Judge Orders Village Of Twin Lakes To Pay Resident $20,000 For Violating Public Records Law: Cronyism Alleged

Copied!
Laura Roesslein – Twin Lakes Village Administrator
(File Photo by Kevin Mathewson, Kenosha County Eye)

A Twin Lakes couple was recently awarded almost $20,000 from the Village of Twin Lakes for what a judge ruled was a violation of the Wisconsin Public Records Statute. Judge Frank Gagliardi signed an order on June 20, 2024 that awarded the Neals $11,000 in attorney’s fees, $1,442.70 in court costs, $6,879 in compensatory damages and punitive damages in the statutory amount of $100 because the judge wrote “the Court finds [the Village of Twin Lakes and Administrator Laura Roesslein] acted in an arbitrary and capricious manner in fulfilling [Mr. Neal’s] public records request.”

Paid Advertisement
Matthew Fernholz – Attorney, Cramer Multhauf LLP

So, what does arbitrary and capricious mean? Neal’s attorney, Matthew Fernholz with Cramer Multhauf LLP, told KCE that it means “the judge determined that he couldn’t find a satisfactory explanation from the village as to why it took them so long to get the records out.”

Paid Advertisement

The $20 grand isn’t all that the Village of Twin Lakes taxpayers are on the hook for – the Village also spent more than $50,000 on expensive, private attorneys dealing with the Neals.

Paid Advertisement

Why did Neal sue the village in the first place? Mr. Neal, along with his wife, have owned a home in Twin Lakes for more than 20 years. In 2019, an empty lot next door was purchased with the purpose of building a new home on it. Mr. Neal and his wife were concerned about the implication that the new home would have on their own – the area is wedged between two lakes and is very wet. Prior to breaking ground, the Neals brought issues of the water diversion and flooding up with the Village because the new home was proposed to be built at a much higher elevation than the Neals’.

Paid Advertisement

The Village seemingly ignored the Neals’ concerns and issued building permits. The Neals then hired an attorney to protect their interests. Eventually, the Village issued a “stop work order” on the home that was under construction. The home was built with numerous building code violations according to Neal and his attorney. The Neals took legal action and the Village ordered the new owners to bring the home into compliance. To date, they haven’t.

Paid Advertisement

On August 23, 2021, the building inspector granted the neighbors a “temporary occupancy permit,” which lasted for 30 days. The temporary occupancy permit was conditioned on them bringing their property into compliance. The have yet to bring their property into compliance with Village Code. The 2023 tax assessment for the property $544,500.00. This assessment is based entirely on the lot size and not any improvements to the property, as the lot was sold for $510,000 on September 16, 2019. Although the neighbors have been residing in a new construction home since 2021, they have not paid any property taxes on the improvements to the property.

In the meantime, Neal’s attorney made some public records requests. He got some information back but suspected some documents were missing. Through third party subpoenas, Attorney Fernholz was able to confirm that the Village Administrator, Laura Roesslein, seemed to intentionally withhold public records.

Howard Skinner – Village President, Twin Lakes
(File Photo by Kevin Mathewson, Kenosha County Eye)

In a sworn deposition Roesslein told lawyers that she consulted with Village president Howard Skinner during this entire process. Skinner is the only Village President known to KCE to wear Nascar hats to Village board meetings.

In a separate by related lawsuit filed by the Neals, now-retired Kenosha County Circuit Court Judge Bruce E. Schroeder had the following to say during a ruling last Fall.

The past practices of the Village of Twin Lakes appear wholly incongruent with the Village code and that inconsistent applications have been made to similarly-situated properties. The Village does not appear to have noted, or even seem concerned about the possibility of inconsistent treatment of homeowners or the identity or supervision of those deviating from the written code.”

That’s what several residents of Twin Lakes told KCE – the Village treats residents differently. They pick and choose which ordinances to enforce, and on who. “This Village Board’s brazen behavior is nothing but cronyism,” said a Twin Lakes Resident, when asked about this matter. In the case of the Neals’ new neighbors, the Village is taking the drastic stop of changing the Village’s ordinances just for the one home. If passed, this would mean that all of the building code violations will not need to be corrected, exposing the Neals and other neighbors to additional runoff water.

KCE contacted each and every member of the Village board and asked them why they spent so much money fighting with the Neals to violate the law. We asked why they are making far-reaching changes in the ordinance just for one home. Not one spoke to us. The timing of the new ordinance may speak for itself. It was published only six days after the judge ruled in the Neal’s favor for $20,000.

The meeting to vote on the new ordinances is scheduled for July 1, 2024 at 6:30 pm. Opponents of the ordinance are encouraging residents to email the Village board and speak at the meeting.

hskinner@twinlakeswi.gov

sbower@twinlakeswi.gov

billkaskin@gmail.com

akarow@twinlakeswi.gov

kperl@twinlakeswi.gov

bandres@twinlakeswi.gov

kfitzgerald@twinlakeswi.gov

Author

Copied!
LATEST NEWS

Kenosha Murder Trial: Defendant to Represent Himself in Court

Kenosha, Wis. — “The man who represents himself has a fool for a client.” – Abraham Lincoln. A high-profile murder trial is set to begin later this year, with 35-year-old Tiron M. Washington opting to represent himself despite facing life in prison. Washington is accused of orchestrating the December 10, 2021, assassination of 35-year-old Maximmillion A. Moore in what prosecutors describe as a hit-style execution. A Murder Linked to Federal Gun Investigation According to investigators, Moore

Read More »

KUSD To Host 62nd Orchestra Festival

Kenosha, Wis. – Kenosha Unified School District’s 62nd annual Orchestra Festival will be presented on Saturday, March 8, at 6:30 p.m. at Indian Trail High School and Academy, 6800 60th St. This event will showcase nearly 1,400 elementary, middle, high and charter school orchestra students. Tickets are available at kusd.edu/tickets. Field house seating is $10 (a maximum of 3). Tickets will not be available at the door and field house seating may sell out in advance. The

Read More »
MORE TOP STORIES

City of Kenosha Employee Charged with Misdemeanor Theft From Taxpayers

Kenosha, Wis. – A City of Kenosha employee has been charged with one count of misdemeanor theft, according to court records. Jamie D. Watkins, a 54-year-old arborist employed by the city, is accused of stealing Menards rebate checks meant for the Parks Department. Watkins is scheduled to make his initial court appearance on February 27, 2025. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of nine months in jail, a $10,000 fine, and possible restitution. City Administrator

Read More »

Casey Family Options Funeral Home Accused of Predatory Practices, Families Speak Out

Kenosha, Wis. – A Kenosha-based funeral home, Casey Family Options Funerals & Cremations, is facing public scrutiny after a family accused its directors of predatory behavior, price gouging, and a lack of compassion during their times of grief. Allegations from Grieving Sisters Two women, Alexis Quirk and Kiki Nicole, recently took to social media and Google reviews to share their troubling experiences with the funeral home. Their accounts describe an ordeal that exacerbated their grief as

Read More »

Vote No On February 18 To Give KUSD $115 Million Dollars: Opinion

Do not miss your chance! You have between now and February 18th to VOTE NO on KUSD’s $115 Million property tax increase. Last week, newly reported national NAEP test scores – also known as the Nation’s Report Card – revealed that 69% of Wisconsin K-12 students cannot READ at grade level. The math scores were nearly just as abysmal. Wisconsin ranks dead last in teaching black students to read, and the opportunity gaps in math are

Read More »

Follow The Money on KUSD Referendum Campaign

Wondering where all of the KUSD referendum propaganda is coming from? Not surprisingly, this aggressive effort to tax you out of your homes is coming from the teachers’ union. People are still struggling to afford gas and groceries, but the teachers’ union believes they deserve more of your hard earned money than you already contribute. It’s in your mailbox, on your social media, and you can’t scroll YouTube without seeing their constant ads. Quite a hefty

Read More »

Florida Man Faces Higher Bail After Missing Court in Serious Child Sexual Assault Case

Kenosha, Wis. – A Florida man accused of repeated sexual assault of a child appeared in a Kenosha County courtroom on Friday after skipping a prior hearing earlier this month. Frank A. Sadewater, 60, of Clearwater, FL, had initially been out on a $15,000 bail, but after failing to appear in court on February 3, Judge Anthony Milisauskas ordered the bail forfeited. In Todays hearing, Kenosha County Circuit Court Commissioner William Michel II set Sadewater’s new

Read More »

Kenosha Man Charged In Attempted Homicide, Drug, and Gun Crimes

Kenosha, Wis. – Irvin R. Torrecilla, 19, of Kenosha, faces multiple charges, including attempted first-degree intentional homicide and first-degree recklessly endangering safety, following a violent December 2024 shooting. Torrecilla was also charged today with a slew of serious offenses, including possession with intent to deliver cocaine, THC, and narcotic drugs, as well as five counts of felon in possession of a firearm. The combined charges carry a potential sentence of over 100 years in prison if

Read More »

Kenosha Homicide Suspect Has Long Criminal History, Lenient Treatment

Kenosha County Eye took a dive into the criminal past of homicide suspect Justin L. Tercek, 41, of Kenosha. Tercek has been charged in the February 3 brutal stabbing of Andrew D. Pfannkuche. This isn’t Tercek’s first run-in with the law. He’s a convicted felon that has had very lenient treatment from past judges and prosecutors. Past Offenses and Legal History Tercek’s legal troubles date back more than a decade. On November 19, 2007, Tercek was

Read More »

Kenosha Police Seek Community’s Help in Unsolved 2024 Homicide

Kenosha, Wis. – The Kenosha Police Department held a press conference today seeking public assistance in solving the June 14, 2024, homicide of Kenneth “Kenny” Davidson. The 32-year-old Kenosha resident was fatally shot in the 4700 block of 36th Avenue at approximately 9:20 p.m. Police officials, joined by members of Davidson’s family, gathered at the Kenosha Police Department to renew their plea for information. Lieutenant Joshua Hecker, the department’s public information officer, addressed the media, emphasizing

Read More »

Milwaukee County Man Sues Wisconsin Attorney General Over Concealed Carry License Denial

Milwaukee County, Wis. – A Milwaukee County resident has filed a lawsuit against Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul, alleging that the Wisconsin Department of Justice (DOJ) unlawfully denied his concealed carry license renewal. The plaintiff, Kenneth Karwacki, contends that Wisconsin’s firearms possession law is unconstitutional as applied to him. Karwacki, represented by attorney William Sulton of Sulton Law, argues that Wisconsin’s statute prohibiting firearm possession for those convicted of a crime elsewhere that would be a

Read More »

AI-Powered Flock Cameras Assist Kenosha Police In Criminal Investigations

Kenosha, Wis. – Kenosha County police agencies have recently implemented a network of advanced surveillance devices known as Flock cameras. These devices, mounted on black poles throughout the county, function as stationary artificial intelligence (AI) “police officers,” monitoring entry and exit points across the city. Currently, about 25 of these cameras are operational within the city limits, costing approximately $3,000 annually per unit to lease. Flock cameras utilize AI to capture and analyze still images of

Read More »
Categories
Archives
Authors

53 Responses

  1. Another deal brokered in a back room of a local tavern along with a coke sniffing party. Twin Lakes; “things like never happen in our town.”

    19
      1. Be more specific if you’re going to toss around accusations about Salem. No specifics = just more bullshit
        from someone scorned in the last admin.

        2
        2
          1. I am certain that it is the same for you. Just let yourself go. Try it. You know you will like it. There are many guys like you who try so hard to hide it. Stop trying to hide it. You will feel so much better once you do.

            1
            1
          2. FINGERS POINT TO “STRAIGHT WHITE MALE”

            what a turd defense mechanism, is PeeWee Herman your role model?

            I know you are but what am I?
            you made fun of me… WAHHHH that means you are a homosexual

            1
            1
  2. Anyone read the drama between sharmain Harris and the moe moe guy? Isn’t sharmain the one with a father being charged for molesting a child?

    1
    1
  3. I hate to see the taxpayers punished like this, but apparently it’s the only way that the taxpayers will learn to vote for someone else, and maybe the taxpayers should look into what legal will recourse they have with people that cost them a fortune. Perhaps a recall is due for people who waste so much money in such a small tax district?

    17
          1. A drink or two will loosen you up, in several ways. Come on man, submit to your fantasy. You know you want to.

            1
            3
    1. No one runs against this guy!! He has had everyone in his pocket for over 20 years! So many back door deals!

      Please Kevin, please dig deeper and don’t let up. What happened with the fire department? We need help here! Everyone that speaks up in this town gets blackballed!

      1. I would be worth investigating all zoning law changes in the village over the last 20 years and see how many are for the specific benefit of an individual with “ties” to the Nascar hat. It wouldn’t be surprising to find out money has exchanged hands under the table for these changes. Someone should dig deeper and uncover all the corruption in the village.

  4. “Skinner is the only Village President known to KCE to wear Nascar hats to Village board meetings.”

    Lol – I love the dig, Kevin.

    10
    1
      1. And while on the news nonetheless regarding Rex!!! Skinner is laughing his azz off thinking he is untouchable!

  5. Guys, who cares? It is just taxpayer money. It is not like it is real money or our money, there is always more.

    8
    2
  6. It’s probably not going to happen but hopefully the tax payers of Twin Lakes show up in droves to the next Town Hall meeting and voice their concerns. If I lived there, I would tell all the hill rods that I’m voting them all out next election cycle.

    1. Yep! Do what Salem did! Vote them out! I wish people in PP would step up and run for office and get these people out! ALL OF THEM!

      12
  7. Karow and FItzgerald are the only two on the board who have a bit of integrity but they have been on the board for so long that the skinner shit may have rubbed off on them.
    The two foot rule that the county put in failed to add a greater distance from the lot line for the runoff to collect before it discharged to the neighbor’s yard. This is not a new instance to the county rule. If you are inside the 1000ft from the water you could get hit with this crap and it is the newcomer who will win. Shame on the county for not making an adjustment in this when it first came up.
    I suggest a lawn decoration on your side of the lot line resembling a cement knee wall to keep the water on the neighborside of the lot line painted with some sort of pretty color on the neighbor side!
    I am glad that I am not the only one who thinks that ‘little boy howie’ is a pr ck.

    10
    1. You are correct in the 2 board members with some integrity. They are the only ones worth keeping!

      No one will run against Skinner, that’s the issue we have here!

  8. This almost sounds like that BS that Bristol has going too!! What’s with these small town good ole boy clubs…… gonna cost $$$$$

  9. I asked skinner to look into the fact that the erosion control fence was installed improperly next to the walking bridge on bayview ave. Nothing was looked into. The channel and the people on the channel do not matter. No fill permits. No erosion control permits. No retaining wall. Let the fill just erode into the channel. Thank you from the 15 home owners and countless kayakers/canoers that happen to enjoy our channel.

    1. Skinner is a corrupt tool. Also he has no class or respect for Twin Lakes. As far as I am concerned it is disrespectful running a meeting in hoodies and NASCAR hats. Be a little professional. The term cronyism used by many in this discussion is putting it mildly.

  10. Twin Lakes did the exact same thing to us as they’re doing to the Neals. Our neighbor, who was buddies with the Nascar hat, planted trees as a spite fence between our yards all the way to the waterfront blocking half of our view of the lake. We filed a complaint with the village as the village code prohibited side fences exceeding 6′ or something like that, and that trees planted as these trees were, constituted a fence. Pretty standard zoning regulations. After our complaint, we discovered the village altered their zoning laws such that the row of trees was no longer in violation of the zoning laws. Cronyism at its best. We also encountered issues when we built, and the village placed these restrictions on our new construction, but when later we asked for a transcript of that meeting that indicated the extent of the restrictions, the village couldn’t produce anything. More hiding the dirt.

  11. Moved out of Twin Lakes a few years ago and refuse to move back. When the K9 issue was at hand everyone claimed they were gonna vote that creep out but yet here he still is. Maybe people will remember now that it is costing them money. Although I’m sure this is not the first time Skinner has cost taxpayers money. I wonder what this guy does when no one is paying attention.

  12. Take a look at the house elevation and code violations on the new construction on 2nd St. Twin Lakes. Building inspector and Town and Country Engineering should be held accountable for their lack of response. Want the Village Engineer , PE, WI. (outsourced service) to review and report.

Add a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Categories
Archives
Authors

Subscribe to updates

Get notified of new articles. We'll never share your email address.