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Bayside board rescinds denial, approves operator license for Christopher Hathorn after closed session
Summary
The Village Board initially denied an operator license for Christopher Hathorn because of a 2012 felony; after the applicant requested an appeal and the board met in closed session, trustees voted to rescind the denial and reinstate the application unanimously.
The Village of Bayside Board of Trustees initially voted to deny an operator license application for Christopher Hathorn at its March 13 meeting after Interim Police Chief James Gage told the board the review had uncovered a felony conviction that triggered a mandatory recommendation of denial under village ordinance.
Mr. Hathorn addressed the board before the first vote and said he was convicted in 2012 but that he is "no longer the same person he was at that time," and submitted a character letter from his employer. President Eido Walny moved to approve the denial and Trustee Margaret Zitzer seconded; the motion carried unanimously in open session.
Mr. Hathorn asked to appeal the decision. Village Attorney Chris Jaekels advised the board that the appeal could be discussed in closed session. The board then moved into closed session at 6:19 PM, citing Wisconsin Statutes Section 19.85(1)(a) (deliberating a quasi‑judicial matter) and Section 19.85(1)(c) (considering employment or performance data), and held a closed session of approximately 37 minutes.
After reconvening to open session, Trustee Mike Barth moved and Trustee Ben Minkin seconded a motion to rescind the earlier denial of Hathorn's operator license; that motion also carried unanimously. The transcript does not record the vote tally by individual member.
What happens next: the rescission restores Hathorn's application for an operator license for further processing under village procedures; the transcript does not specify whether any conditions were attached to the approval or the next administrative steps.
