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Consideration of April 2026 Common Council meeting schedule
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Submitted by:
Zach Kessler, Director of Municipal Services
Department:
Department of Municipal Services
A. Issue
On April 7, 2026, alderpersons will be elected to represent the City’s new twelve aldermanic districts. Pursuant to Wisconsin Statute 62.09(5)(a), the terms of newly elected alderpersons commence on the third Tuesday in April. Accordingly, newly elected alderpersons will take office on Tuesday, April 21, 2026.
In late 2025, the Common Council adopted the following schedule for April 2026:
• Tuesday, April 14 - Financial Affairs Committee
• Tuesday, April 21 - Council Committees
• Tuesday, April 28 - Common Council
Because the terms of the outgoing alderpersons expire on April 21, they cannot meet in committee on that date. At the same time, newly elected alderpersons cannot serve on Council committees until after the Committee of the Whole Organizational Meeting and subsequent mayoral appointments have taken place. As a result, standing Council Committees will not have valid membership on April 21.
As such, the April meeting calendar must be amended.
B. Background/Options
At this time, there are no items of business scheduled for the Community, Government, or Transportation Affairs Committees in April. Two timely items are currently scheduled for the April 14 Financial Affairs Committee meeting.
Staff have identified the following options for the Committee’s consideration:
Option A
• Tuesday, April 14 - Financial Affairs Committee
• Tuesday, April 21 - Committee of the Whole Organizational Meeting & Common Council
Option B
• Tuesday, April 14 - Financial Affairs Committee
• Tuesday, April 21 - Committee of the Whole Organizational Meeting
• Tuesday, April 28 - Common Council
Option C
• Tuesday, April 14 - Financial Affairs Committee
• Tuesday, April 28 - Committee of the Whole Organizational Meeting & Common Council
C. Recommendation
I recommend that the Common Council approve schedule Option A, which would place both the Organizational Meeting and Council meeting on the same night.