About the event
The Town–Gown Council is where Porter Falls and the university talk things through before either one acts. It is co-chaired by Mayor Ruth Ellingboe and Chancellor Dr. Elaine Vandehey, and its members include alderpersons, neighborhood associations, the Depot District businesses, Campus Safety, Student Government and Porter County Transit. It makes recommendations, not laws, but most shared-service agreements between the city and the campus start here.
The main item is the Porter Loop. The 2027 transit contract is $1.14 million, split 62% university and 38% city. The open question is whether to add a Sunday pilot from noon to 6 p.m., which would cost another $96,000, split the same way. The council’s recommendation is due at this meeting.
Schedule
| Time | What | Where |
|---|---|---|
| 4:30 p.m. | Call to order; minutes | Council Chambers |
| 4:35 p.m. | Public comment (15 minutes; three minutes per speaker) | Council Chambers |
| 4:50 p.m. | Porter Loop Sunday pilot: discussion and recommendation | Council Chambers |
| 5:30 p.m. | Rental registration update; Millrace Week noise review | Council Chambers |
| About 6:00 p.m. | Adjourn | — |
Location and access
City Hall is on Main Street in the Depot District, about 15 minutes on foot from campus or one Porter Loop ride to the Depot Plaza stop. The chambers are accessible, with a hearing loop. The meeting is streamed on the city’s public-access channel, and the agenda is posted a week ahead, on November 11.
Speaking and registration
No registration is needed to attend. To speak in public comment, sign up at the door before 4:30 p.m. To put an item on a future agenda, email the council staff by the Monday two weeks before a meeting. A concern about a specific address goes to the police non-emergency line or the Dean of Students Office, not to the council.
Contact and related events
Routes and schedules are on transportation and parking, and the bus is live on the shuttle tracker. For more on the city, see Porter Falls, WE and participating in Porter Falls. The council meets next on February 17, 2027, on campus.
Fictional information
UW–Porter Falls is a work of parody. This meeting, the council, its mayor and its bus budget are invented; no real city council is involved, and there is no public comment to sign up for.