New committee looks at government civility By Ray Barrington News-Chronicle A new Brown County subcommittee is looking at adding something to county government that hasn't been there recently: Civility. The "Titletown's New Patriotism Subcommittee" will have its first meeting today at Room 201 in the Northern Building. Sup. Jane Hansen, one of two County Board members on the new committee, said the group wants to try to ease tensions that have built up in recent years on the board. They have included regular sniping between conservatives and liberals on the board; sniping between board members and the county executive, both under Nancy Nusbaum and Carol Kelso; and sniping between the board and county staff. The incidents reached a peak - or bottom, depending on how you look at it - when County Board chairman Ken Simons had to publicly apologize for a racial remark during a board debate. "We're hoping we can bring some civility back to the board," Hansen said. The committee was sparked by a movement being promoted by the Harwood Institute for Public Innovation in Bethesda, Md. The group is working to promote civic responsibility and public involvement in government, in part by improving political conduct. Among the cities that have been working with the project is Madison. It defines "patriotism" as "an ideal held by individuals around the nation who are working in their communities to make things better." "I went to their first meeting in Madison and it sounded very good," Hansen said. She said the goal is not to stifle debate, just to make it civilized. "We need to hear both sides, but we don't have to act like we have been acting," she said. Also on the committee are Sup. Merlin Vanden Plas and citizen members Jeanne Agneessens, Robert Bush and Charles Leonard. "We've got some good people working on this," Hansen said.