Quarry opponents meet to develop strategy

By KAREN PARKER | County Line Publisher

Opposition to the proposed Mathy/Milestone Materials quarry in the town of Wilton gained steam Monday evening when about 16 people gathered at Dorset Valley Restaurant to formulate plans to stop the development.

Not everyone in attendance, however, was opposed to the quarry. Phyllis Brandau took exception to accusations that her husband had a conflict of interest. Jan Brandau serves on the Wilton Town Board and voted last month to proceed with considering the Mathy permit application. Brandau has a brother-in-law and two nephews employed by Mathy Construction.

His wife contended that he had sought legal advice on the matter prior to the vote and had been told it wouldn’t be a problem.

Donna Bauernfeind of Wilton pointed out that regardless of how Brandau voted or didn’t vote, the measure still would have passed, as the two other board members, Travis Woods and Jim Bever, voted in favor of the matter.

Pat Conway of Ontario called the meeting. In her written agenda, she urges action steps to stop the quarry, including “letters to the editor holding up corruption of the Town of Wilton Board” and an investigation into “a lawsuit against the town board for misconduct in office.”

Opposition to the quarry appears to rest primarily on two factors: the conflict-of-interest charge and a clause in the nonmetallic-mining ordinance that the town board shall consider permit applications based on a recommendation from the planning commission.

The ordinance was passed a number of years ago, when Rick Erwin was town chair, and there is no evidence that the board at that time appointed a separate plan commission, but instead designated itself to take on the duty.

On a related note, attendees cited a permit that had been issued to Gerke Excavating in 2012 for a quarry, which is in operation on King Road. Conway questioned if that permit also might have been issued illegally.

In addition to the above, reports were given on steps taken to stop the quarry:

• Scott Grenon, owner of Tunnel Trail Campground, said that he was still working with attorney Glenn Stoddard, but no final decision had been made on filing an injunction to stop the project. Grenon also noted that Stoddard was waiting for a number of documents he had requested from town clerk Becky Pitel.

• Larry Woodliff of Kendall reported that he had filed a complaint with the Monroe County District Attorney alleging conflict of interest.

• Conway said she had filed a complaint against the town’s attorney, Rob Mubarak, with the Wisconsin Office of Lawyer Regulation.

Several volunteered to work on petitions and do research on the law. Efforts to recruit candidates to run in the April election were less successful. Only a couple of people at the meeting were town residents and eligible to run. Larry Ross indicated he would be a candidate.

Conway said the group should plan to meet again in a few months. Meanwhile, she added, its activities can be tracked at http://stopthequarry.homestead.com/home.html.

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