John Foust
235 S. Main Street
Jefferson, WI 53549

Dear John:

This letter will serve as an interim response to your January 26, 2000 letter on behalf of the JDC.

l) The JDC has not been a dues-paying member of the chamber of commerce for 1999 or 2000.

2) No JDC board members subscribe to the chamber's health care plan as a side benefit of JDC membership.

3) The 10 cents per page that has been charged for duplicating open record requests is based on several considerations:

• What other public offices have determined to be fair compensation for the actual and direct cost of duplication.
• An estimation of the actual and direct costs of paper, ink, machine wear and tear and time needed for said duplication.
• Input from you, John, in your October 21, 1999 letter which states, "I think a copying charge of ten cents per page is entirely reasonable."

As for the following requests:

4) Purchase price, purchase date, name of seller, acreage, location for each property acquired by the City to create the City's business parks,

5) Purchase price or lease rates, purchase date, arrival date, name, property description and location for each occupant of land in the City's business parks;

The city of Jefferson is the custodian of these records. I have discussed your request with Dave Schornack. He is expecting to hear from you.

This adequately addresses a number of your current open records requests. The issues which are not addressed in this letter will be answered as soon as practicable and without delay.

John, it has been clear from your first few inquires regarding the CIA, JDC and their relation to the Jefferson Chamber of Commerce that you disagree with our city's leaders in regards to how best to organize a proactive force for Jefferson businesses and business development. Some of the people who helped form and supported the JDC and CIA include: Greg Alex, Herb Bloomer, Bill Brandel, Arnold Brawders, Jim Buelow, Robert Coffman, Pete Donegan, Kent Fawcett, Henry Fischer, Richard Fischer, Karl Frantz, Ron Fuller, Mary Ellen Ganser, Kathleen Groskopf, Bill Hue, Gerald Jeffery, Vickie MacWilliams, Dale McKenna, Gaylin Morgan, Denise Pieroni, Tom Pinnow, Sue Polk, Everett Reese, Jr., Dale Veith, John Weber and Janet Werner. It is certainly within your right to question their vision, motivation, and intentions, as is your right, to get information about the JDC and CIA operations through the open meetings/open records laws.

It is also evident that a personality clash exists between us and entering into verbal and/or written exchanges is counterproductive. I have already apologized to you for both statements on my part that have been less than professional. That apology is very sincere.

While I realize your behavior in Colleen Locke's office on January 19th is a personal matter dealing with the Jefferson Rotary Club, that behavior is one of the reasons I started taping our conversations when you come to my office. It is also one of the reasons why I simply respond to many of your written statements with "no response necessary."

Your agenda (as clearly stated in your 13 page statement on the goJefferson web page and noted above) has been clear and I've realized that explaining, justifying and refuting most of your statements and questions is a waste of my time. Since it is not required by law, I won't do it.

Therefore, I have some simple requests:

• I respectfully request that you submit your open records requests in bulleted form. That would make it easier to understand and respond to the specific information you are requesting.
• Only ask/write for a request once. In accordance with the law, I will respond as soon as practicable and without delay. Asking three or four times, whether verbally or in writing, for the same information wastes both our time.
• If I respond by stating a document is not part of valid open records requirement and you feel it is, please don't take it up with me. Instead follow the legal avenues available to you as defined in the state statutes.
• If you honestly feel that I am purposefully and intentionally delaying your access to open meetings/open records, please don't take it up with me. Instead follow the legal avenues available to you as defined in the state statutes.
• If you honestly believe that I am harassing you and intimidating you in an effort to affect your ability to make any open meeting/open records request, please don't take it up with me. Instead follow the legal avenues available to you as defined in the state statutes.

Although inflammatory accusations make good fodder for your cause and attempt to make the JDC, CIA or Jefferson Chamber of Commerce appear conspiratorial and dramatic, they resolve no issues. I will continue to respond to each and every valid open records request in accordance with the law and will continue to ignore your numerous attacks on me, my job performance and the organizations for which I work.

I think this adequately addresses your January 26, 2000 letter concerning the JDC.

Sincerely,

DAVID OLSEN
Executive Director, JDC

cc: District Attorney Dave Wambach, City Administrator Dave Schornack