By Dave Fidlin
Correspondent
Adding clauses in landlord-initiated leases, adopting an ordinance around large-group gatherings and encouraging responsible celebratory events are among some of the recommendations being handed down by a committee as efforts to strength relations between the City of Whitewater and University of Wisconsin-Whitewater continue.
With backing by university officials, the city played a role in convening a so-called Move-In Task Force.
The gesture is at least partially linked to Spring Splash, the mid-April event that was geared toward university students and was taxing on local law enforcement resources when rowdiness became an issue.
The 15-person task force actually was formed before Spring Splash to tackle issues that might arise in late August as students move into multi-tenant housing. But the controversy swirling around Spring Splash heightened the group’s efforts.
The report, presented to the Common Council on June 7, includes a list of 25 recommendations, which will be hashed over in greater detail in the months ahead as municipal-specific policy decisions are drafted.
While no formal action was taken at last week’s meeting, at least one council member, UW-Whitewater student James Langnes III, said he was against a number of the suggestions and hinted he would be voting against the plan in the future.
Jan Bilgren, associated director of career and leadership development at UW-Whitewater, reviewed some of the suggestions at last week’s council meeting.
Each recommendation, Bilgren said, has “deadlines and leadership behind them” and the intent is to have “a collaborative relationship between all stakeholders.”
For its part, the city has acknowledged municipal funds might be necessary to bring some of the proposals to fruition, though few specifics are currently known.
“While some recommendations will require a municipal expenditure, cost is unknown at this time, but would be included in future budgets,” Assistant City Manager Chris McDonell wrote in a memo.
