By Kevin Boneske
Staff Writer
ASHWAUBENON – The village board scheduled a special meeting Thursday, May 28, when it planned to consider employee personnel and grievance matters related to Village Manager Allison Swanson and/or the Ashwaubenon Public Safety Officers’ Association (APSOA).
But when four of five board members present voted against going into closed session, the meeting adjourned in less than 5 minutes.
Village President Mary Kardoskee said she voted “no” because Village Attorney Tony Wachewicz wasn’t present.
Trustee Ken Bukowski was the only board member to vote in favor of going into closed session.
The board removed an item to confer with legal counsel from its agenda because Wachewicz was absent.
This was before the vote on whether to go into closed session on two other items related to the village manager and/or public safety department employee personnel complaint and grievance litigation matters.
The board could have discussed the other two items without Wachewicz present, but Kardoskee and trustees Gary Paul, Chris Zirbel and Allison Williams voted not to before the board adjourned the meeting.
Trustees Mark Williams and Michael Malcheski were absent.
Kardoskee said Wachewicz was unable to attend because of a personal issue.
She said she doesn’t know at this point whether the special meeting will be rescheduled.
The board has held a series of special meetings and closed sessions since the APSOA held a news conference Feb. 6 to announce a vote of no confidence in Swanson.
The union also released a list of complaints about Swanson with 22 bullet points containing what it called a “partial list of just some of the egregious behaviors the association has witnessed.”
Some of the union’s complaints resulted in state and federal lawsuits along with labor grievances being filed on behalf of past and present union members.
In response to the APSOA’s complaints, the board authorized an outside investigation Feb. 25 after meeting in closed session and agreeing to hire the von Briesen & Roper law firm.
After the board met in closed session May 7 to consider the investigative reports from Jim Macy of von Briesen & Roper, it directed Wachewicz to prepare a statement he issued two days later to announce the board cleared Swanson of any wrongdoing or unethical conduct.
Swanson then filed a lawsuit May 20 in Brown County Circuit Court against the APSOA and two of its officers, President Eric Paulowski and Secretary Melanie Lovato, accusing them of defamation.
The union has 45 days from the date being served to respond to the suit.