Common Council - Special Meeting

Thank you, class. Thanks. I reckon she reached for that gavel.

I'll call the special nomination common council meeting to order Tuesday, September 8th, 2026 at 6.30 p.m. Can I have a roll call, please? Criswell. Here. Hill.

Here. Colley. Here. Claveter. Here. Sorenson. Absent.

Thank you. We have number two virtual attendees. We do not have any. Number three is the interview at-large older person applicants, Richard D. Schramer, Angela Famali, Jason Fisher, and Tiffany Morris. The recommendation is to listen to the applicant's responses to the following questions. However, I'm going to skip over this and go over my script. The council will begin by accepting nominations for the vacant at-large older person position to serve for the remainder of the unexpired term. Once nominations are closed, the council will interview the nominees. After the interview process, council may vote to appoint a nominee as an at-large alder person to serve for the remainder of the unexpired term. The appointed alder person will be sworn in and take office. At this time, we will open the nominations. We had four. Jason has bowed out. due to a conflict of interest. Do I have to say why or do you want me to? Okay. So Jason is not here tonight. So then we have, as I said, Richard Tramer, Angela Formali, and then Tiffany Morris here. Do we have to open a nomination? You can go right to interviews. we're going to move on to the interviews and we did already have three selected questions so let's have i will call each of you guys up one at a time to the microphone that doesn't work to the podium we'll start in order here i have richard richard would you like to step up Do you guys want to take turns or do you want me to just ask them all three questions? Mr. Schramer, why did you apply to be an older person?

Well, I passed my wife last year and I have time on my hands. I'd like to get back into serving the community. As I have in the past, 2003 and 2021, I served as alderman and as mayor on many committees. I'm going to get back into it.

Okay. Second, what do you see as the city's greatest strengths and then weakness?

Well, the strengths are we've got a very good industrial place, a base, excellent school system, superior park system. We have some large retail that keep us on the map. And one of the metrics I used to use for one for one was the number of people in our marketing. And that used to show progress and that I used to attract new businesses. So our market area size is one of our big, big drops. Our weakness is we have no retail organization. We lost our bid, the chamber. That coupled with dismantling of the economic development team when my predecessor took over, meant we had no way to capture new business. And then nowadays you have to go after the new businesses track and follow up on different leads.

Anything else on that? Good. And then what would you bring as a member of the council?

That's easy. 18 years of council experience. Along with the history of community service, I've served in several positions. I'm a member of the ABC group, worked on the Fourth of July. Christmas parade against treason park graduate of Berlin high class of 69. So I've got a quite a bit of history with the city and know a little bit about the background. Thank you.

Okay, so then to keep it fair, we're asking three questions of everybody. So I will ask. Who's next in the packet? Angela, come on.

Hello.

All right, why did you apply to be an older person?

I think that as I teach high school English, I've been at Berlin High School for 20, I think this is year 24. One of the classes I teach is advanced public speaking for a college credit, and the focus of that is democracy and public service. And I think that if I'm going to preach the importance of being a productive citizen and doing your part, that I should also play that role and model it for them. So I think it's important to give back. Every November I get on my little soapbox and preach the importance of voting. I have the time on my hands having finished my doctorate degree and sent both children off to college that I can now give back in this way as well. I'm a member of the Berlin Community Scholarship Corporation. I spent time on the UW Oshkosh alumni board where I am alumni. I've also been a member of a couple of different professional organizations, and this is another opportunity to share myself as a resource.

Okay. What do you see as the city's greatest strength and then weakness?

I agree with Dick on some of the things. I think we have an incredible school system. I think that sometimes it gets bashed on Facebook and we miss the positives, but it's definitely a strong system. We have beautiful parks. We have a wonderful natural resource with the Fox River flowing through that provides us with the opportunity to draw in tourism both in the summer and the winter, as well as the fact that just the people of Berlin, clearly the people that have lived here all their life are proud of being in Berlin. I chose to move to Berlin rather than, I grew up in Montello and my husband is from Illinois, but we met in Oconomowoc, and when he wanted to move north, I told them they would board a van from Green Bay to La Crosse to be able to live south of there. So we settled here. I lived in Princeton for 13 years, but we chose to move over to Berlin so that we could become a stronger part of the community. My husband owns his own business in the community, and as I said, I'm a teacher, so I see pride in being here. The people who give back to the community I think about Colton at Grizzly's right now trying to get something going. He's putting so much energy into that place and trying to rally the community around it. As well as the ABC group, the Trees in the Park is such a unique thing to Berlin, and each year it just gets bigger and stronger, along with the parade. Even when we lived in Princeton, we'd bring our kids over to see the parade. Along with, since we've been here, the Fourth of July celebration that has grown each year. Berlin's farmer market, I mean, there are people willing to do a lot and I think that's an excellent strength. Weakness, I think that we lack some diversity in our downtown businesses. We lack some downtown businesses, period. And I think that part of that is when you look at Berlin, it looks like a tired town. here on into Broadway, that whole street kind of sets the tone for that feeling of just being tired. I know that there's a project in the works to update those streets, but in the meantime. And then some of our businesses need a little sprucing up, as well as if you drive through neighborhoods, like there'll be beautiful houses, and then right next door they're overgrown. Or there are, I improved. I have a pet peeve with cars that park on the lawn. So if any of you park on your lawn, I'm sorry. But people who park on their lawns. So just the overall look of the town. I'm not saying that it's a dying town, but I am saying it looks tired.

Okay. What would you bring as a member of the county council?

I think you can hear the passion for what I believe when I speak, that I would bring that passion. I'm an outsider that moved to this town that wants to make it even better. I believe in leaving things better than when we first encounter them. And so by becoming part of the council, I would have the opportunity to do that more extensively. I'm educated, and so I think that with education comes a rounded viewpoint. I did earn my doctorate about a year ago. So I've got, I believe I've got a rounded viewpoint and not a narrow one. that allows me to see many different sides of a story. Being a teacher for 28 years in total, I know a lot of people. I was looking earlier, I've either taught you or your children, or in Katrina's case, both, for most of the people on the council, so I have that. And being a teacher, you also have to learn to I can't think of the word that I want, to sort of moderate a situation, to deescalate things and find a solution. And I think that that skill is a strong one for the council.

Thank you. Thank you. Tiffany. All right, same three. Why did you apply to be an alder person?

I originally applied because I was kind of looking for a new way to integrate myself into the community. And I'll be completely honest, I wasn't fully incapacitated to what that entailed until I really started researching it. And obviously before I thought hand, I was just kind of like, oh, this is just like approving of boards, going through the works, all of that. But by the time I put my application in, I had really decided that it's, a place to really experience your community and grow your community. I think that being able to communicate that with the community and trying to better it is definitely where it belongs. I've been talking to my children about growth in community and they really don't really understand that. So I think me integrating into the community even more than I already am is a great way to help do that.

Thank you. What do you see as the city's greatest strengths and then weaknesses?

I believe our city's greatest strength is the sense of community that we have. I'm a long-term Berlin resident. I did move away for a little while and then came back. And I think that has brought a new light, to be honest, in the underappreciation that I think all of the Berlin residents have, how great Berlin truly is. I will to this day die on the hill that I should have never left. And then as for weaknesses, I think that the connection between the city and the city government could be implied or kind of banded a little bit. I think that a lot of times there's just communication. I know right now we are in our social media hiatus where we think that we can just direct whatever we want on social media. And citizens don't seem to understand that. So I think bridging that gap might help a little bit.

Okay, and then last, what would you bring as a member to the Common Council?

I would bring more of a sense of community, hopefully bring in some better solutions or even just helping amplify solutions that we already have. As someone who is willing to listen to different perspectives, ask questions and work towards solutions that benefit the community as a whole. I also bring the perspective as a working parent and a community member. who understands the importance of having a city in where families feel supported and businesses and neighborhoods have the opportunity to thrive. I think that that's something that's being preached a lot right now, especially on social media with our business group, as well as, like Angela said, with Colton and the Lavender Lark and Worth It Accounting, all of them bringing and banding together to help try and bring our downtown back. I think that is something that's super important, and I would really like to help these

Perfect, thank you. Okay, so we've conducted all the interviews. The interview process is now closed. We are looking for an appointment.

Do we have any discussion or not?

Do we have discussion? Okay. So again, by appointment, we are looking for a motion for a recommendation and then a second.

I will move to appoint Angela Filali as the at-large elder person to serve for the remainder of the unexpired term.

I will second that.

A motion by Victoria and a second by Terry for Angela. All in favor, say aye.

Audrey, I need a roll call. I would ask for a deliberation.

Oh, sorry, not deliberation. Sorry. So the reason for my nomination was twofold. I appreciated that Mrs. Finale was well-rounded and able to look at both sides of the viewpoint, which I think is sorely needed when you work on council. Sometimes you have to see other people's point of view. And she's got a large experience in school system, for sure, in seeing many people's point of view. But also she does bring a lot of experience behind her with serving in organizations, in the school system, in the democracy and public service view. And I just think she'd be a really good fit for what we want to do here.

Thanks.

Anybody else?

I just 100% agree with you.

Oh, okay.

I know it takes, I just want to make the comment that for so long, there's been so many empty seats and it's, or lack of people running or the lack of just the ambition to do it. And it's not a fun job up here. So I appreciate this time having so many people. And obviously opening it up to at-large was a huge part of that, was there's so many people that want to step up and couldn't because of the division of the wards. Well, and to be fair, I had Bobby Erdman in this seat for so long.

Who's going to run against Bobby Erdman? So I couldn't serve for the longest time.

So thank you all for applying. I know it's not an easy task up here. Anybody else have any other questions or comments? If not, now can I move to a roll call on this one? Yeah. Okay. Let's give a roll call vote. Sure.

Criswell. Aye. Hill. Aye. Cauley.

Aye.

Cleveter. Aye. Sorensen is excused.

For aye. Motion passes. We're moving right in to Dr. Kamala. You want to come up for your appointment?

Thank you.

You're swearing in.

Where am I going?

Here? She's a doctor. I'm sorry. You heard that. Thank you for the kind words. Education. No, it's from Edgewood University. I know.

As soon as she's done filming, she'll give you your vote.

I was getting nervous, all of you guys.

You guys were gone to the wire on applications. Imagine how hard this would have been before.

I know. But I'm glad.

Mm-hmm.

Took a heck of a first meeting, too. She'll be seated right away. She'll be seated right away, yep. Okay.

Okay, sounds good. Hi, Angela Famali. Hi, Angela Famali.

appointed to the office of Alderperson, having been appointed to the office of Alderperson, swear that I will support the Constitution of the United States, swear that I will support the Constitution of the United States, and the Constitution of the State of Wisconsin, and the Constitution of the State of Wisconsin, and will faithfully and impartially, will faithfully and impartially, discharge the duties of said office, and discharge the duties of said office, to the best of my ability, to the best of my ability. So help me God. So help me God.

So if you would sign here and then here that you're signing the office. Lefty.

This one, right? Oh no, this one.

Yeah, are we sitting just to adjourn? Yes, eight.

Yep, then we'll adjourn and then. Next to Victoria, if you wish to.

I'll make a motion to see Alder person for Molly.

I'll second that. Motion and second all in favor say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Motion carries number six. I'll make a motion to adjourn. Second. Motion by Terry, second by Victoria. All in favor say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Motion carries. Meeting adjourned at 6.51 p.m.