Council refers proposed OIM/PCOB ordinance amendments to oversight board, schedules council reconsideration for August 4

Following approximately three hours of public testimony, the Madison Common Council voted April 21 to refer proposed amendments to the ordinance that governs the Office of the Independent Police Monitor (OIM) and the Police Civilian Oversight Board (PCOB). The referral sends the substitute (Legistar 92386, ‘version 2’) back to the PCOB for consideration on June 17 and schedules council reconsideration for August 4.

The substitute would add public-reporting requirements and clarify administrative relationships between the OIM/PCOB and city departments including HR, IT and the City Attorney’s Office. The sponsor and supporters said the changes are intended to improve consistency with city procedures and to clarify responsibilities for administrative tasks. Former alder and sponsor MGR Govindarajan said the goal of the substitute is “to provide clarification and not to do structural change,” and emphasized that core investigatory independence and subpoena powers remain intact in his view.

Opponents — including multiple PCOB members, survivors’ advocates and community organizations such as Freedom Inc. — argued the amendments would undermine independence and discourage people harmed by policing from seeking oversight. “This ordinance is stripping away the independence of the office and the board,” Hope Vang of Freedom Inc. said during public comment. Dozens of residents and oversight board members urged more time for collaboration and investigation of what they called inaccuracies in the public record.

Several OIM stakeholders also raised procedural and factual concerns: Greg Golombiak, the office’s data analyst, denied claims he had mishandled sensitive records and described a planned fast to protest what he called defamatory reporting about his work. Interim monitor and PCOB leaders described progress in building the office’s capacity and cautioned that sudden structural changes could disrupt that work.

After extended council debate about community trust, procedural fairness and the speed of drafting the ordinance, Alder Mayer moved to refer the substitute. The recorded roll call on the referral produced 16 ayes and 4 nos; the council directed PCOB review on June 17 and set the council floor date for August 4 to consider changes returned from the board.

Council members and staff emphasized that the PCOB and OIM remain subject to the city code and state law but differ over whether clarifying administrative language will strengthen or weaken the office’s independent investigatory role. Referral will give the PCOB and council time to reconcile language and to solicit further input from community stakeholders before final council action.