Liquor license, Waubeka Mill at issue in Town of Fredonia races

Two veteran officials face off in a race for Fredonia town chairman and four candidates vie for two town supervisor positions in next week’s election.

The candidates on the April 1 ballot — incumbent Lance Leider and challenger Chris Janik in the chairman race and incumbent Matthew Miller and challengers Jenny Strohmeyer, Steven Jentges and Robert Eichner in the supervisor race, had similar views on growth and safety, as well as the potential demolition of the Waubeka Mill, at a forum earlier this month.

The candidates, however, were divided about reissuing a liquor license to Little Kohler Haus owner David Cook.

Last month, Janik, who is currently a town supervisor, voted to restore the license in a motion defeated in part because of a no vote from Leider.

Cook lost his license last year after missing a renewal deadline and has since pleaded guilty in Ozaukee County Circuit Court to a misdemeanor charge of serving  liquor without a license.

Leider has joined other supervisors in arguing that Little Kohler Haus “looks like a mess” and has generated complaints from neighbors about raucous crowds and other safety issues at the bar.

Janik, however, has said he has not received complaints about the bar and said Cook has responded to concerns.

“I am not a regular there so I don’t know how his business is,” Janik said in February. “But I know when there have been issues (from the town’s perspective), Cook has tried to fix them.

“They (other board members) must know of things I don’t.”

At the forum, Leider and Janik were in lockstep on the issue of demolishing the crumbling Waubeka Mill. Both say the mill and neighboring Button Factory owned by Charles Sheridan and his son are past repairing.

Janik said that as chairman he would like to foster a more upfront environment at Town Board meetings. Sometimes board members don’t explain their positions or make only a few comments before voting on issues, he said.

“If you’re against something or for something, there has to be a reason you’re against it or for it. You have to throw everything on the table,” Janik said. “I think there could be work in that direction.”

Leider said that during the six years he has been chairman, board members have reached a consensus on about 80% of the issues yet have felt free to disagree with each other.

Leider and Janik both said they are hesitant to alter the town’s relationship with the volunteer-based Waubeka Fire Department, although they commended the joint ambulance agreement signed last year between the towns and villages of Fredonia and Belgium.

A merger of fire departments isn’t under consideration, but the situation could change, Leider said.

“Changing is mighty expensive,” he said. “Trucks are expensive, but full-time employees are even more expensive. There’s no big rush to jump on the bandwagon and get rid of volunteers, but there is a concern about keeping them in the future.”

Janik agreed, saying, “As long as they are there and have the members, I don’t see anything changing in our relationship. The general feeling is that long-term volunteerism is going to suffer.

“Waubeka is our guys, our team, but we need to look at ways to cooperate with other departments to get costs under control.”

Janik called for more development in the town to counter rising expenses. Leider agreed about the need for growth and advocated for “slow, steady” development.

Leider and Janik each have more than 20 years of experience on the Town Board.

Four running for two Town Board seats

The Town Board candidates also weighed in on Cook’s liquor license.

Miller supported restoring the license, although he said he understands why other board members are against it.

Jentges, who lives near the bar, offered a similarly perspective. He said the crowds at the bar can sometimes get loud and acknowledged previous issues between Cook and the village but said if the bar remains closed, it will likely become just another abandoned building.

“Do I think some of the things that happen there could go differently? Yes,” he said. “But I don’t hate the place. I used to go there all of the time.”

Eicher said he doesn’t know all the facts but would support restoring Cook’s license.

“There was a reason to deny it. There were concerns that needed to be addressed,” he said. “From what I have heard at the meetings I’ve attended, those concerns are addressed or are being addressed.”

Strohmeyer said she believes there are valid concerns about the bar.

The candidates generally agreed the town needs to take action on the demolition of the Waubeka Mill soon.

“We’ve got a road shut down for how many years now,” Jentges said. “Someone has to make a decision and spend the money. Somebody has to get off the pot and do something.”

All the candidates supported measured development, and Eichner called for improved long-term financial planning on the board.