City of Menomonie withholds Mabel Tainter funds over City’s representation on board
PROTECTED CONTENT
If you’re a current subscriber, log in below. If you would like to subscribe, please click the subscribe tab above.
Username and Password Help
Please enter your email and we will send you a password reset link.
Menomonie — The Tribune Press Reporter is in receipt of a copy of a letter sent by Menomonie Mayor Randy Knaack to the Mable Tainter Board over the city’s financial support of the Mabel Tainter Center. In the letter, dated November 15, 2022, Knaack indicates that he will withhold the City of Menomonie $60,000 annual support of the Mabel Tainter Center for the Arts because the Mabel Tainter Board changed its by-laws to remove the cities representative’s voting rights.
Knaack’s letter stated; “The City of Menomonie has always been a large financial supporter of the Mabel Tainter and I personally believe it is the cornerstone of our downtown. Over the years the city has contributed thousands of dollars including over a million dollars for the new addition to further Mabel Tainter’s mission.
“The recent bylaw change by the Mabel Tainter Board to remove the City Council representative voting rights deeply concerns me,” Knaack letter stated.
He continued, “I strongly feel as the Mayor, it is within my purview to withhold the annual city subsidy of $60,000 until the voting rights are restored for the City Council representative serving on the Mabel Board.”
At the Menomonie City Council meeting of November 15 the City Council on a five to two vote with one member abstaining, approved a motion to require the reinstatement of voting rights for the city representative on the Mable Tainter Board to receive $60,000 of city funding.
Natasha M. Melchionne, Esq., who is the Treasurer, Mabel Tainter Center for the Arts Board of Directors responded to Mayor Knaack letter with, “You express concern regarding certain changes that the Board of Directors made to its bylaws in 2022. The individual appointed to the Board of Directors by the City Council, Penny Burstad, attended the Board of Directors’ meeting in July 2022 and voted for the Bylaws amendments, one of which stated that the city council representative will be a non-voting member of the Board of Directors.”
Melchionne letter also noted that the council representative, Ms. Burstad had only attended one board meeting since her appointment in April 2022.
Melchionne letter informed Mayor Knaack, “The Board of Directors will reinstate the voting rights of the City Council’s representative in exchange for continuation of the $60,000 annual subsidy provided by the City of Menomonie. Additionally, the Board of Directors requires that the City Council’s representative be held to the same standards as the other members, including attending meetings.”
Melchionne letter concluded with, “We wish to continue a beneficial and positive relationship with the City of Menomonie and certainly intended no ill-will by modifying our Bylaws.”
