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THE POLLARD
The guy took over the business from his dad and lives right on the lake these days. He builds housing developments around the Geneva Lake area, not just in Lake Geneva itself. Everyone knows about his ‘greyhound’ development, put into the huge land area that sits next to the Town of Bloomfield land along the bypass. This old people’s set of ‘little boxes’ residences has raised the ire of many people living in and around the area, particularly when Mr. Pollard has indicated privately and publicly that he has little interest in paying the impact fees (taxes) on the properties he’s building.
He tried that the other day with development in Delevan. He pulled the same ‘sliding scale’ defense he’s attempting to use to not pay in Lake Geneva. He tried arguing that his monied ‘waiting to die’ potential residents will have no impact upon the area because they are too old to have an impact. The avoidance of the usage of such phrases and terms like ‘waiting to die’ and ‘greyhounds’ are not those that Mr. Pollard uses at all. Mr. Pollard, as he’s developed into being a big developer, follows the pattern the Geneva Shore Report staff has witnessed in the past.
A character, like Mr. Pollard resembles, ran the Lake Geneva water and public utility department years ago when the GSR was in its infancy. Mr. Winkler was brilliant, adroitly capable in understanding the system, and very well-spoken and good-looking to boot. Those are qualities that Mr. Pollard has in spades. Mr. Winkler was also what the staff used to refer to him as; a ‘player.’ There was no game that Mr. Winkler could not master and succeed at. He played the city’s leadership, commissions, committees, council, and mayor like they were pieces on his ‘chessboard of life.’ He beautified the department, made Highway 50 into three lanes in front of the place, and then built a Bocce Ball Court for the Catholic Church. He ran the department so deeply into the red that the fees for water and sewer service had to be increased nearly thirty percent to cover his former game playing after he left.
Mr. Pollard does not work for the city or for the citizens of Lake Geneva, and that is patently obvious in the kind of enduring ‘Sun City West’ kind of developments he’s putting in on every piece of property he owns around the lake. And that’s a lot of property, indeed. Well, the ‘player’ in this instance, as we refer to Mr. Pollard internally, got told to go pound sand by the City of Delavan. He can pay the impact fees there or he can build somewhere else. The ordinance governing impact fees does not have a sliding scale based upon how much impact a developer might think his structures and residents might have on the community. It is written like Lake Geneva’s own ordinance. No developer in his or her right mind would ever indicate that its staff or people might have any impact on the community if a sliding scale was added to the ordinances.
Lake Geneva simply has a different city attorney than Delavan. Dan Draper, Lake Geneva’s version of the Lincoln Lawyer, has gone along with Pollard in attempting to deny the City of Lake Geneva millions of dollars in impact fees due from the developments Mr. Pollard is building. Dan Draper needs to be informed by other city leaders, that would be the mayor and the city council, that the impact fees that Mr. Pollard owes can be waived as long as Dan Draper’s private law firm pays them. Dan Draper is elected each and every election to be the city attorney. He cannot be fired. He cannot be held accountable for the hours he spends working part-time for the city at $72,000 a year or for the hours he supposedly works. He’s been city attorney for many, many years. It’s time for a change in dealing with the Mr. Pollards of this community and this city attorney.
New to LG 3 yrs ago but the odor of the “good ole boys” is pervasive. TYVM for your reporting on the attempts at development that the citizens do not want; especially the old golf course, it MUST be a park with no fringe development. I walk alot around LG for exercise and sanity. There is a street named Waverly that near its terminus to a school yard has orange barrels laying in holes that could swallow a small child. So what is the street dept doing about fixing it and many sidewalks that have significant trip hazards and broken and crumbled surfaces. Just what are the “overworked” employees being paid to do? I was walking 1 day and a street dept employee was parked and leaning into a private vehicle and 35 minutes later the same employee was stii talking to the people in the car. Obviously if 1 has that much unallocated work timr there needs to be better management by king Earle.
Thank you for the compliment, Edward
We feel it is important for community involvement and having access to the ‘whole story’
It would be helpful for citizens to share their observations directly to the ‘City Council Members in writing.
And be sure to mention one expects a written response within 5 days ~~smile
Time The residence of Lake Geneva get off their hands and either run for city council or make sure competent people replace the ones that are currently occupying this position is noted the current counsel has no idea of how to run a prominent area such as Lake Geneva it seems to me they are just patting each other‘s back The fee cannot be ignored it should be collected, And please once again I repeat stop the building.
The key to success in a “democracy” is the involvement of intelligent and informed citizens.
Great comment Barbara.
The real power is in LOCAL government.