The motion to remove the augmentation memo and approve the June 10 minutes as presented passed 10-0; the three other sets of minutes were approved separately.

- District 5 vacancy: With the District 5 seat vacant after the recent passing of Alder Gisselman, the council voted 7-3 to adopt a resolution directing the city clerk to open an application period and deliver qualified applicants for the council to interview and appoint a temporary representative to serve until the April election. The motion authorizes…