High court says Beaver Dam meetings should be public (Wisc)
JS Online: Development groups weigh impact of verdict
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
8:36 AM
Development groups weigh impact of verdict
High court says Beaver Dam meetings should be public
By DAN BENSON
Posted: July 27, 2008
A state Supreme Court ruling that a Beaver Dam economic development group is a quasi-governmental organization and must obey the state’s open meetings and open records laws has been hailed as a victory for open government and criticized as a threat to economic development.
The Beaver Dam Area Development Corp. secretly negotiated for months in 2003 with Wal-Mart to build a $55 million, 1.2-million-square-foot distribution center on about 400 acres north of the city. The group negotiated zoning changes, water service, fire protection and other items, including $6.18 million in incentives.
Those details did not become public until the City Council approved without discussion a 13-page memorandum of understanding with Wal-Mart.
…
“Very clearly there needs to be a measure of transparency when government funds are being allocated for economic development,” said Jim Paetsch, director of corporate expansion and relocation for The Milwaukee 7, a consortium of private investors and local governments in the Milwaukee metro area.
…
“If people are in doubt, they should conduct themselves with the maximum degree of openness,” he said. “Doing so will breed trust and support for what they are doing.”
Full Article: <http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=776919>
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