It was largely business as usual for the Fennimore Common Council Monday evening, during their regular semi-monthly meeting, but for the attendance of three citizens presenting complaints and frustration over a lack of clear communication and responsiveness from city staff at the end of the meeting.

The first to speak were Jackie Hatlevig and Duane Popp.

Ms. Hatlevig, her voice shaking with emotion, explained the legal troubles that have fallen upon her since first approaching the city about purchasing some land abutting her 1075 Monroe Street home to allow her to build a garage. When her property was surveyed, it had been discovered that the existing driveway actually resided partially on neighboring property. When she approached the city clerk early this year, Hatlevig recounted, she was directed to work with the neighbor to purchase some of the land so she would own all of the land the driveway was on, and make it possible to build the garage she wants behind her home.

Which is exactly what she did, Hatlevig said. She contacted an attorney and purchased a 14’ x 60’ section of land from her neighbor. Since then, the deal has gone terribly wrong, beginning with the city informing her the sale was illegal, as it made the neighboring lot too small to comply with city ordinance. It also resulted in Hatlevig being included in papers served over the foreclosure on the neighboring property.

“If all of this had been communicated at the very beginning, I wouldn’t be here right now,” Hatlevig told the assembled council.

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For the complete article, please see the Aug. 17, 2017 issue of the Fennimore Times.