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A ‘thank you’ and a warning to the residents of Caledonia
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To the Editor:
I am writing to both thank and alert the people of Caledonia regarding a trip we took this past winter to your area.
Our group of five snowmobilers from central Wisconsin decided to tour south central Minnesota this year for our annual ride because you had good snow and we wanted to keep our tour as local as possible.
We start in one place (Caledonia this year), and make a large circle tour on our snowmobiles returning to our starting destination about a week later. We have done this for many years, touring many Canadian provinces and U.S. states and always make reservations ahead of time to be certain we have a place to stay.
The several businesses we visited in Caledonia were very friendly and were glad to see snowmobilers from out of the area patronizing their establishments.
About half way through our trip one of our riders’ sleds had engine problems on the trail and we had to change our plans for the rest of the trip returning a little earlier than expected. We had planned to stay at the AmericInn Motel in Caledonia for the last night as we had on the first night but now because of returning early would not be necessary.
I called to cancel our reservation on Wednesday 2-10-10 at 7:29 p.m., as my cell phone record proves for the night of 2-13-10, well ahead of the motels required minimum time requirement. Also the remaining four of us were together eating pizza at the time.
A month after our returning home from this trip, a charge showed up on my credit card for $98.83 for one of the rooms I had called and cancelled for the night of 2-13-10. I called the owner of the AmericInn Motel there in Caledonia to tell him of the charge and he said if I didn’t have the cancellation authorization numbers that the charges would stand. I advised him I was never given any numbers by the woman I had talked to on the phone but he said it did not matter and hung up on me when I told him I would call the corporate office.
I have contacted their corporate customer service office several times and they say they have forwarded my complaint on to him but he will not respond back. I am filing a complaint with my credit card company as well as the Minnesota Better Business Bureau but I wanted to also alert the residents of Caledonia as to the unscrupulous business practices of this AmericInn Motel in Caledonia.
Obviously if I had never called, this manager would have billed me for both of the rooms I had reserved not just one of them.
We realize this business owner is not representative of your town and we thank you for the hospitality you showed us while traveling in your area. It is unfortunate that a business like this AmericInn Motel leaves us with a bad experience of your area and my warning to everyone reading this is to protect yourself against this type of unethical behavior and would not encourage anyone to patronize this AmericInn Motel.
Thanks but sorry,
Gary Schoppenhorst,
Endeavor Wis.
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This group is not anti-zoning
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To the Editor:
I had an opportunity to talk with one of our Houston County Commissioners in Kwik Trip the other day. He told me how wrong these landowners are in pursuing the property rights issue. He also told me “You landowners do not want any zoning!” I had to tell him again that the landowners are not advocating no zoning; we need order. I said, “Don’t you feel guilty about spending the taxpayers money on an attorney after you already have a highly qualified county attorney?” He raised his voice and said, “No, it’s your fault; you are forcing us to hire an attorney.” I told him that we are just desperately trying to hang on to our freedoms and take back the freedoms that the county government has taken away.” He responded and said, “You and your people had better have deep pockets, because we are not backing down, and we are prepared to go to the highest court.”
I ask you… Should these commissioners be able to so freely spend our tax dollars to oppose their own constituents? Is this what we want for our county commissioner(s)? Does this sound like someone that is serving the people, or is this someone threatening and using intimidation to rule? Is it any wonder that we have been forced to take this step? Who is wrong?
Again, the Declaration of Independence states, “We hold these truths to be self-evident: That all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed…”
The county commissioners like to say the Land Owners Concerned About Property Rights are anti-zoning. This has never been expressed by any property owner that I have talked to. The property owners have not been against government, but have advocated the purpose of land use planning and zoning be to promote the public safety and welfare, not to regulate the legitimate use of private property. The resolution signed by so many landowners states in part:
“We the people retain the right to own, maintain, and develop private property as we see fit, free of restrictive zoning regulations. This right being guaranteed to all in their “pursuit of happiness.” These liberties extend until it can be proved that their executions brings harm to or infringes upon the rights of others. …Seeking liberty and justice for all – let all zoning regulations be examined to see if they accomplish this.”
Chris Von Arx
Caledonia, Minn.
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A protocol for public comment
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To the Editor:
Concerning Mr. Berdell Meiners recent letter to the editor, every public meeting attended by a large group of people while I was on the county board had an established protocol for public comment.
Everyone was invited to speak for a set period of time and personal attacks on individuals prohibited. While currently it seems fashionable to turn public meetings into chaotic free-for-alls, Houston County has in the past, and I assume currently, allows the public to express themselves in an orderly and respectful way. Not only respectful to the commissioners but to other citizens as well.
Often in the heat of passionate public discussion the speaker forgets they are only one side of an issue. When a speaker goes on past the time allotted, makes inappropriate comments or begins to repeat themselves the chair of the public meeting must ask them to discontinue their discourse to allow others to speak or wrap up the issue.
Unfortunately when a speaker refuses to abide by the public protocol they sometimes must be reminded that they can or will be removed from the discussion. Simply because you feel you are right on an issue gives you no right to disrupt a public meeting.
Respectfully,
Kevin Kelleher
Houston, Minn.
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Board meeting was an eye-opening experience
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To the Editor:
I went to the county commissioners meeting and was I surprised.
First thing, I have a bad time hearing, several people asked to use the microphones, which are right in front of each commissioner and they finally turned them on just for awhile. I don’t know if they cost a lot of money to run, but were only used very little .
A good friend told me that I should go and see what is happening to our rights. Boy it sure is going down hill. Myron Mathison was there trying to get permission to put a trailer house on his property.
The commissioners turned him down. Myron and I were talking and he showed me a piece of paper where on one paragraph they turned him down and in the very next paragraph they said that he could go ahead with it? ( Right hand left hand)
I read where the commissioners wanted to protect the land. Protect the land from who? It seems to me that the farmers in Houston County are doing a very good job of that.
What all of this reminds me of is a book that I read years ago, and it was about 1930 Germany.
Joe Pellowski
Spring Grove Minn.
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Some people want zoning?
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To the Editor:
I have read the notice of intent to sue Houston County. Nowhere in the document does it say the landowners are against proper use of zoning regulations. Yet the opposition to this constantly implies that the landowners are radical folks who want no rules. Why move the subject so far away from the conversation? Interesting tactic. Please permit me a brief story you may have read about in the paper. Perhaps this will clarify the magnitude of the issue.
My neighbor, Myron, went to the officials for a permit to build a second farm residence. In his case this was clearly allowed in the current code. Instead of a strait (sic) answer he was lead (sic) on a run around that cost him time money and quiet (sic) a bit of grief. This charade of justice went on until commissioners Miller and Bjerke put a stop to it and told the preceding officials they had better clean up their act. After all there was a lawsuit at hand. We all witnessed the ensuing argument between Bob Scanlon (sic) and the commissioners. The zoning department and the planning commissioners all sent Myron and his family into a very difficult situation. That situation was promoting their agenda of interim use while hiding behind Myron Matheson’s permit application. One year prior my family acquired the same permit that was eventually offered to Myron. It took very little time or effort to acquire the permit. Why was Myron treated so unfairly? What were the consequences to those who treated him unfairly?
Unfair situations like this are the bulk of the NOI. I do not think fairness is too much to ask for and frankly I fail to see why our officials would fight the idea. The Notice of Intent also says that we have gone beyond the scope of public health and safety with some of our ordinances. It turns out that legislating nice green fields on private property is a way of taking a piece of that property without paying for it. We have all heard of green spaces in planning. And emanate (sic) domain which allows purchasing private property for public use. You may like to look at a green field. However that is not a good enough reason to take that part of your neighbors land without compensation. Injustices similar to the ones we are discussing are inevitably the source of some of the largest conflicts in history. It is not right for one to steal from another nor is it right for us as a community to allow our ordinances to do it for us.
Conrad Curren
Blackhammer Township
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Let’s protect our property rights before they are gone
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To the Editor:
Recent events concerning landowners rights have lead (sic) me to believe that good old common sense have left (sic) the building.
I ask you? “Who should have the right to make privately owned property decisions?”
Is there such a thing anymore or is it just an allusion (sic)? Actually I think it goes something like this: You can do what you want on your property as long as you; don’t cause harm to someone else by your endeavors, have the county’s permission, have paid the fees involved, as long as your neighbors approve, and let’s not forget those who may drive by your property and deem you worthy or unworthy to continue with your present activities.
Local government officials seem to be saying, “We need to make more and more zoning regulations for these land owners because they are not smart enough to manage their properties without our “Expert help”. (sic)
It seems irrelevant to county officials that land owners have made a life decision to purchase property in Houston County, become community members, and pay taxes here. Shouldn’t they be trying to help those motivated individuals rather than make it more difficult and expensive to comply with the increased regulations of property ownership and usage?
The recent document presented to the commissioners by the land owners group with the intent to sue describes multiple examples of how the county exercised ownership interest in deciding how privately owned property could be used. At least 27 times, the county prevented a landowner from building a second home on privately owned parcels of less than 40 acres. In other examples, the county forced land owners to build in a location other than where the land owner wanted to build. If you are interested in a copy by email please send a request to
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Another good resource to become informed on this issue can be found at www.renewamerica.com/columns/lamb/100502.
Personally I feel it is unnecessary to escalate this into a lawsuit at this time. The landowner’s citizen group, with some ground rules established based on property rights mandated by the federal and state government would like to work out a resolution, which at this point the commissioners are unwilling to do.
Come on, Jack Miller 1st District, Larry Connery 2nd District, Robert Augedahl 3rd District, David Corcoran 4th District and Tom Bjerke 5th District, let’s sit down and get this done. The landowners are asking about simple changes, easy fixes, and fair treatment. Let’s work together to roll back some of these zoning regulations that have become too invasive.
It’s the right thing to do.
Houston County Landowner
Larie Wohlert
Spring Grove, Minn.
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