New feature: Letters to the editor

The Wausonian is trying a new feature for paid subscribers; plus a couple of letters to get you started

One thing I would like to see more in The Wausonian - hearing from all of you! As The Wausonian grows, our readership’s viewpoints are growing more diverse. And that means people will likely have a lot to say on various matters.

But I think that diversity of viewpoints is often hidden within The Wausonian readership. Even from me. I actually takes steps not to know exactly who is subscribing in order to avoid audience capture. I found early on that knowing who my audience is too much brought with it an influence I wished wasn’t there. So I made a conscious effort to do my best not to know who is subscribing.

But as The Wausonian’s subscriber base grew, that really stopped being an issue. I have people of all political persuasions within my subscriber base, and because the subscriber base is large enough, that impact is largely gone.

For subscribers who want to stay hidden, if you never write a letter to the editor or comment on a post, you will stay that way, even from me. (Yes, I still don’t look at who subscribes. Though people do tell me and that’s fine if you care to reveal it.)

But for those paid subscribers who would like to make their voices known, I would like to run this letter to the editor section at least once per month. It depends on how popular this feature is.

Free subscribers will forever have access to the Weekly Wausonian, and to our election coverage on everything but my analysis pieces. It’s part of The Wausonian’s mission to keep Wausonians and those in the surrounding metro informed in a way that meets you where you are at.

But the new letter to the editor feature is one for our paid subscribers, who choose to support our mission financially. It’s just one more feature our paid subscriber tier enjoys. If you see the paywall, subscribe today in order to start submitting your letters to the editor. (I may also, perhaps once per year, open an edition up to all subscribers.)

I am also considering letting any elected official submit letters, regardless of subscription status. Or perhaps it will be limited to once per year.

Our first edition

To kick things off, I collected a couple of letters from public officials I think point to some interesting news in the area. I already quoted from Neal’s letter about the committee assignments, but this one from Lisa Rasmussen I think sheds some like on the Monk Botanical Gardens Wausau Botanic Gardens fiasco.

From Tom Neal:

In support of transparency in Wausau’s local government, I’m writing to express my concern over the new mayor’s flawed process in seating alders for standing committees and other new developments.

In one case … the Finance Committee … three recent members of this body who requested to be re-seated, were all inexplicably overlooked … effectively removing many years of valuable institutional knowledge and impeding continuity for this important body … and making the new committee members’ jobs needlessly more difficult.

In the case of the Economic Development Committee, the two most recent chairs, who requested re-seating, were both denied, thus removing a full dozen years of experience on ED. These chairs, who have fostered working relationships with staff and the business community, have now been removed from the equation.

Other committee appointments that were not requested or conflicted with alders’ outside responsibilities were retained despite concerns being voiced. 

After several alders’ earnest discussions with the new mayor asking him to reconsider, he chose to not alter any of these appointments. 

While it is the mayor’s prerogative to make appointment decisions, one would expect those choices would reflect an appreciation of veteran alders’ experience to best serve the city’s interests and to help new alders flourish in their new roles. It’s simply Management 101 to effectively mix new blood with tenured experience in order to achieve smooth transitions and maintain operational continuity. In my previous eight years on council, this was always the norm.

On top of this, the new mayor is trying to distance the council as a whole from contact with department heads and staff, saying he plans to be the sole point of contact in the development of meeting agendas. This is unprecedented in my experience and stifles interactions with professionals who always provide insight and clarity. Bear in mind, the new mayor has only two years’ experience in city business and lacks practical knowledge in many areas.

The new mayor has even expressed an interest in consolidating the six standing city committees into just two … imagine cramming all of the city’s business into bloated agendas that will result in grueling meetings (pack a bag lunch). This would be a huge disservice to the council and to members of the public who may attend with interest in specific issues. A better streamlining solution to reduce redundancy between committees is to utilize more joint meetings or committee-of-the-whole sessions.

All of this begs the question of the mayor’s motivation and has set a disturbing tone in the new administration’s infancy, with potential negative ripple effects on the local business community and economy, and I fear we may lose vital staff as an added result. 

I wish all the best to all of the new city committees and I’m sure all of our alders will support each other and their colleagues on staff to ensure the city’s work is well-managed going forward. 

After campaigning with a “leader with a vision” tagline, it would be interesting to hear how these draconian actions fit into a new, positive vision for the city. So far, it looks more like “leader with division.”

Tom Neal

Alderperson, Wausau District 4

From Lisa Rasmussen, city council president (a revision of the letter Rasmussen sent to the gardens’ leadership):

An open letter to the Monk Botanical Gardens Board of Directors:

Last week, I received an email from Darcie Howard at the garden celebrating your name change.  I was surprised to say the least.  Based on the public outcry, it seems I wasn’t the only one taken aback by this.  So far, all the reasons offered to those concerned and to local media ring hollow.   Many of those pushing this didn’t know Mr. Monk or his family.  For them, this decision seems easy and logical.  They seem shocked by the reaction and defensive.  A clear sign some are out of tune with patrons and the community.

Seeing the controversy this is causing,  the board should consider another adjustment to include the Monk name.  Monk Botanical Gardens of Wausau or something similar would do.  Mr. Monk made the garden possible and was a lover of nature and community.  Negative reaction to the name change should resonate with you all in understanding the love and appreciation this community has for the garden and the donor.  I appreciate the ideas planned to keep his story alive inside the facility, but the community is more upset over this than I have seen it in a long time.  It has created unity among people who readily disagree on other things.  Yet, they pause those disagreements to join forces against this which is telling.

I’ve been receiving calls about this all week, because some assume the city made the name change or that they own the garden.  I advised people the City does not own or operate the garden and asked them to respectfully reach out to the board for answers or to offer constructive, respectful feedback.  There are also concerns about the planned beer garden.  I received comments questioning why the simplest act of enjoying nature there cannot be accomplished without alcohol.  That one, I had no answer for, yet I tend to agree.  Special, or private events are one thing, but hopefully the offering wouldn’t be beyond that.  Tuesday morning, I was approached in a parking lot over this whole matter.  People are reaching out more than anyone expected and to people who are not even part of it.  It is a mistake to force this change without revisions given the reaction. 

Compromise is needed, before people are so upset they stop enjoying the garden and before its reputation is damaged by controversy or defiance.  The community is speaking loudly, please pause and listen.  The right name will honor the Monk legacy and still showcase Wausau.  The vision was for the public to enjoy the garden at will as a place of peace and reflection.  I’ve received concerns about entry fees.  A suggested, free will donation is one thing, but if the facility becomes a membership or entry fee situation, people are going to be more upset.  I understand the garden has ongoing needs, but its appeal is a facility all can enjoy, so barriers to access need to be addressed if they will exist. There was mention by one caller about “reduced cost memberships”.  Sometimes offering subsidized memberships to those who cannot afford the imposed costs is viewed as shaming them for having to disclose a lack of resources.  Again, I have asked concerned callers to contact the garden in a respectful manner, as this is not a city issue.  Since the garden is in my district however, I felt I needed to let you know what your neighbors and others are telling me. 

In a world as stressed out as the one we live in today; the garden is one place people can go to find calm and reset.  Steps need to be taken to consider and protect that. 

Thank you for your consideration,

Lisa Rasmussen, Alderperson District 7

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Want to send in your letter to the editor? Submit it to keepitwausome@gmail.com. I’d like to post these at least monthly; perhaps more often, depending on how popular it is. I will be checking subscriber status so make sure you’re a paid subscriber.