Editor’s Note: On November 3, 2025, the City of Shorewood sent an email to subscribers (see here and below). In response, Shorewood resident Alan Yelsey sent the following email to all City Council members, City Administrator Marc Nevinski and City Planner Jake Griffiths.
From: Alan Yelsey
Date: November 3, 2025
To: Jennifer Labadie, Guy Sanschagrin, Dustin Maddy, Marc Nevinski, Nathaniel Gorham, Michelle DiGruttolo, Jake Griffiths
Subject: Fwd: Be Heard: Submit Your Feedback on Hwy 7!
You are of course either paid or elected to serve the people of Shorewood. Time and time again, without exception, on matters ranging from budgets to priorities to hearings to meeting agendas, the City of Shorewood requires its residents to dig down within the City emails and communications to figure out exactly what we need to know or should be concerned about, and exactly what the City leaders are thinking and doing to make our lives better. No critical information is clearly and openly communicated in a form that is resident centric – written for us to fully understand what choices there are, what agenda items are going to impact some or all of us, and what key data is essential for residents to understand.
The communication just sent to us, below, is another example of the problem we have with City communications.
The City requires its residents to go dig into another website or below the surface to figure out what is going on and what the best course of action is. Why? Why not take the time to do some due diligence for us, and summarize what the content of the links and documents are so that many more residents will understand what is going on and why. Of course, we can and should do our own homework as well.
When some of us, usually just a small number of us, take the time (unnecessary if you just give us a well crafted resident centric capsule summary of what we obviously want and need to know beneath the surface) to follow the Dept. of Transportation link, we do not know without substantial effort, if at all:
- What our City leaders and professional staff think about Highway 7 plans and how they will impact residents and City operations?
- What exactly will happen to the Eureka road intersection and how will it impact area residents and properties?
- How will people safely cross Highway 7 when stop lights are removed from key intersections with crosswalks?
- What are ongoing key resident thoughts and concerns so we know what our neighbors think and need?
- And much more…..
So, why can’t you properly represent us by accurately and fully communicating what we need to know in order for us to easily and democratically participate in our government? Throwing hundred page agendas at us or weekly notification links – all without surface clarity and real content, is easily avoidable. I still do not understand the hows and whys of the levels of City debt and savings (and impact on residents), I still do not understand your thinking about safe and affordable public and private drinking water, I continue to believe your spending and priorities are out of control and I see no willingness by the City to make it a priority to help and serve the lower income residents of Shorewood.
I urge you all to do a better job of practicing an open, caring, responsive, transparent, participative, data driven budget conscious democracy.
Sincerely,
Alan Yelsey
