(Denmark, WI) A federal lawsuit has been brought forward by Morrison residents against Town Chairman Todd Christensen, Code Enforcer Mark Roberts, and the Town of Morrison. This follows an over two-year battle by residents to preserve their first amendment freedom of speech rights protected by the Constitution of the United States. Morrison residents seek to display religious and informational wind development signs, but have been fined and repeatedly threatened with additional hefty fines by the Town of Morrison.
74 – The number of Morrison families displaying informational signs in their yards about Invenergy’s Ledge Wind Project when it was cancelled in 2011. This project was to erect one hundred 415 foot tall industrial wind turbines in dangerous proximity to homes, churches, schools, and community resources in southern Brown County.
0 – The number of freedom of speech signs calling attention to irresponsible industrial wind turbine development that are currently being allowed by Morrison Town Chairman Christensen and Code Enforcer Roberts. ‘Forbidden’ signs also include Bible verses and political statements that have nothing to do with wind development.
It appears to be no coincidence that after the long-term gagging of citizens’ ability to publicly voice concerns about irresponsible wind development, that the Town of Morrison is once again facing its own officials negotiating contracts with wind developers while deliberating changes to their wind ordinance. It appears to be no coincidence that contracts have been signed by community landowners looking to profit from turbines at the expense of their neighbor’s health while Morrison residents’ voices have been silenced.
As troubling as the ‘Freedom of Speech’ issues brought forth in the complaint are, equally disturbing are the apparent violations of the Wisconsin ‘Code Of Ethics For Public Officials’ (Subchapter III, Chapter 19, Wisconsin Statutes) found in the complaint’s factual allegations. The complaint not only describes behavior of Town officials that may subject officials to civil damages by suppressing citizens’ freedom of speech, but if the following information in the complaint is found to be true and if Town officials have in the past and continue to regulate to their own benefit, criminal charges of a number of Town officials (not the subject of this particular complaint) may not be far behind:
“Based on publicly available information that Invenergy was required to provide to the PSC, numerous Town officials, including Supervisors Kevin Collins and Ron Lemke, Zoning Administrator Joy Koomen, and Plan Commission members Lisa Collins (wife of Supervisor Kevin Collins), Hollie Eichhorst, Bruce Krahn, and Dan Natzke signed financially lucrative contracts to host wind turbines on their properties. Of the 54 turbines that were planned to be located in Morrison, over half of them were to be located on land owned by Town officials or their close relatives, providing estimated financial benefits to those Town officials totaling several millions of dollars.”
Every effort was made by residents to avoid litigation. The suit alleges Chairman Todd Christensen has repeatedly defended the Constitionally-challenged sign ordinance, has violated the ordinance himself, has ignored numerous legal opinions to allow freedom of speech signs, and has allowed others (including at least one Town official) to violate the sign ordinance. He has repeatedly told the residents that are bringing this action that if they have a problem with the ordinance or its application, to let a court sort it out. Sadly, left with no other option, that is exactly what is about to happen.
Link to WILL release: http://tinyurl.com/WILLRelease
Link to the actual complaint: http://tinyurl.com/WindLawsuit
Link to the signs that Morrison finds so objectionable: http://tinyurl.com/ForbiddenSpeechSigns
