Kronenwetter considered forming an ethics commission. It didn't go well

I received an email from Ken Charneski that surprised me. Kronenwetter’s APC committee was planning to hold a special meeting that included on its agenda looking at the possibility of forming an ethics commission.

That Charneski, who referred to my past reporting on Kronenwetter’s many troubles to my “yellow journalism” and spent the length of an outdoor summer park meeting about a possible ethics commission railing against the idea, specifically sent an invitation to me came as a bit of a surprise.

In case you’re wondering which meeting in particular I am referring to, here is my story below. It came while I was in the middle of writing a series of stories about how things seemed to be falling apart in Kronenwetter - staff were leaving in record numbers, including from senior positions. In fact, many in those senior positions stayed less than a year. Several of them are happily serving in other communities in the Wausau area or central Wisconsin, and seem to still be there.

Big Trouble in Little Kronenwetter: a side story

That summer meeting quickly devolved into arguments about how the board conducts itself, with Charneski and Chris Eiden the only board members in attendance. Charneski argued that those critical of the board can’t offer specifics.

Last week’s meeting of the APC wasn’t much different from that summer meeting. Charneski argued with resident Alex Vedvik, who cirulated the original petition, and other residents. The same argument emerged — where are the specifics? — even after town residents brought up multiple incidents during the meeting. Things were starting to look eerily similar to that meeting last summer.