Sauk City resident asks for Trustee e-mails to be listed on Village website

By: 
Joe Block

At Sauk City’s Oct. 8 Village Board meeting, resident Tracy Haselwander asked why there were no e-mails listed for Trustees on the website. “I feel bad hunting people down in the grocery store,” she said.

Village President Jim Anderson explained, “It’s a matter of having [the communications on] the public record. I’d rather talk specifically to a person.”

Anderson’s phone number is listed on the Village website.

Village Administrator Vicki Breunig added that trustees would need to be supplied with a village communication device--like a tablet--because the use of a home computer would make it a matter of public record. She said text messages to Trustee’s cell phones would also be public record.

“It’s so much easier to tell you my opinion, “ said Hasselwander, instead of showing up at the meetings.

Another village resident said, “In the Village overall you have a lot of working families.” She said it can be more difficult for them to attend meetings.

The Villages of Mazomanie and Black Earth provide e-mails for each Trustee. Black Earth provides home and cell numbers for the Village President, as well as his address. The Village Administrator has an e-mail and a phone number listed.

For the Village of Mazomanie, e-mails are provided for Village Administrator, Clerk/Treasurer, and Deputy Clerk.

The Town of Mazomanie provides emails, phone numbers, and addresses for the town officials.

The Town of Black Earth provides phone numbers and addresses, as does the Town of Prairie du Sac.

The Village of Prairie du Sac provides emails for the Village Administrator, Clerk/Treasurer, Utility Clerk, Administrative assistant/Deputy Clerk, as well as the Planner, Engineer, and Attorney. In addition, there is an online form for communication, or residents can call the village hall. Village Administrator Alan Wildman explained, “The Village Board for Prairie du Sac would rather that contact be made with the entire board rather than just one board member. This way all members of the board are informed of the matter.” He continued, “This also allows for better tracking and keeping of the communications as they become public record. If e-mails are sent to individual board member, there is a chance they may not be properly preserved as public record.”

Both the Sauk Prairie and Wisconsin Heights School Districts provide e-mail, address, and phone numbers for board members.

The Village of Sauk City, in addition to listing Anderson’s phone number, has a general Village e-mail and an online form.

Nomination papers for elected officials include their address, and the information is on a public document, which can be requested from the village office.

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