City Council Meeting - 08/21/07

Well, this is going to be a little heavier on the information than my usual postings......


For starters, who should be seen entering city hall to attend the meeting but the LOCAL WALMART MANAGER, with two burly types in tow.... as if walmart was going to resort to mafia-type "strong arm" tactics.

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THEN, just after roll call (lol), Alderman Mann Decided to try more "person agenda pushing....

Mann: "Mister Mayor, I also would like you to, for the next regularly scheduled council meeting, I would like you add - as my request - was that, we, add to the next common council agenda an item regarding the composition or the make up of the city plan commission. I won't go into any much history other than to say that, that ah, I requested and we looked at it, and it didn't make the agenda tonight so I just wanted to make sure it was on next time. And, my basis for this is, ah, common council code, ah, 2.02 peren 3, ah c - 'agen,' ok, 'the agenda, once adopted shall be the order of the business, and any new business may be introduced as part of the agenda for the next meeting of the common council.'

Mayor Voegele: "Surely we'll consider that, Mister Mann."

( long 3 second pause...) Mann: "CONSIDER it??????... Ok..... I hope you'd do more than that..."

Myaor Voegele: "We will consider it."

ROFL! In the past, he's tried telling the mayor what to do, AND even tried snooping over the mayor's shoulder when the Mayor was reading something - does this guy EVER know when to quit??? (By the way, it WAS noticed that Alderman Mann has apparently been moved from just to the right of the Mayor, to over near the left end of the "horse-shoe". :)) )

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During the public comments for item #13 - Large retail ordinance, a number of people spoke. the most notable were Tom Wagner (who made the threat that if Walmart is not allowed to expand, they COULD sue the city), and a LAWYER FROM MILWAUKEE REPRESENTING WALMART!

(I was going to post - word for word - their statements, but the vhs tape used to record the meeting screwed up partway through Tomczak's statement and continued most of the way through Wagner's. Rest assured that the meeting WILL be retapred, and this post edited to include those statements AS SOON AS HUMANLY POSSIBLE.)

It should be noted that Walmart's milwaukee attourney Debbie Tomczak has so far traveled up here from milwaukee AT LEAST TWICE(that is known at this time) for the express purpose of speaking in favor of walmart expanding in Sturgeon Bay - the other documented time was for the common council meeting on August 7th, 2007.


In the end, the city council approved the changes to the "Big Box" Ordinance - changes which INCLUDED REMOVING ANY SIZE CAP.

Alderman Vandertie, hower, DID bring up an interesting point concerning walmart's expansion: That in addition to the Economic & fiscal impact studies, they will ALSO need to apply for anexation.

THE FIGHT IS FAR FROM OVER, MY FRIENDS! "THE FAT LADY HAS YET TO SING" - so there is still hope.



And a new nationwide(& hopefully WORLDWIDE in the future) group is in the process of being formed.... caling themselves the "Sons Of Liberty" with the goal of drawing together ALL seperate local groups under one united banner to fight against such evil and greed as represented my Walmart, Gannett, and others. WE MUST TAKE OUR COUNTRY BACK IF IT IS TO EXIST!