One is leaving more than two years early.
Rita Maass has been a council member for roughly two decades, she said, and plans to leave her current term Thursday. She said her choice to step down before April 2023, when the term officially ends, was personal.
âI enjoyed serving and I will miss serving,â Maass said. âItâs time to move on and let the younger generation take over.â
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City Administrator Shawn Murphy said Mayor Rick Dodd can appoint an alderman to serve the district who resides within the area. District 9 borders stretch along West Wisconsin Street from Armstrong Street north to Silver Lake Drive to Airport Road and West Slifer Street. They connect to New Pinery Road, which stretches south to West Oneida Street, where it connects to Armstrong. The district encompasses Silver Lake Park.
The naming of a newly constructed pavilion in Pauquette Park drew criticism from members of Portage Common Council during discussion while holding their meeting via teleconference Thursday.
Council member Dennis Nachreiner echoed concerns he raised with fellow member Mike Charles during the process of naming the pavilion.
âI think that George Beasley did a lot of good things for our community and I wish every community has a lot of George Beasleys in them,â Nachreiner said. âHowever, I believe itâs too early to be naming anything after George Beasley. Thereâs a lot of people in our community that have did a lot of good things over the years and they get no recognition.â