Sept. 9, 2020 4:30p
(WGTD)---In response to the Jacob Blake protests and subsequent riots and property damage, members of the Kenosha County Board of Supervisors in the coming days will debate an action plan, according to what came out of a special board meeting that was held Tuesday night.
Long-time Supervisor Terry Rose volunteered to take the lead in drafting the resolution. But just what it’ll say, and when it’ll be approved, will be open for debate.
Rose has his ideas. "The one issue that we need to make very clear to the people here whose lives have been endangered, whose property has been destroyed, who lived in nightly fear is the same message that we need to send to people who might come here from out of town or elsewhere and do citizens harm...our message has to be very clear: Never again."
Rose noted that an estimate of property damage from the Kenosha Area Business Alliance is $50 million. KABA believes that 40 of the 100 affected businesses won’t re-open.
In order to show decisive leadership, Rose believes a resolution of some sort should be adopted as soon as next week.
Others said some additional thought is needed, with an exploration of the causes of the violence and suggestions for achieving equality. "I appreciate everything Supervisor Rose said but I think we have to go back to that focus of building that equality," said Supervisor Jerry Gulley.
County Board Chairman John O’Day signaled that Rose’s resolution will first be referred to the board’s various committees, thus slowing down the approval process.
About 30 protesters showed up at the meeting, apparently wanting to make sure that their voices are heard. A few of them verbally sparred at the end of the meeting with some of the supervisors. The meeting was then quickly adjourned without citizen comments.
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