Last Tuesday, the Village of Ellsworth’s Community Development Authority Committee met and wasted no time before talking about the creation of their mission statement.

Village Administrator Nicole Stewart informed the Committee that procedurally, they will make a recommendation and the Village Board will accept it at the following meeting.

“So, that’s the urgency here, I would like to make that recommendation at the 9/14 meeting in whatever slot we can fit it in, because we cannot wait until October,” Board member Scott Feuerhelm said. “We are not going to wait until October.”

“You might have to wait a little bit,” Village President Gerald DeWolfe responded. “All of this right here is not budgeted in the current budget.”

“We are not spending any money right now, Jerry,” Feuerhelm replied.

“Every one of you guys are sitting here,” DeWolfe stated.

“So, there’s nothing in the budget to have committee meetings? Then what’s the sense in having committee meetings, Jerry?” Feuerhelm questioned.

“All of the other committees have budgeted items except this one,” DeWolfe informed.

“It is 18 months old,” Feuerhelm said.

“It wasn’t in last year’s budget. Period,” DeWolfe replied.

Feuerhelm asked if it got in the 2020 budget, but it did not.

Board Member Becky Beissel pointed out that it was created in March of 2019.

“But it did not get into the 2020 budget either?” Feuerhelm asked.

“It did not,” DeWolfe replied.

“It was created in March of 2019,” Beissel informed the Committee.

“Yep, but there is nothing in there. That is part of the budget process that we have to go through,” DeWolfe said. “It’s about money.”

“I understand it is more about money than progress, got that,” Feuerhelm responded. “So, in the budgeting process for 2020, are we going to budget dollars for 2021?”

DeWolfe explained that while the Board members will be eventually paid for their time at the meetings, it may not happen until the start of the next calendar year.

The Committee plans to review the mission statements they have compiled on Tuesday, September 8th, to decide which statement best represents their mission.

The next item on the agenda were blighted properties and funding options as they try to make the community look better and more marketable.

One potential blighted project appeared in the form of a concerned member of the public.

“I would like to recommend a blighted project,” a member of the audience stated before stepping forward with some reading material for the Committee. “My name is Chris Whelan. I own 243 Broadway St. and I am co-owner of YB Urban?, and we have issue with the property next door, 245 Broadway St. It is an ongoing issue since 2016.”

Whelan gave committee members information he’s compiled over the years on the property.

“What I have given you is about 20 pages of the hundreds of pages I have already received. I’m going to be receiving more. It has been an issue, even the Village Attorney recognizes it as an issue. In February of 2016, and that’s on the second page, it basically lays out the blighted and dilapidated building, and the cost of abatement. His only issue in 2016 was unless it is completely obvious, they didn’t think the Village should conduct an inspection. Well, if you look at the police report, just a couple pages in, it looks pretty blatantly obvious that it is a blighted property. Inside it is molded, the roof is caving in, they have had several attempts to get in there and take a look at it, but the owner of the property is not answering any phone calls, any emails, any letters,” said Whelan.

“What’s going on is the roof is so collapsed in, it is getting between the buildings and now it is damaging my building. In the letter from May of 2017, from Loberg Law Offices, he states that the Board would have to from a Redevelopment Committee, an independent body. Hello…” Whelan finished the sentence looking at the room around him.

“That’s what this is,” one board member stated.

“I am not going to read all of this to you because I would like you to all take a look at it, for you to read it, straight from Loberg, says that we can do this with the redevelopment authority. I am asking you to partner with me. I would really love to stay on Broadway. We recently hired two people. We have a full-time employee, we have a part-time employee, so it’s not just my wife and I anymore. I have asked certain individuals on the Board for assistance, and I seem to be getting blocked everywhere I go,” Whelan stated.

“I would like a little bit of help. I do not want to go to court. I do not want to pay my attorney, but I am. I do not want the Village to have to pay their attorney when they don’t need to be. I just want acknowledgement that it may be a problem,” Whelan said. “Maybe we can push the ball, get the ball rolling a little bit. I don’t expect this to be a thing that’s figured out right away. I love this town and I want to stay here.”

“The worst part is, when I bring this to the Police Department, I get blown off and told the Village is taking care of it. But then, when I put in a FOIA (Freedom of Information Act) Request for all of the information, he quickly makes a report for me. Six or seven months later. Where was my report in February when I put in my official complaint?” Whelan questioned.

“So, what we are talking about is properties next door that are a thriving business in our community being plagued by an empty building that is owned by Greg Amann, and it has been empty for many years,” Committee Member Roxie Birkel said.

“One thing I know is I talked to the Fire Inspector and he has tried to turn the knob and go in for 19 years to inspect that place and he has been turned down 19 years in a row,” DeWolfe stated.

“In this, Loberg clearly states that you all can actually start fining him every day,” Whelan informed the Committee. “It’s in here.”

“When you say you all, do you mean us or the Village of Ellsworth?” Birkel questioned.

“The Authority, the new group. It clearly states it, I read it, and I left it for you to read. I don’t want to salt and pepper this and tell you what’s in here. I would like you all to sit down and read this,” Whelan implored. “Every bit of information here on how to do it, but it’s not done. And I had to fight tooth and nail to get this.”

Feuerhelm promised Whelan that he will take charge in making sure the Village starts to help him solve the problem.