Galesville council member withdraws restraining order against mayor

Though no official action was taken in the Trempealeau County Government Center in Whitehall last Tuesday, two Galesville city officials appear to have settled their ongoing feud with a verbal agreement.

Galesville city council member Tory-Kale Schulz has withdrawn his request for a restraining order against Mayor Vince Howe, and the two sides hope to have a professional working relationship moving forward, according to discussions at last Tuesday’s injunction hearing in front of Trempealeau County Circuit Court Judge Rian Radtke.

An injunction hearing in Wisconsin follows someone requesting a harassment restraining order against another person. A temporary restraining order is granted, and then an injunction hearing is scheduled for a judge to decide whether the restraining order will continue.

Schulz’s attorney, Candice Tlustosch, said on Tuesday that Schulz was retracting the restraining order request, adding that the two sides worked out an agreement together, which includes:

•  Both Schulz and Howe “agree to refrain from making disparaging remarks about the other and the other’s spouses without a legitimate purpose,” Tlustosch told the court.

• Howe has agreed to stay out of the Main Fox, a business in Galesville owned by Schulz and his wife.

• Both will avoid each other’s residences and “have agreed to maintain civil communication going forward.”

The agreement also says both Schulz and Howe’s wives will not make disparaging remarks about each other.

Both Schulz and Howe verbally acknowledged the agreement at the hearing, in which Radtke pointed out that the agreement is verbal and will not be enforceable by the court if there is an issue following Tuesday’s dismissal.

Neither Schulz nor Howe commented on the issue on Tuesday beyond acknowledging the agreement. Howe was represented by attorney Melissa Kirschner.

The original request for a restraining order came from Schulz on April 12 because he “tried to stop (Howe’s) behavior in multiple ways, but nothing has worked,” according to previous court documents.

Radtke approved the dismissal of the restraining order request but told both parties that the people they represent in Galesville expect more from them as public officials.

“I think I can speak on behalf of the community as a whole, (we) hold or want to hold our elected officials to a higher standard. One that’s going to be above, sort of, the tit for tat that we see maybe in the national media or state media. And I think people have had a lack of tolerance for seeing ongoing fighting,” Radtke told Howe and Schulz.

“And I think our society is hungry for people in our leadership who are going to be bound to reason and fairness and treating each other fair and not raising things to the level of vitriol and such.”

Radtke said he was glad to see the two sides reach a resolution without a restraining order, saying it says a lot about both sides for being able to make peace.

“Society is watching, and often times they will mirror what leaders do and how they treat each other,” Radtke said. “And we want people in our society to be kind to each other. To be respectful to each other, and I think that starts with those who are in leadership.”