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Public commenter asks Wausau Common Council to correct minutes, raises recusal concern
Summary
At the Jan. 27 meeting, Jesse Kearns asked the council to amend the Jan. 13 minutes, saying the record failed to show that Alder Kay Palmer timely recused herself from oversight of a complaint; the clerk and mayor said they will review the official minutes.
Jesse Kearns told the Wausau Common Council on Jan. 27 that the official minutes of the Jan. 13 meeting omitted discussion and a timely recusal by Alder Kay Palmer in a complaint oversight matter.
Kearns said the omission left a misleading impression about the earlier proceeding and asked the council to "please at least redress the minutes from that meeting that brought her character into question." He said the matter was recorded in the meeting audio at about 1 hour, 31 minutes, but that the clerk's official minutes did not reflect the exchange.
The clerk and Mayor Doug Denny acknowledged Kearns's concern and said they (the clerk and mayor) would review the official minutes to ensure they accurately reflect what occurred. No formal action, vote, or amendment to the minutes was taken at the meeting; the council instead proceeded with its agenda.
Kearns framed his request as a matter of ethics and respect among committee members, saying accurate minutes are important when a person's conduct is publicly discussed. The council did not debate the substance of the underlying complaint during the public-comment exchange; instead, the clerk indicated they would check the written minutes against the recording.
