(Photos by Wizard Media)
KENOSHA, Wis. – After four months of health hazards, foul smells, and neighborhood frustration, the burned-out property in the 9400 block of 69th Street is finally being cleaned up. But let’s not pretend this resolution came from a sudden sense of responsibility or civic urgency.
This cleanup began only after Kenosha County Eye exposed the City’s failure in a May 7 article that detailed the dangerous and unsanitary conditions left behind after a house fire in January. The piece included testimony from residents who had repeatedly contacted city officials, only to be met with silence and inaction.
A day after our story was published, Mayor David Bogdala and other city staff were seen at the site. Five days later, crews arrived and began clearing away debris. Today, the work appears to be nearing completion.
To chalk this up to coincidence is to ignore the obvious. After months of delay and neglect, the timing of this sudden activity tells the real story: someone in power was embarrassed into doing something.
This isn’t how government is supposed to work.
For weeks—months—residents had been pleading for help. They contacted inspectors, filed complaints, and tried to get answers from Alderman Art DeBaere and Mayor Bogdala. A citation was issued back in March ordering the property owner to clean up the debris within 30 days. That deadline came and went with no enforcement, no follow-up, and no answers.
Meanwhile, neighbors were forced to live next to a toxic, hazardous pile of rubble—reporting raw sewage, mold, and dangerous debris. The smell, according to multiple residents, was unbearable. Property values were impacted. So was their quality of life.
Then KCE reported on it.
Suddenly, the mayor showed up. Suddenly, things started happening. Suddenly, cleanup began.
Whether it was the property owner, an outside contractor, or the city itself that finally carried out the work remains unclear. What is clear is that it took public shaming to trigger a response—something neighborhood complaints alone couldn’t do.
Neither Mayor Bogdala nor Alderman DeBaere responded to KCE’s most recent requests for comment. Their silence now mirrors the silence that greeted their constituents for months.
And that’s the most frustrating part. The residents of Whitecaps didn’t ask for special treatment. They asked for basic accountability. They asked for leadership. What they got instead was four months of neglect followed by five days of face-saving cleanup.
This is a victory for the neighborhood, but it’s also a stark reminder of how reactive and unresponsive our local government can be. Residents shouldn’t have to go to the press to get their alderman’s attention. They shouldn’t have to rely on public embarrassment to get their mayor to show up.
We thank the residents who spoke out, those who pressed for answers, and whoever ultimately did the work to restore this property. But the truth remains: the job only got done after the city was forced to face the public spotlight.
Kenosha deserves leadership that responds to its citizens—not just to headlines.
(Photos by Wizard Media)
(Photos by Wizard Media)
27 Responses
The government is here to help
Only when it’s to benefit themselves!!
Where does the homeowners responsibility come into factor? You can’t just walk away and not do anything about that mess. That homeowner should have to pay for that clean up. If they didn’t have homeowners insurance, it’s all on him/her. The homeowner is truly the one that should be shamed in this article.
OP – I hope your home never burns down and you ever have to deal with something like this. Shame on you.
I would never want to deal with something like this but the homeowner had no right to just walk away and leave that rubbish for the neighbors to deal with. My home is my responsibility. If my home burns, I call my homeowners to take care of things.
The city will probably bill the homeowner, just like they do when they go and mow yards that are unkept for months.
Remember this next election by voting them out, Mayor Bogdala and Alderman DeBaere
Bogdala is only a media mayor. The only time you see him is during publicized events. And is always puffing his chest about all the advancements he is making in kenosha. Vote him out and vote for someone who will actually take a hardline stance on common growth for kenosha as a whole, not just for his friends to get a kickback.
….. any time anyone, constituent or press ask for answers.
Silence on his part means one of two things.
He either has no clue as to what’s going on or he knows what’s going on and he doesn’t want to admit that he dropped the ball.
Either is wrong and sad.
When you seek elected office, remember, nobody forced you to run, you have obligations to respond when called. It’s part of the job description. If any elected official doesn’t understand that then they don’t deserve you next vote
When you think about it it’s no worse than vehicles with no mufflers that make your ears hurt.
Everything from motorcycles to dump trucks to semi trucks.
HOW do they get away with THAT ?????
The law has always been that you need a muffler of some kind.
lol semis have mufflers, nice try.
Most of them do, yes, but you really need to learn about a subject before you post.
WHO is the homeowner given the leeway to ignore such a disaster? A friend of the Kenosha political class or perhaps a politician themselves? It’s public record so let’s see who own s it!
Look it up if you need to know.You would be wrong twice.Just a family dealing with disaster.
Bogdala first It was the backed up basements that he did nothing about.
If it wasn’t for Kenosha county eye. Nothing would be done. All of the next day there’s all kinds of city people over there. Bogdala like to see himself on Facebook.
I understand he hired a social media guy in his office that is a former Kenosha news reporter for $75,000 a year plus benefits. So he can follow him around. WOW 😮
Can the Mayor actually do that ?
Take tax dollars and spend them like that ?
Government officials at all levels are basically bums. Lazy ass bums .
Not all as there are some good ones, but the majority are all crooks!!
Sunlight is the best disinfectant
Great job, Kevin!
I am so glad Kevin titles his articles with opinions, but I love that he sole handily made the city clean this up
Kevin stirs post + add in folks who are too quiet to say something till Kevin does = someone reacts. Kevin’s a hero! So funny to me!
But keep it up! Keep Changing the city one hand a time! Maybe next make an article about people dumping trash behind other peoples houses, now I’m responsible for that. Can I cry to you enough it gets removed?!
But people in neighborhoods do what they have to do. Call City Hall. Call the Newspapers. Call the TV stations. Call their State Representatives.
And on down the line. And now we can add KCE to that list.
The facts are that Kenosha County Eye is currently the most read and responsive media out there in our area.
He gets a story. Some are tips and leads sent to him. Some he finds on his own.
In this case someone contacted him. Asked him to report on and seek answers. He did then reported on the lack of progress and then the final results. Regardless of what exactly was or wasn’t happening, something needed to be pushed along.
If you want to seek out exactly who did what and why, go ahead. Then tell Kevin. Until then Kevin has every right to take credit.
Keep up the excellent work KCE ! The city will only improve by your reporting. Too many know the City, it’s officials, KUSD and The PD do not care about its citizens or city. I know personally all they care about is padding their wallets
Bogdala lives about 1 mile from the landfill.
People keep voting these butt-holes into office and they continue to destroy the city. Nothing will change until people get sick of watching everything decay.