I get really annoyed with so many stupid barriers to access city government information. One is when there is a city committee agenda and a link to see the materials, and then there is nothing in the link. The Police and Fire Commission (PFC) meets today and it took me a bit, but I solved the mystery of two of the items on their agenda today, but it wasn’t easy. Take a quick, albeit absurd, journey with me!
BACKGROUND
If you read my blog you know that I look at every single city, county and school board agenda every week and blog about what is coming up in the “week ahead.” And if you are a regular blog reader, you know I have issues with oh-so-many-things with how each of our local governments provides us with this information. Sometimes there is something of particular interest and I follow up and get more information. Today the Police and Fire Commission are meeting and they have these two items on their agenda:
– Discuss Board Rule 4(f)(ii) and (iii), including the procedures and criteria used by the Chiefs in identifying subordinates for promotional appointment and the timing and breakdown of demographic information provided to the Board.
– Discuss Board Rule 4(c), including forms and procedures for application process, testing, screening, and interviewing.
Me, being a naturally curious person, wanted to know what they would be talking about. So I clicked on the little blue numbers in front of the agenda items (linked above)
and I got this:
and this:
I affectionately call that a “link decoy”. Not at all helpful.
So, now what?
SEARCH FOR PFC RULES – Attempt one!
I figured I could just go find the Police and Fire Commission information on the Police Department or Fired Department websites and get the information. I thought I recalled seeing the decisions of the Police and Fire Commission on the Fire Department website, but not the Police Department website.
I actually couldn’t find it on the Fire Department Website. [Side note, I was pleased to find their strategic plan and updates right there under the chief’s photo!] But eventually I figured out if you click on “About” you can get to the decisions
It will take you to the same link that we’ll get to below.
I did find it on the police department website. I think I clicked on the bottom of page where it says “Submit a Complaint Against an MPD Employee”, something I didn’t see on the Fire Department page.
When I clicked on that page I found the “Chief’s Office” list of links
I later figured out you can also get there by clicking the About link and look under Chief’s Office
Anyways, now that I found the PFC page, which you can, indeed, get to from both departments pages . . .
. . . well, now I have more questions!
I clicked on the PFC rules link and . . .
. . . that’s not helpful. It’s just an “excerpt” and its starts with “6”. I’m looking for 4(f)(ii) and (iii) and 4(c).
Now what? I’m a persistent one, and a problem solver, so . . . gears spinning in my head.
SEARCH FOR PFC RULES – Attempt two!
So, it’s the weekend, I can’t call anyone. Why’d I wait til the weekend? Well, the information isn’t available until Friday afternoon. They send you a cute little note when its ready.
However, by that point everyone has gone home for the day and you have to wait til Monday.
[COMPLETE SIDE NOTE: Last week Sheri Carter put in her blog that she had the information for this week’s meetings on Thursday. At first I was excited and wanted to find out how she did it, then I was just disappointed when I saw she just provided a link to this – which clearly wasn’t right! There were only 8 meetings at the time.
When the clerk sent the email, there were 18 meetings. But that’s a blog for a different day!]
Anyways, I thought normally I’d just email Scott Herrick, the old staff of the Police and Fire Commission, but he retired and there is someone new. But who?
So, I went to Legistar to look up the committee information.
I clicked on the “reports” tab and then the “department details” and I got this.
That’s the city clerk, and that’s not right.
And now, I honestly couldn’t remember what I clicked on to find who the staff was for the committee. To write the blog I clicked on lots of things and then I saw this on the legistar home page.
Ah! “Committee Staff Contacts!!!” I haven’t had to use that in a while and I don’t even think I knew it was there! If you click on the Police and Fire Commission it will take you to this page.
Ah . . . Atty. Jenna E. Rousseau! So I emailed her Friday night!
from: Brenda Konkel <brendakonkel@gmail.com>to: jrousseau@strangpatteson.com
date: Sep 7, 2019, 9:16 PM
subject: Request for Madison PRC info for Monday’s meeting
mailed-by: gmail.com
Can you tell me where I would find information about these two agenda items:
– Discuss Board Rule 4(f)(ii) and (iii), including the procedures and criteria used by the Chiefs in identifying subordinates for promotional appointment and the timing and breakdown of demographic information provided to the Board.
– Discuss Board Rule 4(c), including forms and procedures for application process, testing, screening, and interviewing.
Where are the Board rules? Are they on-line somewhere?
Thanks!
Brenda Konkel
And this morning I got this reply that didn’t really answer my questions about how to find them on line.
from: Jenna Rousseau <JRousseau@strangpatteson.com>
to: Brenda Konkel <brendakonkel@gmail.com>date: Sep 9, 2019, 7:11 AM
subject: RE: Request for Madison PRC info for Monday’s meeting
mailed-by: strangpatteson.com
Dear Ms. Konkel:
Attached is a copyof the Rules of the Board of Police and Fire Commissioners of the City of Madison.
Jenna Rousseau
Attorney Jenna E. Rousseau
Strang, Patteson, Renning, Lewis & Lacy, s.c.
205 Doty St., Suite 201
Green Bay, WI 54301
Ph. 844.833.0828
Fax 608.333.0828
jrousseau@strangpatteson.com
www.strangpatteson.com
It’s now 8.5 hours before the meeting. Normally, I’d be at work right now and wouldn’t have time to read the rules before I was done with work. However, I’m umenemployed and have time on my hand so let’s find out!
WHAT DO THE RULES SAY?
4. Appointments pursuant to WS 62.13(4)
f. Appointments by Promotion
ii. The Chief shall advise the Board from time to time regarding current Department procedures for identifying subordinates whom the Chief may consider for promotional appointment, and shall inform the Board of the identities of subordinates who may currently be so identified.
iii. The Chief shall inform the Board of the procedures and criteria used by the Chief in identifying subordinates for promotional appointment.
4. Appointments pursuant to WS 62.13(4)
c. Eligibility List: Application
i. The Board shall authorize forms for making application for initial appointments. Notice of the availability of such forms shall be given as required by law and by such additional means as the Board may authorize.
ii. Any misrepresentation in regard to any material fact contained in the application shall be sufficient cause for excluding the applicant from the examination, or for removing the name of the applicant from the Eligibility List, or for the discharge of the applicant from the service.
iii. Whenever the application reveals on its face that the applicant cannot meet the qualifications of the position the applicant applies for, such application shall be rejected by the Board or its designated representative and the applicant shall be notified of the reason therefor.
iv. Incomplete applications shall be cause for rejection or shall be returned to applicants for correction.
HOW ABSURD WAS THAT?
How is the average Madisonian supposed to figure this shit out? That’s it. That’s all I got. How is the average Madisonian supposed to figure this shit out?
How can you be informed and participate in your local government when this is the system we have?
Will the Task Force on the Structure of Local Government solve these problems? Probably not.
Will the Presidents Work Group to Review Council Communication Tools and Processes? Maybe?
Will the Mayor? (mayor@cityofmadison.com)
Or the Common Council? (allalders@cityofmadison.com)
You can bet I’m emailing them as soon as this posts! Time to stop the insanity. This is an issue that people are interested in. We’ve spent the last few years as a community debating so many things about the police. If people understood what this discussion was about and knew about the meeting more than 73.5 hours before it started and knew what was actually on the agenda, I bet there would be input! There is a reason people don’t participate in local government. It’s not lack of interest. It’s lack of timely, readily available information. Until we have transparency and sunlight its really hard to talk about resident participation, new ways of reaching out to the community, equity and racial and social justice. Participation in what? Equity for what? To access an impenetrable system?
