From: "Pope, Karen O." <POPEKJ@uwec.edu> Date: Mon, 8 Jun 2009 08:55:59 -0500 Subject: FW: Monday June 8-- Jail Expansion in EC Message-ID: <4F19260FE7477F4DA03B00B62E7F639076C7F8E7A6@CHERRYPEPSI.uwec.edu>
Forwarding FYI
Karen
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Neighbors & Friends I would like to ask for your help & support regarding t
he Downtown Jail Project. If you are opposed to the construction of the Do
wntown Riverfront Jail and would like to help us stop it again - we need yo
u to attend our Press Release Rally at 1st Congregational Church at 6PM on
Monday. This is 1 hour out of your busy schedule > but a very important ho
ur to the fiscal strength & future of our community and your own. We will w
in this again and you can help.
CAJE has once again forced sanity to come to the front regarding the County
’s downtown jail proposal. Now we need your help and the help of your fri
ends and supporters.. THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT!!! CAJE is holding a press co
nference at 1stCongregational Church on Broad way at 6PM on Monday - to ann
ounce the successful filing of a Protest Petition. This Protest Petition w
ill require that the city Council have Super Majority to pass the County’
s re-zoning request. We need to convince at least 3 members of the city co
uncil to vote against this request….. We believe we have more than that a
lready on our side. If you attend the rally and call a council member >>> w
e may have this beaten AGAIN. The odds are very good, if you will help. W
e have worked at stopping this folly for over 2 years… and this is our se
cond successful petition. We are getting near the win line and need your he
lp now to push it over.
Please call your friends and others who oppose this Jail project downtown o
n the river and join us on Monday Evening at 6PM at 1st Congregational Chur
ch for our Press Release Rally. It is short notice so please call your fri
ends to date. A copy of the Press Release is below. Hope to see you and a
friend on Monday for a very short rally - to make your voice heard.
Thank you Ken Fulgione 330 Lincoln Ave Eau Claire, WI 54701 County Board
Supervisor District 22 Ken@Fulgione.net <mailto:ailto:ken@fulgione.net>
715-577-4197
Don't let fiscal mistakes made in your name become a burden for your gran
dchildren. Get Involved!
June 5, 2009 - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - Contact: Ryan Wells - -- 714-604
-7407
Jail Project Facing Second Protest Petition
for City Re-Zoning/Conditional Use Approval
Property Owners File Legal Petition Requiring Super Majority Vote of City C
ouncil
Eau Claire County’s desire to build a new jail on Eau Claire’s downtown
riverfront faces its Second Protest Petition in one year.
Property owners surrounding the proposed jail have filed another landowner
petition that raises the threshold for approval of the controversial projec
t by the Eau Claire city council. The petition will likely mean that a sup
er majority vote, or 75 percent, of the city council will be needed to appr
ove the zoning and conditional use changes required for construction of the
jail project.
“This means that if only three of the council’s eleven members vote aga
inst changing zoning for the jail project, it cannot proceed,” said Ryan
Wells. Wells is a member of the local group Citizens for Accountable Jail
Expansion (CAJE) that helped coordinate the gathering of signatures of the
landowner petition.
Property owners living near any proposed zoning change are given certain ri
ghts, under state laws, which are designed to protect their property rights
and value. One of these rights allows landowners the legal ability to dir
ectly oppose zoning changes by filing a notarized petition objecting to the
reclassification. At least 20% of the land adjacent to the area designate
d for a zoning change must be included in the property owners’ petition f
or it to be legally valid.
Dennis Begalke owns two properties on 1st Avenue. Begalke fought eminent do
main property acquisition during last year’s application process. This ye
ar Begalke was able to sign the protest petition. “Just days before my fa
ther died I remember him telling me to fight like hell if the county tried
to take these properties and I’m doing just that.”
Charles Ivey, owner of a historic home recognized by the Eau Claire Landmar
ks Commission that is located on 2nd Avenue, also signed the landowners pet
ition. Said Ivey: "It is horrifying that government has reached such a sta
te of depravity that it can wantonly seize private property in a manner tha
t implies the cause is righteous and defensible. Every day I go outside an
d see my entire neighborhood destroyed. Neither a bomb, a fire nor a natur
al disaster will be as thorough, calculated, insensitive, destructive and w
asteful as the proposed jail project.” The county has gutted or bulldoze
d numerous homes and businesses for the new jail. Ivey has lived in his ho
me for more than 40 years.
The Eau Claire Plan commission is scheduled to hold a public hearing on the
jail proposal on Monday, June 15th and then vote on the project. The Eau C
laire City Council will hold a public hearing on June 22nd and then vote on
the project on the 23rd.
CAJE will host a press conference at 6:00p.m.
First Congregational Church, corner of Broadway and 3rd in Ingram Hall.
Property owners will be available during this time for comment.
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