METRO BRiEFS
by B.C. Kowalski
Riverlife spat
Riverlife phase I contractor warns against proposed phase II developer ahead of decision A designer who worked on the first phase of the Riverlife development is sounding the alarm about the developers now proposing a second phase of the project. Susan Lasecki, principal engineer with Ionic Structures and Design based in Plover, sent a letter to the city’s economic development committee warning that Bob Ohde, the construction company that built the first Riverlife apartments, failed to pay her for her services as well as state fees. The group of Ohde, Mitch Viegut and Fernando Riveron was one of two proposers for the next Riverlife phase, a mix of commercial and residential. The Economic Development Committee ultimately went with T.Wall Enterprises, citing their design as superior. Lasecki’s letter was sent to committee members prior to the meeting but never discussed during that meeting. According to Lasecki’s letter, Ionic was hired to assist local architect firm Mudrovich because of the need for a quick turnaround. Lasecki says Ohde refused to pay design and state review fees, and construction oversight fees. Ultimately, Lasecki says, Mudrovich removed himself as the overseeing design professional, something she’s only seen one other time in 25 years. Responding to questions from City Pages, Lasecki says she didn’t file for a lien because the lien would have been against Mudrovich, who she subcontracted under, and didn’t feel he did anything wrong. She wanted to maintain that relationship, Lasecki told City Pages. Mitch Viegut, in response to City Pages questions about the email, says that Ohde and Co moved on from Mudrovich after they had a difference of opinion over design of the project. Viegut says all bills were paid to both Mudrovich and Ionic as agreed to. No liens were filed on the project, he
says. Viegut says it was too bad Ionic took the termination personally. Economic Development Committee member Tom Kilian was the sole member to vote in favor of the Viegut, Ohde, Riveron proposal. Asked whether the letter influenced him at all, he said no because the claims haven’t been substantiated. Information shared in closed session also influenced his decision, Kilian told City Pages, but he was unable to share any details because of closed session rules. Mudrovich is now the architect working on T.Wall’s proposal.
State investigation reveals identities in homicide, officer-involved shooting
The state Department of Criminal Investigations released the names of those involved in the homicide/officer-involved shooting in Weston. Police say 43-year-old David Morris of Weston stabbed 52-year-old Renee Hindes in her Weston apartment April 23. Police confronted Morris after responding to Hindes’ phone call for help. Police officers fired at Morris, wounding him. Morris was transported to a hospital where he was in critical condition for days. He is now in stable condition, police say. The officers involved are Everest Metro officers Gunnar Schultz, one year with Everest Metro; Tanner Uhlig, three years on the force; and Lucas Wiza, who had been with Everest Metro only seven weeks, according to a DOJ report. Police responded to a call from Hindes at 3:30 am April 23. When police arrived they heard her screaming. When they
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entered they encountered Morris, who they say was armed, and fired. Hindes was dead with what was confirmed by a forensic autopsy as stab wounds. Police did not say where the apartment is that the incident took place. No officers were injured in the incident.
Report: Wolf hunt did more harm than good
The Wisconsin wolf hunt held earlier this year did more harm than good, according to a report released by a conservation group. The report, issued by Greenfire, comprised of a number of former Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources employees, said the wolf hunt harmed a number of wolf packs’ ability to reproduce while doing little to decrease wolf-farmer conflicts. The main issue, according to the report, is that the hunting occurred in wolves’ core habitat on public lands, “where conflicts with pets, livestock or human safety are already rare,” the report says. The hunt did little to curb wolf populations on fringe areas of wolf habitat where those conflicts are much more common. The effect of the hunt, since it was conducted during a time when many wolves were pregnant, is that 60 to 100 of the state’s 245 packs may lose their ability to produce any wolf pups this year. Greenfire in its report argues that what it calls the mishandling of the wolf hunt will strengthen the arguments of those who want to see the wolf relisted on the Federal Endangered Species list.
