GRAND CHUTE, Wis–A member of the Grand Chute Town Board is the subject of an ethics complaint. The complaint filed in October with the Wisconsin Ethics Commission alleges Town Supervisor Jeff Ings should not have taken part in discussions about the installation of water and sewer lines under Gillett Street, where he and his wife live.
Ings Ethics Complaint by Jonathan Krause on Scribd
Public Works Director Katie Schwartz initially proposed a full reconstruction and widening of Gillett, with the installation of utilities as well. The cost would be covered by special assessments on people living along that street.
While he abstained from voting on initial proposals for the project, Ings still took part in Board discussions, claiming people living on his street did not want water and sewer service. Ings would eventually stop taking part in those discussions after a complaint from a citizen at a Board meeting.
Ings did cast the deciding vote to not install the utility lines–and simply rebuild the road surface last September. His was the deciding vote on the matter, which the complaint alleges saved him an estimated $18,000 in special assessments.
The state Ethics Commission discusses such complaints in closed session and has not issued a ruling in this matter,
