% SENATOR.
% THANKS VERY MUCH.
% >> YOU BET.
% THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.
% >> Frederica: THAT WAS SENATOR
% MARRY FELZKOWSKI.
% HER DISTRICT ALSO INCLUDES LAC
% DU FLAMBEAU WHERE ACCESS TO
% HOMES OVER TRIBAL LAND HAS BEEN
% BLOCKED OVER AN EASEMENT %DI
SPUTE.
% >> IT'S BEEN TWO WEEKS SINCE LAC
% DU FLAMBEAU BLOCKED FOUR ACCESS
% ROADS THROUGH TRIBAL LANDS AND
% RESIDENTS SAY THEY'RE NOT SURE
% IF THE CHANGE WILL COME ANY TIME
% SOON.
% >> UNLESS ALL THE PARTIES ARE
% REALLY WILLING TO SIT DOWN IN
% PERSON, I'M CONCERNED THIS COULD
% DRAG ON FOR A WHILE.
% >> THE DISPUTE THAT BLOCKED THE
% ROADS HAS TAKEN COURSE OVER THE
% LAST 10 YEARS.
% STARTING IN 2013, AGREEMENTS FOR
% PASSAGE ON THE ROADS LAPSED
% BETWEEN THE TRIBE AND TITLE
% COMPANIES THAT ENSURE MOST THE
% HOUSES IN THE AREA.
% SINCE THEN NO NEW AGREEMENT HAS
% BEEN IN PLACE.
% THE ROADS IN QUESTION CUT
% THROUGH TRIBAL LANDS, WHICH,
% ACCORDING TO THE TRIBE, MEANS
% NON-TRIBAL HOMEOWNERS HAVE BEEN
% TRESPASSING.
% HE SAID HE AND HIS NEIGHBORS
% WERE GIVEN ABOUT TWO WEEKS'
% NOTICE BEFORE THE BARRIERS CAME
% UP.
% IN A STATEMENT RELEASED JANUARY
% 31, THE LAC DU FLAMBEAU TRIBAL
% PRESIDENT JOHN JOHNSON SENIOR
% SAID QUOTE THE LAND OF LAC DU
% FLAMBEAU AND TITLE COMPANIES
% HAVE NOT ALWAYS ACTED IN GOOD
% FAITH TO RESOLVE THE IRISH.
% THE OF -- ISSUE.
% IN RESPONSE TO THE BARRIERS,
% FIRST AMERICAN, ONE OF THE TITLE
% COMPANIES INVOLVED, TOLD PBS
% WISCONSIN, QUOTE, FIRST AMERICAN
% TITLE HAS MADE A GOOD FAITH
% OFFER ON BEHALF OF OUR INSURED
% HOME OWNERS BASED ON RIGHT OF
% WAY EASEMENTS.
% THOUGH FIRST AMERICAN SAID THEY
% MADE AN OFFER, THE BARRIERS HAVE
% REMAINED IN PLACE.
% BECAUSE OF THESE ROADS BEING
% BLOCKED, ABOUT 55 HOUSEHOLD NOW
% STUCK IN A SITUATION WHERE
% THEY'RE CARS COULD LEAVE BUT NOT
% BE ALLOWED BACK IN.
% >> THE THING WE'VE TRIED TO SAY
% IS THE PEOPLE THAT DON'T HAVE
% RESPONSIBILITY ARE THE PEOPLE
% THAT ULTIMATELY ARE PAYING THE
% PRICE ARE THE HOME OWNERS.
% >> TO GET GROCERIES AND
% SUPPLIES, THEY WALK ACROSS THE
% LAKE TO THEIR CAR, WHICH IS
% PARKED AT A NEIGHBOR'S HOUSE
% LOCATED ON A PUBLIC ROAD.
% >> IF WE NEED TO GET GROCERIES,
% FOR EXAMPLE, OUR KIDS ARE ALL
% GROWN BUT WE HAVE THEIR PLASTIC
% SLEDS AND WALK ACROSS THE LAKE
% AND GO TO OUR NEIGHBORS AND GET
% THE JEEP AND ONLY GET AS MUCH AS
% STUFF AS WE CAN FIT ON THE SLEDS
% BECAUSE IT'S GOT TO MAKE IT
% BACK.
% >> HE SAID THE TRUCK ACROSS THE
% LAKE ISN'T TOO BAD FOR HIS
% FAMILY BUT FOR OTHERS IN HIS
% COMMUNITY THE TRIP ISN'T
% POSSIBLE.
% >> WE HAVE A PERSON AND IS THE
% HAD A HIGH SCHOOLER THAT IS A
% SPECIAL NEEDS CHILD AND SHE AND
% HER CHILD HAD TO LEAVE AND MOVE
% BACK TO IOWA TO SOME FAMILY
% MEMBERS BECAUSE THEY
% LITERALLY -- THERE WAS NO WAY TO
% HANDLE THIS OTHERWISE.
% >> WHILE THE ROADS ARE BLOCKED,
% THE SHERIFF SAID HE HAS BEEN IN
% CONTACT WITH THE LAC DU FLAMBEAU
% TRIBAL POLICE WHO SAY THEY HAVE
% DIRECTED TWICE DAILY WELLNESS
% CHECKS.
% POLICE SAY THEY HAVE DELIVERED
% MEDICATION TO AT LEAST TWO
% RESIDENTS AND OFFERED FOOD BOX
% DELIVERIES.%HOWEVER, HE SAID
THE WELLNESS
% CHECKS ARE FAR LESS FREQUENT
% THAN THE TRIBE CLAIMS.
% >> THEY'VE BEEN IN OUR
% NEIGHBORHOOD TWICE IN THAT TIME.
% I KNOW SOME PEOPLE HAVE MAYBE
% ONLY HAD A CHECK-IN ONE TIME.
% >> WHILE RESIDENTS WAIT FOR A
% SOLUTION TO GRANT THEM ACCESS TO
% THE ROADS AGAIN, GOVERNOR EVERS
% MET WITH TRIBAL LEADERS MONDAY
% AND SAID THE MEETING WAS
% PRODUCTIVE.
% IN A STATEMENT THE GOVERNOR
% SAID, QUOTE, AS THIS IS AN
% ONGOING PRIVATE DISPUTE, MY
% PRIORITY AS GOVERNOR IS
% ENCOURAGING EVERYONE IN THE AREA
% TO ENGAGE AMICABLY AND
% PEACEFULLY WHILE WORKING TO
% BRING ALL PARTIES TO THE TABLE
% TO RESOLVE THE ISSUE QUICKLY.
% THE TRIBE PUT OUT A STATEMENT
% HOPING BE RESOLVED IN A TIMELY
% MANNER AND THE TOWN MET TUESDAY
% TO CONSIDER POSSIBLE LEGAL
% ACTION.
% ONE POSSIBLE SHORT-TERM SOLUTION
% REQUESTED BY BOTH THE TOWN AND
% FIRST AMERICAN WOULD BE TO
% NEGOTIATE NEW EASE MANIES AND
% LIFT THE BARRIERS WHILE
% NEGOTIATES.
% HOWEVER, NO ACTION HAS BEEN %
TAKEN.
% HE SAID NOBODY IS SHARE WHEN THE
% BARRICADING WILL BE LIFTED.
% >> WE NEED THESE PEOPLE TO ALL
% TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS TO
% GET THIS FIGURED OUT, GET THE
% ROADS UNBLOCKED AND GET THE
% EASEMENTS IN PLACE, MAKE SURE
% THE TRIBE IS COMPENSATED FAIRLY
% FOR THEIR EASEMENTS AND WE CAN
% ALL GET BACK TO LIVES.