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Discussion related to Common Council standing committee structure and the assignment of business to committees
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A. Issue
At the October 20, 2026 Government Affairs Committee meeting, staff introduced a draft 2027 Common Council meeting calendar. During that meeting, the committee discussed the structure of the Common Council standing committees, how business is assigned to those committees, and meeting cadence. This agenda item is a continuation of those discussions, ahead of the adoption of the 2027 meeting calendar.
B. Background/Options
Section 2.02.020(B) of the Wauwatosa Municipal Code describes the primary responsibility of each standing committee:
1. Financial Affairs Committee. The committee shall have primary responsibility for matters of city expenditures and fiscal planning, including the annual budget, bills and claims, bond issuance, TIF funding, emergency spending, legal settlement expenditure approval, and contract negotiations.
2. Community Affairs Committee. The committee shall have primary responsibility for matters related to development, safety and quality of life issues, as well as the marketing of the city.
3. Government Affairs Committee. The committee shall have primary responsibility for matters of licensing, employee relations, communication (other than marketing), government affairs, governance, strategic planning, legislative affairs, and council administration.
4. Transportation Affairs Committee. The committee shall have primary responsibility for matters of transportation planning, including street and traffic planning, public transportation, pedestrian and bicycle planning and safety, parking restrictions, and communications to other governments and agencies on such topics.