The Common Council of the City of Kaukauna meets the first and third Tuesday of each month, unless a different day is chosen by the Council. The Mayor may call a special meeting by written notice to each member delivered to him or her personally or left at his usual abode at least six hours before the meeting. Following a regular city election, the new Council shall first meet on the third Tuesday of April.
The regular meetings of the Common Council are held on the first and third Tuesday in each month at 7:00 PM, except when such Tuesday falls on a holiday or election day, the meeting shall be held on Wednesday following such Tuesday. Special meetings may be called in accordance with Section 62.11(2), Wisconsin Statutes.
Common Council members, along with contact information, is located on the right hand side of this screen when viewed on a desktop. When viewing on a mobile device, Council members and contact info can be viewed by scrolling down.
How to get in touch with Common Council
- Call/email: You can call or email your alderperson with a question or concern – please see the District Ward map to find your district (below the contact information on this page).
- Letter: You can send a letter to the Common Council via the City Clerk. Once the Clerk receives your letter it would be introduced and read during the “Presentation of letters, petitions, remonstrance, memorials, and accounts” section during the next Common Council Meeting.
- Public appearances: During the Common Council Meetings there is a “Public appearances” section of the agenda. This is a period of time where any member of the public (not limited to Kaukauna residents) can talk to the Council. Once the mayor asks if anyone would like to speak during this time, you can walk up to the podium where you will be asked to state your name and your address before talking to the Council. This time is only for the public to speak; alders will not be able to respond, no discussion will be had.
What to Expect During a Common Council Meeting
Agendas are made available by 4:30 PM the Friday prior to a Common Council Meeting and can be viewed here.
Common Council Meetings are held the first and third Tuesday of the month (except for holidays and elections, please see the community calendar for exact dates) in the Common Council Chambers, located at the Municipal Services Building (MSB/City Hall) 144 W. 2nd Street. When you walk into the building, you will go down the hallway to your right and the Common Council Chambers will be at the end of the hall.
Each agenda generally has the following items:
Starts promptly at 7 PM – A request for all side conversations within the council chambers to stop so the meeting can start.
The Clerk reads a list of alders present along with the mayor. Any alders not present are excused, followed by a vote to excuse the absent alders. A meeting may proceed even if more than two alders are absent (which means a quorum of members is not present), however no formal action may be taken. Procedural motions, such as a motion to adjourn, may still be made, but items requiring approval, including approving meeting minutes, must be deferred until a quorum is present. A minute of silent prayer and a group Pledge of Allegiance follows.
Mayor asks the clerk if there has been any correspondence since the last meeting. If someone sends a letter to the clerk addressed to the Common Council, this is where that letter would be read aloud.
This is a period of time where any member of the public (not limited to Kaukauna residents) can talk to the Council. Once the mayor asks if anyone would like to speak during this time, you can walk up to the podium where you will be asked to state your name and your address before talking to the Council. This time is only for the public to speak; alders will not be able to respond, no discussion will be had.
Any swearing in, awards, proclamations, etc. are announced by the mayor at this time.
All meeting minutes held by city committees following, and including, the most recent prior Common Council Meeting are included in this section to be placed on file. This also includes various department reports and bills payable. The Consent Agenda allows these items to be placed on file without being read word for word during the meeting. If an alderperson wants to pull an item located in the Consent Agenda to be discussed, they may do so prior to the item being placed on file.
The common council receives and may discuss reports from the standing committees or specially created committees, such as receiving and placing on file the Operator (Bartender) Licenses from the Health and Recreation Committee.
City staff can provide updates to alders at this time.
This section is for official updates to the Municipal Code and resolutions.
This section Alders can bring up different topics for following Common Council Meetings. Discussion won’t be held at this time.
This section allows the Common Council, Mayor, and relevant City staff to meet in closed session under specific exemptions authorized under Wis. Stat. § 19.85. Topics may include personnel matters, litigation strategy with legal counsel, negotiations involving public funds or property, and other sensitive issues where public discussion could compromise the City’s interests or individual privacy.
Alders vote to end the meeting.
