Tuesday, October 16, 2012
The Waukesha Business Improvement District Board of Directors grows to five members after mass resignations, but it's still not enough for the board to conduct business.
The Waukesha Business Improvement District’s Board of Directors still does not have enough members to conduct meetings after some Waukesha aldermen were unhappy with Mayor Jeff Scrima’s appointments to the board. Ron Lostetter, vice president of finance at Carroll University; Nick Martinez, a downtown attorney and resident; and City Administrator Ed Henschel were appointed to the board Tuesday night by the Common Council. The board now has five working members but it needs seven board members present to meet and approve any BID-related business. Bill Huelsman and Natalie Walters were the only two remaining board members after the majority of the board resigned following outgoing Executive Director Meghan Sprager's accusations of bullying, …
Tuesday, September 18, 2012
Almost all of the Waukesha Business Improvement District Board of Directors will need to be replaced as 11 of its members resign after former executive director's accusations of harassment and bullying.
Eleven members of the 13-member Waukesha Business Improvement District Board of Directors have stepped down from their leadership roles as accusations of bullying, harassment and ineffective communication styles came from its executive director, who left her position earlier this month. The only board members remaining are Bill Huelsman and Natalie Walters, said Mayor Jeff Scrima. As a result of the resignations, a move by Alderman Eric Payne and Alderwoman Kathleen Cummings to replace the entire BID board was removed from the agenda of Tuesday's Common Council meeting. Dozens of downtown stakeholders spoke at the beginning of that meeting — with some urging the council to replace the BID leadership and others vehemently denyings …
Monday, September 17, 2012
The Waukesha Common Council will hear a recommendation from two council members who say the entire Waukesha Business Improvement District's Board of Directors should be removed.
Two Waukesha Business Improvement District board members survived a vote of no-confidence. The BID's director and another employee have resigned their positions. Two board members have also stepped down. The problems in the BID will take a prominent role during Tuesday’s 7:30 p.m. Common Council meeting. The council will hear a referral from Alderwoman Kathleen Cummings and Alderman Eric Payne that calls for the removal of the entire 13-member board. After Executive Director Meghan Sprager’s resignation shocked the downtown community as she brought forward strong accusations against two downtown leaders, some downtown business owners begged the council to help fix the problems. Board President Norm Bruce and board member Lynn Gaffey …
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
Business owners tell Common Council that they have been bullied and harassed by a Waukesha Business Improvement District board member.
Business owners in downtown Waukesha told the Common Council Tuesday night they have been bullied, harassed and ridiculed in front of their customers by a Waukesha Business Improvement District board member. The business owners told alderman their customers have been told by the board member to boycott their businesses and that vendors were told to quit supplying the business owners with materials. Although the merchants who spoke were careful not to name the individual, board member Lynn Gaffey acknowledged she was the one being targeted — although she strongly denied the allegations made against her. However, several business owners spoke before the council and gave their accounts of how they were being harassed. “I was told that I do …
Executive Director Meghan Sprager provides more details about the harassment and bullying she allegedly has received at the hands of board members.
Updated at 10 p.m. Tuesday to include details on allegations made by Sprager in her letter. Attempts to uproot the Waukesha Business Improvement District’s Board of Directors fell flat Tuesday morning when a vote of no-confidence against Norm Bruce, the board president, and Lynn Gaffey, a board member, fell short. Bruce said he wasn’t surprised that board members Chris VanderBloemen and Jeff Barta brought forward the vote of no-confidence. However, the majority of the BID board voted in favor of Bruce and Gaffey. Later on Tuesday, VanderBloemen resigned, saying of other board members: “Their current plan is to deny that there is a problem." The vote of no-confidence was taken in the same meeting where board members heard allegations from …
Friday, August 24, 2012
Alderman Roger Patton, who also serves on the Waukesha Business Improvement District's Board of Directors, encourages others to thank Sprager for her work.
Editor's Note: The following letter to the editor was submitted to Patch by Alderman Roger Patton. The Waukesha Business Improvement District has suffered a great loss in the resignation of Meghan Sprager as our director to take a new job. The BID Board of Directors has been very happy with her enthusiastic leadership and finding her replacement will be very difficult. Her sunny, optimistic disposition kept our board together when we had disagreements over issues such as closing Main Street on Friday nights and the handling of the initial Guitar Town money. We were reminded constantly by Meghan how we needed to keep together, sharing our differences without bullying or broken relationships. This Tuesday, Aug. 28, at 820 N. Grand, at the …
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
Waukesha Business Improvement Development Executive Director Meghan Sprager resigned, claiming she's been treated in a "disgraceful manner." While one board member says she was worried about this from the start, others are surprised by the allegations.
Editor's Note: This article has been updated with information from Jeff Barta and Roger Igielski. Two Waukesha Business Improvement District board members are calling for a special BID meeting following BID Executive Director Meghan Sprager’s resignation letter where she claims to have been a victim of "excessive bullying." The letter alleges the BID board has subjected Sprager to a "hostile work environment" and that BID staff is treated in a "disgraceful manner." Board members Jeff Barta and Chris VanderBloemen have called the special meeting that they plan to hold at 7:30 a.m. Monday at The Rotunda, 235 W. Broadway. "While I’m not surprised at her decision I am very disappointed," said Barta in an email calling for the special meeting…
Waukesha Business Improvement District Board Member Chris VanderBloemen and her husband, Stephen, react to anonymous comments about BID Executive Director Meghan Sprager after her resignation.
Editor’s Note: The following letter was submitted to Patch by Waukesha Business Improvement District Board Member Chris VanderBloemen and her husband, Stephen. As long time commercial property owners in the BID District and a past board member of the BID and officer for many years (Steve) and as a current BID board member (Christine), it is with deep sadness and disappointment that we hear of the resignation of yet another Executive Director of the Waukesha Business Improvement District. Unfortunately, Meghan Sprager is not the first victim of these tactics. Previous executive directors, and now Meghan, have tried unsuccessfully to deal professionally with eliminating these tactics. These same people have continued over the years to …
Tuesday, August 21, 2012
Meghan Sprager, second BID director to quit in two years, said she was treated in a "disgraceful manner" by leaders of the business district.
Accusing leaders of the Waukesha Business Improvement District of "excessive bullying" and treating its staff in a "disgraceful manner," the executive director of the organization has resigned. Meghan Sprager, who has been on the job for just more than a year, will stay with the BID through the conclusion of Art Fest on Sept. 8. However, Sprager who has played a key role in the success and growth of the Waukesha Farmers’ Market, said she can no longer tolerate the "hostile work environment." “Please know that my decision to leave the organization was not made rashly,” said Sprager in her resignation letter, which is attached to this article. “It came after months of inexplicable conflict brought on by the BID’s leadership. The disgraceful…
Friday, October 28, 2011
While there are two Saturdays left to get local, fresh produce, 2011 was a banner year with room to grow next year.
The growing season has ended for area farmers but not for the Waukesha Farmer’s Market. This past year was such a success that the Waukesha Business Improvement District (BID) hopes to expand for next year. Before next year, though, there are still two more weeks, Oct. 29 and Nov. 5, of the popular Saturday morning community event. In addition to the varied selection of produce, meats, cheeses and more available, this weekend, children can decorate a trick-or-treat bag that can be used for trick-or-treating in costume at downtown Waukesha businesses from 1 to 4 p.m. The Farmer’s Market on Nov. 5 is a combined effort with the Horse Emporium, which is also hosting a tack show that day. People interested in selling tack should contact the …
Don Smartt
7:31 pm on Sunday, September 23, 2012
Wow! Witnessing the damage being done to all involved....is a potent reminder to one who works daily in the vineyards promoting and nuturing the 'good news' about downtowns that a community that fails to find the right balance between those who live in downtown (something many communities strive for and fail to achieve) and those who require a return on the investment they have made in the … more ›