The Arena Village Board of Trustees held a special meeting on March 27 to discuss the future of the police force, including compensation and work performance. Officers resigned from full-time positions last fall, leading to debates on policing hours, administrative duties, and community support. The meeting also highlighted concerns about police services and the use of police resources.
The Village of Arena Board of Trustees held a special meeting to discuss the employment of the police officers, sparking concerns and confusion among residents. The closed session meeting raised questions about the board’s control, authority and communication. Past legal disputes over police department funding further complicated the situation. Residents and the village attorney called for transparency and a collaborative approach to address community safety concerns.
Arena native Alex Harrington, raised in a family deeply rooted in the River Valley, has been appointed WISC-TV Channel 3000’s chief meteorologist. Harrington’s passion for meteorology began at a young age, and after years of diverse experiences and hard work, he has achieved his dream job. He aims to inspire others to pursue their own happiness.
The Village of Arena Police Department’s officers are transitioning to part-time positions due to low morale and conflicts with the Village Board of Trustees. Chief of Police Nicholas Stroik announced the shift, citing unjustified interference and non-supportive comments from board members. Despite the reduced hours, the department pledge to maintain the community’s safety, while acknowledging the potential for increased response times. The decision was approved by the village board amidst criticisms about the impact on emergency services.
The Village of Arena Police Department announced its shift to part-time service, citing “low morale” due to issues with the village board. This change sparked concerns among residents about potential increase in emergency response times. Village President Kate Reimann’s response to these concerns — “No records were requested so no answer is given” — is inappropriate and inadequate. Something needs to change.
Sunshine Week is a time to celebrate government transparency and public service, as well as a time to address lapses in the same. In October 2020, shortly after incorporating and shortly before our first edition, we sent out a Wis. Stat. 19.84(1)(b) written request by email from news media to our local governmental bodies asking that Valley Sentinel be sent meeting notices for the respective governmental bodies. Recently, we sent reminder letters by mail to the local governmental bodies in our immediate coverage area that have not been consistent in sending us meeting notices, with several having sent none at all in the past nearly 2.5 years.
Audit reached no conclusions, but shows potentially large errors in water bills.
During public comment at last month’s regular meeting of the Village of Arena Board of Trustees on March 7, board members were handed papers by former Village President Paul Pustina. Those papers contained an “Independent Accountant’s Report” covering current Arena Village Clerk/Treasurer DaNean Naeger’s tenure in Monticello. The report represents the findings of what Monticello Village Board minutes refer to as a forensic audit. Arena officials have stayed quiet since the meeting, but the current Monticello village president insists he saw no evidence of wrongdoing.
On Tuesday, February 22, at 8 a.m. the Village of Arena Personnel Committee met, made a recommendation to accept the resignation of Arena’s superintendent of public works effective March 31, and started right in working on interviewing for a replacement. If nothing else, the committee moved with laudable speed to fill a hole that was not even official yet.
On Feb. 15, Village of Arena’s Public Works Superintendent Michael Schmidt submitted his resignation, with a month and a half notice. By the next week, the village was already holding a meeting to interview internal candidates. That rush to hold an interview resulted in several village officials having open meetings law complaints filed against them.
A student from Hard Core Gymnastics in Arena held a lemonade stand fundraiser July 2 at the corner of Sharon Street and Village Edge Road in Arena.