Waukesha Water Meeting Was Not A Real Hearing

Waukesha is going to have to improve the public information process it used at Thursday's roll-out of the Lake Michigan diversion plan.

At the meeting, water utility commissioners and aldermen were allowed to ask questions which consultants, utility officials or the Mayor answered.

So there was dialogue, and follow-up discussion ensued.

But when the public got its turn, a strange thing happened:

Questions were asked, notes were taken, and after a break, brief answers or responses were read off by water utility manager Dan Duchniak, in rough sequence to the order posed.

There was no dialogue.

No follow-ups.

Waukesha has at least two more sessions scheduled.

Let's hope they are full hearings, with dialogue and interrogatories that could lead to genuine discussion.

And let's make sure the Department of Natural Resources holds actual, not faux hearings.