Hartwick, Scherer end terms on council; offer comments

By Ryan Whisner 

As the first portion of Tuesday’s Fort Atkinson City Council meeting ended, it also was a conclusion of public service for both Councilwoman Megan Hartwick, who resigned on Tuesday, and Council President Chris Scherer, who had filed papers of non-candidacy in December of last year. 

Both chose to offer some final remarks before returning to the opposite side of the council chamber.

Comments from Hartwick 

Although it had already been read into the record earlier in the evening, for full transparency, Hartwick initially cited her formal resignation letter to the council, ending her second term to which she had been elected in April.

“Although leaving this position was the right decision for me and my family at this time, it does not make the process of vacating this seat easy, nor am I approaching this transition casually,” Hartwick said, noting that she is proud of what the council has accomplished in the past two years and humbled to have played a small role in some of that work.

“I will not miss occasionally being an online punching bag for Facebook commenters, I will absolutely miss the work,” she said.

Hartwick noted the work she is referring to is what is being done every single day in the council chambers and many other rooms and offices across the community by leaders, staff members, and volunteers.

“They are working tirelessly to support our community and put Fort Atkinson in the best possible position to grow and support the needs and desires of our residents,” she said. “The fact that we have City Manager (Rebecca Houseman) LeMire at the helm leading the way for Fort Atkinson should have us all eager to see what our future holds.”

Hartwick went on to praise LeMire’s work ethic, her attention to detail, and extensive knowledge about every aspect of running a city.

“Her ability to address so many important issues at the same time and her desire to make Fort Atkinson a thriving community is unmatched,” she said. “She is a tremendous asset to our city and we’re lucky to have her here.” 

Acknowledging that she was not always on the majority side of every vote taken, the outgoing council member suggested that it should not be up for debate how thoughtfully and exhaustively decisions are made on behalf of the community.

“It doesn’t mean every decision will be the correct one or that mistakes won’t be made, but rather that decisions are not made lightly, nor are they made without research and review,” Hartwick said, adding: “The people in this room, whether council members, city leadership, department heads or other staff are here because they care about and because they have a heart for public service.”

She also offered her perspective on the idea of public service and the status of the community’s participation in local government.

“Public service has never been an easy role, but it has been made all the more difficult and frustrating to navigate in our current climate,” Hartwick said. “Authentic community engagement has been replaced by superficial online assertions.”

As a member of the council, Hartwick said she resoundingly supports the idea of taxpayers in the community having the right to speak for their money by questioning and challenging leadership. 

“I truly appreciate those who have taken up that role in effective and constructive ways,” she said, noting that it has led to some of the most productive conversations she’s had as a public servant. 

“Unfortunately, far too often the demand for answers is not balanced out by the recognition of the responsibility taxpayers also have,” Hartwick said. 

According to Hartwick, those responsibilities include actively participating in the success of the community; seeking information rather than assigning blame; raising hands rather than pointing fingers, and asking questions rather than casting criticism.

“For our community to truly be successful, to be a place where hard decisions are made in the best interest of the greater good, a place where young professionals, individuals, and families can live work and play, a place where people want to raise their children and start businesses, we have to work together,” she said. “We have to evaluate one another’s expertise and we have to care about Fort Atkinson.” 

Hartwick stressed the importance of recognizing the ability to respectfully disagree.

“We have to realize the role we can each play to be informed and engaged and to recognize that none of us already knows everything we need to know and that there are always opportunities to learn,” she said. “The more we learn, the more we connect and collaborate, the stronger Fort Atkinson will be.” 

Hartwick encouraged those who are joining the council to hold the same belief and once again thanked those who have recognized their roles and taken them seriously.

Closing her remarks, she extended a heartfelt thanks to LeMire and the city department heads for enduring her plethora of questions. In addition, she offered thanks to her fellow council members for being active and working on some hard issues.

“I look forward to continuing to serve Fort Atkinson in other ways and in whatever capacities might present themselves in the future,” she concluded.

Comments from Scherer

Choosing in April not to run for reelection, Scherer gaveled his last meeting Tuesday. 

Offering comments, he said: “I cannot put into words how much of a privilege it has been to serve my community in the capacity of a council person for the past four years and as president for the last two years. I have genuinely enjoyed 99% of my time as an elected official and would not hesitate to run again in the future. For right now, I’m looking forward to returning to citizen life and spending time focusing on my friends and family.”

Scherer noted that he enjoyed his time, despite the pressure, scrutiny, and outright anger that would be directed his way as an elected official.

“Please remember that all of us sitting on this side of the chamber are regular people,” he said. “We are your neighbors, and we are community members.”

Through his time on the council serving on various boards, committees, and the council, Scherer said he has learned to appreciate how efficiently the city is run.

“Even if the Facebook ‘experts’ view otherwise,” he added. 

“Our day-to-day lives would be drastically different as residents if we did not have such an amazing city staff and, quite frankly, we as a council would fail to be as effective without these dedicated people,” the outgoing council president said.

Scherer pointed out city staff members are not elected, and their jobs often require more time than an eight-hour day allows, and they certainly do not choose to be the fodder of misguided remarks, he said. 

“They show up every day and continue to figure out how to advance our city and make residents’ lives better,” he noted. He thanked the city staff for their accomplishments and dedication. 

“Your diligence is admirable, and your decision-making has benefited the tax base whether they acknowledge it or not,” Scherer said, noting that he is hopeful that the city residents and future council members understand how fortunate they are to have the city staff working on their behalf.

He also thanked his fellow council members with whom he has served during his time on the council. 

“We are nonpartisan elected officials and every person that I served with has exemplified why we run for public office and seek to better our city,” Scherer said, adding that none of them have a “D” or “R” in front of their name.

“We do not practice divisive politics in this chamber,” he said. “We are focused on representing our constituents and representing our city.”

As council president, Scherer admitted that he has asked a lot of the council over the past two years while addressing infrastructure needs, creating housing opportunities, and ensuring safety and sustainability for current and future citizens of Fort Atkinson.

“This progress has not always come with consensus, but we have found ways to represent the interests of the city and constituents alike,” he said. “We also recognize that our biggest impact is usually something you don’t see daily and can be as simple as a new lawnmower, a complex like a wastewater treatment facility or restructuring a borrowing so taxpayers save money in the long run.”

Addressing council members, he said: “We are elected to advocate for constituents, but also to advocate for the city. You must find a way to balance the needs of each appropriately and at times that will not be mutually beneficial.”

He suggested that the decisions made today should take into consideration the impact in 10 years and, he said, if that isn’t an outcome that you can sell to constituents, it may not be worth pursuing. 

“I believe that an elected official has the unfortunate, but necessary role to tell people what they need to hear, not what they want to hear, that’s what separates us from politicians,” Scherer said.

He reminded residents to remain engaged in the decision-making process through, what he described as a few legitimate and constructive ways other than social media. 

Scherer said there are several boards and committees that currently have vacancies.

“If that is too much commitment perhaps start by utilizing the three minutes of public comment that is available at the beginning of every council meeting. If public speaking isn’t your forte, you can always write an email to the publicly available council email addresses,” he said. 

He stressed his opinion that commenting on Facebook is not the best way to communicate with city representatives. 

“At best it does discourages those who work on your behalf, and at worst, it dissuades quality candidates from running for a council seat,” Scherer said. “I choose to believe that community forums can be a place for good, but it (social media) is so heavily outweighed by the negative and critical comments from residents.”

Dispelling what he coined as “popular belief,” Scherer noted that the council members’ pockets are not lined.

“For the $300 a month we receive as a stipend, it hardly makes being a public servant worth it,” he said. “I guarantee we are so fortunate that everyone sitting on this side of the council chamber would serve even if there were no stipends. All any of us can ask in return is that you utilize the official channels and sources for your information and avoid the hearsay on social media.”

Scherer extended thanks to the city staff and the residents of the city for providing him the opportunity to serve.

“Thank you to my council for running with me and not away for me,” he said. “I will cherish our time spent together and our conversations about what Fort Atkinson is capable of.”

Though his time as a council member has come to an end, Scherer said he will remain an active member of the community and always be willing to answer questions.

“We all love Fort Atkinson for different reasons, and we all have a role in making Fort Atkinson a special place,” he said.