Sheboygan official misleads public, faces backlash; city aware of plans for Pier 17
Taylor Zeinert's missteps can be attributed to her inexperience
SHEBOYGAN — City of Sheboygan’s rookie Director of Planning & Development is facing backlash after her attempt to mislead the public failed.
26-year-old Taylor Zeinert, who was appointed as Director of Planning & Development in April, said Thursday morning that city officials have not had any discussions with any developers regarding the former Pier 17 restaurant. “At this time, the City is not aware of any proposed plans for apartments or any specific redevelopment on the property,” said Zeinert in a press release. Demolition started on the 37-year-old building this week.
Zeinert’s statement was found to be completely false with very little effort by simply searching for documents on the city’s own website.
The current property owners, Paul Gottsacker of Sheboygan and Tom Schafer of Milwaukee, had approached city officials in early 2021 about their intentions to redevelop the property. Chad Pelishek, the city’s former Director of Planning & Development, and other officials knew about the plan but he did not feel comfortable discussing it in public during a meeting of the Redevelopment Authority.1 A person with direct knowledge of the plans, a city employee, confirmed to WKTS News that the men had originally intended to demolish the building and build condos with retail space on the first floor of the new building.
Zeinert’s comments ignited a firestorm. Comments from citizens questioned the city’s intentions by issuing a press release on the demolition. "You don’t just tear a building down without already knowing what you're going to do with the space," said Terry Walber. "I think it's odd the city started press releases after citizens started posting concerns on social media platforms," said Stacy Halverson. "Let's be real, they knew this demolition was happening for some time." The vast majority of comments on the city’s Facebook Page criticized Zeinert and the city’s attempt to mislead them.
READ MORE: Demolition begins on Sheboygan Pier 17 restaurant
Zeinert was already under scrutiny after she publicly admitted to allowing Bounce Trampoline Park to operate for eight weeks before finally shutting the business down over permits and alleged code violations.2 As the city’s Director of Planning & Development, she also oversees the city’s Building Inspection Department. She had the authority to immediately prevent the business from remaining open in early June. "Public safety is not negotiable," said Zeinert on Friday, July 25th. Her actions contradict her public statement considering she refused to use her power to shut the business down early on. Instead, Zeinert allowed the business to operate knowing there were alleged safety concerns and code violations.
Her missteps can be attributed to her inexperience. At 26, Zeinert is the youngest Director of Planning & Development in city history. She graduated from Carroll University in 2020 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science.3 Before coming to Sheboygan, Zeinert spent just 16 months as the Economic Development Director for the City of Whitewater. Prior to that, she served nine months as the city's Chief of Staff, where she was essentially an administrative assistant. On her LinkedIn profile, she claims eight years of experience, despite listing only three employers totaling three years of employment since graduating from Carroll University five years ago.
A lack of transparency at City Hall is causing alarm among business leaders and neighborhood associations. Top city officials, including Zeinert, have been refusing to answer questions from media and citizens since at least May. Mayor Ryan Sorenson, City Administrator Casey Bradley, Public Works Director Travis Peterson and City Engineer Kevin Jump all have ignored repeated questions regarding city affairs and operations. Citizens requesting public records from the city have encountered months-long delays and in some cases, missing or no records at all.
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Sources
Redevelopment Authority Meeting Minutes for April 14, 2021
City of Sheboygan
Press Release on Bounce Trampoline Park
City of Sheboygan
Taylor Zeinert Profile
LinkedIn
Unacceptable!