“Whenever you invest money in a company that has business before the city, that’s definitely something [a council member] needs to disclose publicly,” says Konkel. “In this case, [Clear] was the sponsor of it. He spoke in favor it. And then he voted for it. I think all three of those things are problematic, especially without the disclosure. I’d prefer to see a straight-up recusal.”
Some feel left in the dark, however, because a resolution has not been finalized. Former alder Brenda Konkel called on the council to provide an update at its Tuesday meeting and alders Marsha Rummel and Barbara McKinney echoed that desire.
“The fact that it’s all been done behind the scenes is the problem,” said Konkel, who also objected to the project not going out for bid. “It’s hard because this looks like a cool project. (But) just because it’s a cool project, we can’t ignore the rules.”
In 2005, when Ald. Brenda Konkel identified Wall as one of several business advocates who weren’t complying with the city’s lobbying ordinance, he went ballistic. But Konkel didn’t blink. “Terrence tried to bully me, including threatening to sue me, but like many bullies, he didn’t follow through,” says the Progressive Dane mainstay. “And I’m not bullied easily.”
