(File Photo by Kevin Mathewson, Kenosha County Eye)
TWIN LAKES, Wis. — A Twin Lakes resident has filed a complaint with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources accusing Village President Howard Skinner of keeping his boat at a Lake Elizabeth property with what the resident says is an illegal number of boat slips.
Bryan Neal, chairman of the Twin Lakes Water Quality, Lake Habitat, Fish & Fishing Committee, is the complainant. Neal said Skinner publicly acknowledged the issue Saturday during a Twin Lakes Protection and Rehabilitation District Steering Council meeting and confirmed that his boat is kept at the property in question.
According to Neal, Skinner then told him that if Neal believed the configuration violated state law, he should file a complaint with the DNR.
Neal agreed.
“President Skinner requested that if I hold an opinion there is an illegal configuration of boats at the property a complaint should be filed with the Wisconsin DNR,” Neal wrote. “I responded I would do as he requested I do.”
(File Photo by Kevin Mathewson, Kenosha County Eye)
Three Boats At Property
Neal’s complaint concerns a residential property on Lake Elizabeth where Skinner keeps his boat.
Neal included a current photograph that he says shows three boats at the property. He also included aerial images showing what he identified as three boats there in June 2026, compared with two boats in May 2021.
(Photo provided by Bryan Neal)
A survey submitted by Neal depicts approximately 60.2 feet of shoreline frontage at the property.
Wisconsin DNR guidance says that for a new pier at a non-commercial property with fewer than three dwelling units, up to two boat slips are allowed for the first 50 feet of shoreline and one additional slip for each additional full 50 feet. Under that formula, approximately 60 feet of shoreline would generally allow two slips.
(Image provided by Bryan Neal)
There is, however, a potential exception. The DNR says existing piers first placed before April 17, 2012 may continue their existing boat-slip usage under the state’s legacy-pier rules. The materials provided by Neal do not establish whether that exception or another DNR authorization applies to the property.
The DNR has not yet issued a determination on Neal’s complaint.
Issue Raised Weeks Ago
Neal had been raising the issue with Skinner and other Village officials for weeks before Saturday’s meeting.
In an Aug. 26 email, Neal said a Lake District resident had complained that an elected official was keeping a boat at a property with three boat slips. Neal later identified that official as Skinner and wrote that the homeowner had confirmed Skinner kept a boat at the property.
Neal also copied Village trustees and the Village administrator on correspondence identifying Skinner as the elected official involved. Neal wrote that officials could review what obligations, if any, they had regarding the allegation, but he expressly stated at the time that he had not made a formal complaint to an entity with oversight authority.
The original allegation came from a Lake District resident who did not want to be publicly identified. Neal ultimately became the complainant after Skinner publicly suggested that he take the matter to the DNR.
Kenosha County Eye reached out to Skinner for comment before publication. He did not respond.
25 Responses
How petty. I’m glad I don’t live there.
Petty, yes, but good to keep elected officials head out of their asses. Remind them they are one of us and need to act like it.
This a waste of time and resources if you look around both lakes and see piers jammed with boats. Twin Lakes is looking more like the Chain of Lakes in Illinois more and more every year. Brian, it’s time to give it a rest and move on to things people in the village really care or are concerned about, not another pissing match with Howard. He doesn’t care about it and neither do we!!
It’s really sad with people like you that just allow like to happen and you should move out of fucking twin Lakes and you’re half of the problem you’re right they don’t care when you stay there and do nothing about it and allowed to happen
This a waste of time and resources if you look around both lakes and see piers jammed with boats. Twin Lakes is looking more like the Chain of Lakes in Illinois more and more every year. Brian, it’s time to give it a rest and move on to things people in the village really care or are concerned about, not another pissing match with Howard. He doesn’t care about it and neither do we!!
So you’re Jack or John?
Skinner is such a fukr
Not a waste of time these fucking people are idiots that run this town. I’ve lived in this town four years. I’m putting a case together for harassment because I got a 42 page of all my neighbors harassing me complain about anything and everything and I have not gotten tickets or citations for any of those things that my neighbors complain about but twin Lakes doesn’t do their job and say that it’s not harassment they just don’t do anything unless people call and complain and complain and complain I’ve drove around this town I can find houses that do worse things than me, but since I’m lazy and don’t wanna do the job in the office, they don’t care unless somebody makes a phone call so poor people get arrested like us so now we’re just putting a case together every time when neighbor makes no complaint we pull the evidence records and we put a case because eventually we’re gonna go after the town of twin Lakes for harassment because everybody in their office sucks even everybody in the police department sucks. Look at the captain. She’s ridiculous. She’s just as worse as they are. this fucking guy says he takes harassment seriously by writing a letter doesn’t even have the balls to call anybody back. To talk about how the neighbors can get away with this because they just don’t care. They need all these buyers or out front and burn at the steak. So yeah, eventually I’m gonna go after then I just gotta put a case together. Unfortunately the town allows your neighbors to run an illegal HOA harassing constantly so it shouldn’t take long. I mean in a year or 42 pages from their hall and complains that they couldn’t do anything about 43 from the twin Lakes police department no ticket citations. We’re all on the right. Tell the cops isn’t this harassment and there so fucking lazy they don’t do the job.
Used to be a good town and said I grew up here. I was 16 when I moved here but now with all these idiots in the office and nobody really cares is cricket cops, and cricket people in the office pretty bad. I said get rid of everybody to start Fresh or let Kenosha county take over. This is ridiculous.
Welcome to the Good Old Boys club. Brian has brought suits against the village before. I actually applaud him for having the balls and to Kevin for reporting on stuff (wish it was more honestly, uncover the coverups).
We are a small town and these officials think they can do whatever they want – and they’re right! No one wants to even run against Skinner! He may as well own the town. He talks down to residents at board meetings. He looks at you like you’re stupid. So people don’t go anymore – it is pointless! Bring up and issue, ask for it to be addressed – crickets.
Can’t be as bad as the goings on in Bristol.
You sure that isn’t John Steinbrink hiding behind a mask in your town?
It’s apparent they can do whatever they want and for whatever reason they want. For friends of Skinner or a trustee, favors abound. Have a zoning law you’re violating removed? No problem, just ask your friendly board member to have it removed. Because that’s what a Good Old Boys club does. They rule for their own interests and not the community’s interest. It’s about time the lawlessness in Twin Lakes be held accountable.
Once we get the local officials to start doing what is right, we all need to work our way up to the state officials in WI! Even if we aren’t “heard” at the local board meeting, go anyway so whatever is said is on record. Of course, unless they remove it, which Ive heard of board members doing, but that’s rare.
Why else would you become an official of a small town unless you had some perks? I don’t think it’s the salary, but what’s right is right. let the DNR make the call if it’s the lake, it’s a DNR issue.
Oh for fuck sakes! The leader of the outlaws ran church out of the bars in that town and Skinner knew it.
He’s a dirty bird!
This is what happens when people get apathetic about filling potholes and plowing roads.
They take no interest in how the basics of government get done. Because it’s expected.
Then the people that do take interest get comfortable in their seats and when nobody is looking they start to take liberties because again, nobody is looking. This can go on for decades !!
Then as the years go by, something that wasn’t a big deal becomes a big deal.
So what’s the solution ?
The solution is that “new” people need to start to run for these thankless jobs in local government and set things straight. But as we’ve seen just a few miles away in Salem, the fixes can take a whole first term of two years to not only uncover but figure out how to undo and correct. Then another term to implement those changes if you can.
Yet even those “new” people can be influenced by a new batch of self interest constituents and the failures and corruption begins anew.
So if you want to “fix” your local government problems then you need to change the leaders at the top. That is as easily done as running a slate of new candidates. In two years election cycle you can change the whole board if you want to.
Local officials get 2 year terms.
But you better want the job because everyone that likes the status quo will come after you both in front of your face and behind your back.
Salem is a perfect example of a new slate of candidates coming in and then losing their way.
These “jobs” are not for the faint of heart. You have to be as gentle as an elderly grandmother and as hard nose as the most unscrupulous business man.
It’s been said that the last person you should pick for leadership is the one that wants it. Because they have an agenda. Good or bad in this case yes you do have to want it but you also have to be able to stand it !
Local government. It’s a dirty thankless job but somebody has to do it.
Is that you ???
The problem is we elect people based on popularity instead of their ability to do the job. IMO Salem has very few that are problem solvers. Salem is a prime example of a board change that has fallen far short. It appears the Village has made attorneys rich and taxpayers broke, thinking lawyers would fix all the so-called problems, but that only left Salem broke. Leadership matters, without it, you’re rudderless and end up hiring outsiders to make the tough decisions this board avoids.
Salem didn’t have money problems until Buccur and Hiller took over.
Diann didn’t want to embrace and do the new extra work that came along with being a Village instead of being a Town.
A lot was the responsibility of the county before but then became the responsibility of the “New Village” after.
Also She and her group had their own problems but most of those weren’t reported on or investigated like every fart is now.
(No disrespect Kevin. Fart just fit there)
Sure money is an issue but since Diann left and Covid came along prices of virtually everything has gone up and up.
Bottom line is transparency, lack of knowledge and backroom deals. All of which this board is having trouble with.
The math says something else, just saying.
He’s Above the Law I guess people defend that is ridiculous. If you don’t like the law change it.
He’s Above the Law I guess people defend that is ridiculous. If you don’t like the law change it.
Both of those lakes suck to boat on. They are too small and have a rocky bottom. My buddy messed up a prop there. It’s too small…….
Skinner very dirty dude. Beware