HomeMy WebLinkAboutLetter - 2/23/1998
Law Offices of
YAKES, BAUER, KINDT & PHilLIPS, S.C.
POST OFFICE BOX 1338
OSHKOSH, WISCONSIN 54902-1338
FAX (920) 231-5426
APPlETON-NEENAH (920) 722-5810
OSHKOSH (920) 231-1500
GARY R. YAKES
JOSEPH N. BAUER
CHRISTOPHER R. KINDT
ANDREW J. PHilLIPS
SUZANNE M. BREYER
RECE I VE DMICHAEl D. GOLDEN
February 23, 1998 .
Mr. Allyn Dannhoff
Chief Building Inspector
City of Oshkosh
215 Church Avenue
Oshkosh, WI 54901
FEB 2 ~ 1998
DEPARTMENT OF
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
RE: Repairs and Improvements to the Frontenac and Washington Avenue Properties
owned by Brinkman Associates
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1 want to thank you for your letter of February 13, 1998ancf thislettei:is"ifirep'ly lio 'someot
the issues you raised in that letter. "" ,
As to unit 4 in the W ashington Avenue apartment, all of the work which was requested,
including the windows, has been completed and Mr. Larson will be inspecting the unit this
week. As soon as he is satisfied that the work has been properly performed, you will be
contacted for an inspection date.
As to unit 1 in the W ashington Avenue apartment, the windows in that unit will be addressed
when the other windows in the \Vashington building are handled. In other words, regardless if
the unit will be rented or not, the windows issue will be satisfied along with the other windows
in the building. Sometime in the future our clients will want to rent this unit but until such
time as you are notified, it will remain vacant. As to the sewer gas smell, our clients have had
a licensed plumber inspect the unit and the plumber is satisfied that there is no longer a
problem in this regard. As to the sewer smell problem only, you can inspect this unit at the
time the number 4 unit is inspected as noted above.
In regard to unit 309,D in the Frontenac, it is our understanding that the window units now
meet with your approval in accordance with Mr., Larson's report of February 16, 1998. 'This
unit is no longer being used as a workshop for the window repair (another unit has been
designated) and our clients would like to re-rent this apartment in the near future.
Consequently, we request that your repair order be lifted on this apartment. I would
appreciate confirmation of this report.
141 N. SAWYER STREET
OSHKOSH, WISCONSIN 54901
Mr. Allyn Dannhoff
Page Two
February 23, 1998
In regard to the newspaper issue which I raised in my letter of February 10th, please be
advised that our clients have not made any press release or contact with the media in order to
avoid further inflaming this situation. It is not our intent to conduct our clients' business in
the newspaper and we do not think that it should be the City's policy either. It is obvious that
the newspaper received their information from someone in your department. It is also obvious
that the newspaper reporter or reporters are always conveniently around at the time of
inspection or court appearances. Certainly, all citizens have the right to expect that their
business with a governmental unit is not going to be conducted in a fish bowl. As long as
there are people in government who want to use the media for their own satisfaction, rules
have to be created in order to protect the public as well as to inform the public. Frankly,
Allyn, I have found your housing inspector's comments to be inflammatory, one-sided and in
the case of the history of the Frontenac and the repairs made to it, both misleading and untrue.
I do not think the City should be conducting its business in this way.
The responsibility of a governmental body (and the newspaper for that matter) is to tell the
truth and be even-handed and this has simply not appeared in this case. I constantly have
people contact me who do not know the facts and are shocked at what my clients did not do or
by people who do know the facts and are shocked at what the City has done. I think it is time
that the City addresses this particular problem.
As far as our clients' relationship with you is concerned, it has been constructive and
professional and I want to keep it that way. Consequently, you will not find us going to the
newspaper with our complaints or conducting ourselves in any way but professional and
appropriate. Certainly, if the City Attorney and I and my clients and you can work together
on this problem, it should be able to be addressed without the inflammatory and misleading
comments which have occurred in the past.
GRY/pac
cc: Mr. and Mrs. Thomas J. Brinkman
Mr. James Larson
Mr. Warren Kraft