Friday, April 25, 2025
spot_imgspot_img
Friday, April 25, 2025

Milwaukee Press Club 'Excellence in Wisconsin Journalism' 2020 & 2021 Award Winners

Franklin Mayor Wants to Reopen Rock’s Development Agreement, ‘Can’t Recall’ Insults at Meeting

spot_img

Franklin Mayor John Nelson said he wants the development agreement between the embattled Rock complex and the City of Franklin to be reopened and pledged an “aggressive” timeline to solve neighbors’ sound concerns in a fiery interview in which he said he could not recall, and then denied, that neighbors and county supervisors were insulted at an emergency meeting he convened.

Wisconsin Right Now has confirmed through multiple sources that neighbors and Milwaukee County supervisors were bashed repeatedly at the meeting, with insults flying around like “idiots,” “f*ckers,” “crazy” and “terrorists.”

“I will get this done,” Nelson pledged of the neighbors’ noise concerns. He believes if the Rock turns its speakers in and angles them down, it will “Quell 90 percent of what’s going on.” Nelson said he wants to “open” the development agreement between the city and Rock and “make adjustments.”

“The paradigm has shifted,” Nelson said to WRN. “I will come up with an aggressive timeline. I want to get this whole sound monitor stuff done right away.” He’s referring to a County sound study’s revelation that some of the Rock’s sound monitors don’t work. Nelson wants the city to take over running them and to put the data online.

“It is too loud,” he acknowledged of the noise emanating from the sports and entertainment complex into nearby residential neighborhoods. “We don’t like it from the city’s standpoint.”

During the first portion of the Monday interview, an angry Nelson interrogated the Wisconsin Right Now reporter, attempting to learn WRN’s sources and repeatedly demanding to know whether the meeting was recorded or “bugged.”

WRN does not reveal its sources one way or the other. We had reported that the five-person emergency meeting Nelson convened last week about the Rock ended up in a bash fest against neighbors and county supervisors who have said noise concerns are so persistent they are wrecking their lives.

Asked whether he condemns Milwaukee County Supervisor Steve Taylor calling county supervisors “terrorists” and neighbors “idiots” at the meeting, Nelson stated, “I don’t recall him saying anything like that number one.” Nelson also insisted at one point, “Nobody attacked anybody in this meeting.” He noted, “I don’t recall anyone calling Patti Logsdon any names.”

However, that is flatly not true. During the meeting, Taylor called supervisors “terrorists” and neighbors “idiots,” and he also referred to neighbors as “f*ckers.” Developer Mike Zimmerman called Milwaukee County Supervisor Patti Logsdon “crazy.” A Franklin critic was labeled a “grinch” and “super creep,” and Logsdon was called a “desperate woman.”

Nelson then stated, “I can’t speak to what Steve Taylor did or didn’t say.” At another point, though, Nelson disputed that Taylor or anyone was “saying the F-bomb on these people. I don’t believe it was said.” However, WRN has confirmed that Taylor did in fact call the neighbors “f*ckers” during the meeting.

We also wrote Taylor and asked him whether he regretted making the remarks and whether he planned to apologize, but he did not respond.

We asked Nelson about comments HE made at the meeting, referring to a female neighbor as emotional and commenting on her eyes and hair, and he admitted making those comments. He said those comments were a reference to when he went to the neighborhood near the Rock while the recent Taco and Tequila event was going on at the establishment, and the neighbor “had an angry, fiery look in her eyes. She always has.” He stated that she is “very, very emotional about the sound, and that’s it.”

According to Nelson, “We’re having that meeting to come up with solutions with an aggressive timeline” to get the neighbors’ and city’s concerns addressed. “We all agreed to come to the table with short and long-term goals.”

We asked why Milwaukee County Supervisor Steve Taylor was included in the meeting but Logsdon, who represents the area, was not. Taylor now works for the Rock’s foundation, and he spoke on behalf of the Rock at the five-person meeting. In addition to Nelson and Taylor, the other invitees were developer Mike Zimmerman, Franklin Alderman Jason Craig, and Franklin Administrator Kelly Hersh. The neighbors and other county supervisors were not included.

Nelson acknowledged that his campaign was supported by Zimmerman. He said he received the maximum donation, which is $735 a person. He claimed others from the Rock development supported his opponent. He also said he held a campaign event at the Rock’s golf facility. He said concerns about those things are unfair.

Nelson said that Logsdon “was not invited because she already has been leading the charge to sue The Rock. She already has her mind made up.”

Asked how that differed from Taylor and Zimmerman, who are fervently pro-Rock, and who were at the emergency meeting, he stated,  “This is the first meeting of many.” He said that Logsdon would be involved in future meetings. Logsdon is one of at least three supervisors who have raised the possibility of taking legal action against The Rock or trying to reopen its development agreement; the others are Kathleen Vincent and Deanna Alexander.

Asked for his reaction to Logsdon being called “crazy” at the meeting, Nelson said, “not by me,” adding that he was “not going into others.”

WRN asked why he didn’t defend the neighbors and supervisors or push back when they were insulted by others at the meeting. He stressed that he has “defended the neighbors many times” and has “gone there numerous times when citizens have called.”

Nelson claimed The Rock is operating under the 79-decibel level set in the city development agreement and thus doesn’t ever hit the violation level. The neighbors dispute this contention, which we will be exploring in depth in an upcoming article.

He said the Rock should turn the speakers in and the music down. He acknowledged there have been “issues with the sound monitors.”

According to Nelson, the issues have stemmed from what he sees as a flawed development agreement between the city and The Rock’s developers. “We’ve been beat up on it for many years,” he said. “We’ve gotten Mr. Zimmerman and The Rock group to come with solutions. It’s to that point.”

He stressed that at the first meeting, they all agreed to “bring a wish list of all we want to do.”

At one point, Nelson said of the WRN reporter, “See how much crap you can stir.”

However, he also said that, generally, he condemns any negative comments made by anyone towards the neighbors.

At another point, he said that Logsdon was not included because she “is suing The Rock,” although Logsdon has said she wants to explore whether to bring a resolution to have the county take legal action against The Rock.

“If she wants to be part of the solution, I welcome her to the table,” he said.

According to Nelson, possible solutions include “soundboards.” He also wants to see the Rock’s sound meters “taken over by the City of Franklin and put on the website.”

He said the city continues to only count a violation if one exists for 30 minutes straight, without an interruption, and admitted that would make it almost impossible for The Rock to get a violation.

He described the Taco and Tequila event as “extremely heavily attended” with no arrests and no citations. He admitted some problems with the event but said, “They want more concerts.”

Nelson recalled when the site of The Rock was a “dark black hill” where he would sled as a child. He said no one thought the area would be what it is today and noted it is good for Franklin’s economic base.

He acknowledged the “announcer’s voice is very loud” at Milkmen games. He said The Rock could be a “concert venue” at some point.

According to Nelson, The Rock has “done things as well that have addressed some of these issues, but is it enough?”

He said the development agreement trumps city ordinances.

Nelson wants to make the monitors operable and bring in a neighborhood representative. “There is no one in cahoots here,” said Nelson.

“What we’re doing is trying to stop the contentious relationship,” and “heal” and “move forward,” said Nelson.

Asked how the name-calling at the emergency meeting helped with that quest, as well as some of the comments on social media over the years by Taylor and Zimmerman, Nelson said, “I condemn anyone being disrespectful to our residents and neighborhoods.”

“They were there first,” he said of the neighbors.

He disputed that their property values are down.

Asked about Hersh’s comments at the meeting that she wanted to get data to support people calling the neighbors “Karens,” which is a derogatory term, Nelson said, “I am not sure what that is and what that would mean. Any data discussion would be trying to prove the decibel amount. We are trying to define a baseline for these decibels.”

Hersh did not return a request for comment.

He said he would like to see different decibel levels, perhaps in the 50s or 60s for a ball game, and maybe in the low 70s for a concert night three or four times a year. He also wants the events to end at certain times. He wants a designated sound system for the Umbrella Bar.

Nelson claimed the “former mayor had a terrible relationship with The Rock,” adding that the “city is heavily invested in this project.”

“It’s taking longer than we thought,” said Nelson, referring to resolution to noise concerns. He said part of the delay was because “Rock management and ownership were waiting” for the county’s $200,000 sound study to come out.

He did not specify the exact timeline but noted that the Milkmen games are done for the year.

He did say he liked Greendale’s sound ordinance which breaks down different decibel levels by sound type, time, and zoning.

Nelson said he stood by his own comments at the meeting and would “not comment on anything they may or may not have said,” referring to Zimmerman and Taylor.

Asked why he and others at the meeting were trying to designate a neighborhood leader and why he did not want the neighbor he called “too emotional” to lead the neighbors, he said, “The concern with Dana is she would go back with boxes of data and go back into the past.” He said he wants to move forward to the future.

“I want people to know this is going to be a very transparent and inclusive way of coming to solutions,” Nelson insisted. “We are going to move forward with a very direct timeline. It’s going to have accountability.”

hannah dugan

Eduardo Flores Ruiz: Charges Against Illegal Immigrant Before Judge Hannah Dugan

Eduardo Flores Ruiz was identified by FBI Director Kash Patel as the illegal immigrant who authorities say Milwaukee County Judge Hannah Dugan helped evade...
hannah dugan

Judge Hannah Dugan Arrested in Milwaukee by FBI on Obstruction Charge

Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Hannah Dugan was arrested this morning by the FBI on an obstruction charge, according to FBI Director Kash Patel. We started...
cavalier johnson

Mayor Cavalier Johnson Calls Froedtert’s Treatment of Milwaukee Cop ‘Very Clearly Inappropriate’

Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson is calling Froedtert Hospital's treatment of Milwaukee police officers "very clearly inappropriate." We reached out last Friday to Johnson through his...
hannah dugan

Milwaukee Judge Hannah Dugan Accused of Helping Illegal Immigrant ‘Evade ICE’: Report

Milwaukee County Judge Hannah Dugan was arrested on an obstruction charge on April 25, and the FBI director is accusing her of helping an...
tony evers

The Wisconsin Supreme Court Just Allowed Tony Evers to Raise Taxes for 400 years

In case you missed it, the liberal justices on the Wisconsin Supreme Court just allowed Tony Evers to raise taxes for the next 400...
mpd

Milwaukee Police Association Calls for Obstruction Charges Against Hospital Staff

The Milwaukee Police Association is calling for "obstruction charges for hospital staff" who demand that officers disarm and/or interfere with police investigations. "Recent news stories...
mpd

Sick Milwaukee Police Officer Was Turned Away by TWO Froedtert Clinics

A sick Milwaukee police officer was turned away by TWO Froedtert "FastCare" clinics because he had a department-issued firearm while in uniform, the memo...

Froedtert Hospital Apologizes For Denying Treatment to Milwaukee Police Officer

The president of Froedtert Hospital’s south region apologized Wednesday to a Milwaukee police officer and the law enforcement community, admitting that the officer was...

Froedtert Denied Sick Milwaukee Cop Treatment Because He Had a Gun: MPD

"I'm appalled" - Milwaukee Police Association President Alex Ayala. A Milwaukee hospital's clinic denied a sick on-duty police officer medical treatment because the officer had...

My Visit to Hillsdale College

I had a unique opportunity to visit Hillsdale College in lower central nowhere, ah hum, Michigan, a week ago.  They held a conference on...
Trump Expects Indictment White House Cocaine president trump covid-19

Trump Expands Gulf of America Oil & Natural Gas Production

Reversing Biden administration policies that halted offshore leasing, prompting lawsuits and restricting oil and natural gas development, the Trump administration is expanding offshore capabilities.

Interior Secretary Doug Burgum directed the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management to hold the administration’s first offshore lease sales in the Gulf of America, with the first proposed notice of sale slated for June.

“By continuing to expand offshore capabilities, the United States ensures affordable energy for consumers, strengthens domestic industry and reinforces its role as an energy superpower,” the Interior Department says. “Opening the Outer Continental Shelf is central to this strategy as it unleashes domestic energy potential that had been blocked under the previous administration,” and is expected to generate tens of thousands of high-paying jobs throughout the industry.

The BOEM also released a new analysis stating that a significant increase of estimated oil and natural gas reserves exists in the Gulf of America Outer Continental Shelf. BOEM’s updated assessment evaluated more than 140 oil and natural gas fields, identifying 18 new discoveries, and analyzed more than 37,000 reservoirs across 1,336 fields in the Gulf.

It says there’s an “additional 1.3 billion barrels of oil equivalent since 2021, bringing the total reserve estimate to 7.04 billion barrels of oil equivalent. This includes 5.77 billion barrels of oil and 7.15 trillion cubic feet of natural gas – a 22.6% increase in remaining recoverable reserves.”

“This new data confirms what we’ve known all along – America is sitting on a treasure trove of energy, and under President Trump’s leadership, we’re unlocking it,” Burgum said. “The Gulf of America is a powerhouse, and by streamlining permitting and expanding access, we’re not just powering our economy – we’re strengthening our national security and putting thousands of Americans back to work.”

The comprehensive review added 4.39 billion barrels of oil equivalent in original reserves, BOEM found. “After subtracting production of 3.09 billion barrels of oil equivalent since 2020–2021, the net increase reflects continued opportunity and momentum in offshore development,” it says.

“The Gulf of America is delivering 14% of the nation’s oil,” BOEM Gulf of America Regional Director Dr. James Kendall said. “These updated estimates reaffirm the Gulf’s vital role in ensuring a reliable, affordable domestic energy supply.”

The BOEM oversees nearly 3.2 billion acres of the Outer Continental Shelf, with roughly 160 million acres located in the Gulf.

“Energy dominance is a pillar of U.S. economic strength and global leadership,” the Interior Department argues. “By expanding offshore capabilities, the United States ensures affordable energy for consumers, creates high-paying jobs, and reduces dependence on foreign adversaries. … Expanded leasing is projected to create tens of thousands of jobs across exploration, production, logistics and supply chains — revitalizing coastal economies and fueling American innovation.”

Shell Offshore Inc., a subsidiary of Shell plc, also announced it is beginning production at Dover, a second subsea tieback connecting new wells to existing infrastructure of its Appomattox production hub in the Gulf of America. Dover’s estimated peak production is 20,000 barrels of oil equivalent a day, it says.

Shell is the leading deep-water operator in the Gulf of America; Dover was discovered under the first Trump administration in 2018.

It’s located in Mississippi Canyon, roughly 170 miles offshore southeast of New Orleans.

Shell estimates that Dover will “contain 44.5 million barrels of oil equivalent recoverable resources, adding stable, secure energy resources.”

Outer Continental Shelf oil and gas activities have generated billions of dollars in revenue from lease sales, rental fees and royalties to the federal government and states, helping to fund infrastructure, education and public services and wildlife conservation. They also help strengthen U.S. energy independence, national security and global stability, by reducing reliance on foreign producers, the Trump administration argues.

Offshore production in the Gulf of America accounts for the third greatest volume in the country, of nearly 1.8 million barrels of oil per day, according to Energy Information Agency data from January. The greatest volume is produced in the Permian Basin in west Texas, which leads the U.S. in oil and natural gas production, The Center Square reported.

josh kaul

Wisconsin Judge Slams Josh Kaul, Says He ‘Abused’ Justice System & Made ‘False Representations’

A Wisconsin judge slammed Attorney General Josh Kaul in a blistering order on Friday, accusing Kaul of abusing Wisconsin's justice system and of making...

Why Brad Schimel Lost the Wisconsin Supreme Court Race

There's one big reason that Brad Schimel lost on Tuesday. The blame game will erupt in earnest today, but the Supreme Court election was probably...
uw-eau claire

UW-Eau Claire College Republicans Say Professor Flipped Their Table With Brad Schimel Lit

"I was very scared to continue tabling. I knew we had to because backing down would be worse" - UW-Eau Claire College Republicans Chair...
bridget schoenborn

Evers’ Appointees Bridget Schoenborn, Fred Strampe on Waukesha Ballot Today

Two appointees of Democratic Gov. Tony Evers are on the ballot today (April 1, 2025) seeking Waukesha County judgeships. They are Bridget Schoenborn and...
susan crawford

Wisconsin Judge Susan Crawford Was Doyle’s Top Lawyer When He Implemented Mass Early Release of Criminals

Liberal Judge Susan Crawford was Democrat Gov. Jim Doyle's top lawyer when Doyle implemented the mass release of criminals from state prisons. In response to...
elon musk

Elon Musk in Green Bay: Wisconsin Supreme Court Race Could Determine Control of U.S. House

Tesla CEO Elon Musk took a stage in Green Bay, Wisconsin, Sunday, and warned Wisconsin voters that he believes the control of the U.S....

WATCH: Elon Musk Town Hall Rally in Green Bay [FULL Video]

Tesla CEO and free speech advocate Elon Musk is appearing at a Town Hall in Green Bay, Wisconsin tonight, with the state Supreme Court...
elon musk

Elon Musk Accuses Wisconsin AG Josh Kaul of Trying to Restrain His Free Speech

A lawyer for Tesla CEO and free speech advocate Elon Musk is accusing Wisconsin's partisan liberal Attorney General Josh Kaul of trying to curtail...
Brad Schimel

Retired Waukesha Cop Tells Moving Story About Brad Schimel

By: Paul Paikowski, retired Waukesha Police detective Editor's note: We first saw this post that Paikowski made on Facebook, and we decided to bring it...