The Racine Common Council met on June 20, 2025, to approve routine items, hear public comments, and vote on several referrals and resolutions. The meeting featured extensive tributes to outgoing aldermen Jeff Cole, Melissa Caprillion, Corey Sebastian, and others, and included a divisive vote on a car wash conditional use permit at the Regency Mall.
Of six o'clock, having arrived on this 14th of April in 2025. It's my honor to call to order the city of Racine Common Council. The first order of business before us is the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag. If you please rise as you are able and join me in the Pledge of Allegiance. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, liberty and justice for all. President McCarthy, do we have any excused absences this evening? Yes, Mr. Mayor. Alder Pete has indicated he will not be able to join us this evening. All right. Uh duly noted. The next item before us is the approval of Journal of Council proceedings or minutes from April 2nd, 2025. President McCarthy, would you like to make a motion? Yes, I have reviewed the minutes and I move for their approval. There's a motion by President McCarthy to approve the April 2nd, 2025 minutes, seconded by Alder Mack. Uh, all those in favor, please say aye. Aye. Opposed. That motion carries. We'll now move on to public comments. I will ask the city clerk to please uh read the procedures before we begin. The public comment segment is an opportunity for citizens to speak directly to the common council. Speakers will limit their remarks to three minutes. There should be no dialogue or interaction between the speaker and elected officials or staff. This time is not intended to be a debate or discussion. The common council shall not hear personal complaints or attacks against any city employee or elected official or any matter related to an individual claim, citation, appeal, or lawsuit. Profane, disruptive, threatening, or conduct that otherwise impedes the safe, orderly and effective conduct of the common council meeting is equally unacceptable during the public comment period, as it is during all other portions of city meetings. When a group of people representing one viewpoint wishes to address the council, one person should be appointed the designated speaker for the group. Candidates for public office may not use this opportunity to campaign for office. Speakers during the public comment period shall follow all rules of the common council and rulings of the chair, including a decision to terminate the remarks if the speaker does not adhere to these rules. Public comment shall be limited to ideas or concerns regarding the city of Racine. There'll be eight speakers this evening. First will be Mary McElvain, 1022 Villa Street. Before uh the first speaker begins, I just want to point out there is a clock that's there. It's three minutes. When the three minutes are over, your microphone gets turned off. That's not a commentary on whatever you might be saying. It's just equally applying the three-minute standard to everyone. So Miss McIlvain, you have the floor. Thank you, Mayor and members of council. Mary McIlvain at 1022 Villa. I would like to take my time tonight to thank Alder Jeff Cole for his many years of service. He and I don't agree on everything, but he'll still talk to me. Even if I haven't voted for him, he'll still talk to me. I have to respect that. Um he worked hard all these many years for a strong community and a safe district. I would see him at so many downtown events I lost count. He wasn't just there for the fun. I would see him doing the cleanup too.