Written by Brandi McCuskey
DEWEY – Elite Retirement Group has rejected an offer from Portage County to purchase property for the residence of a sexually violent person (SVP). The issue has also raised concerns among local officials about the transparency of the decision-making process.
This property is along the county road. DB, located in Dewey near the I-39 ramp, is owned by Plover-based Elite. The 2.67-acre site was identified by county leaders as a suitable location to house a sexually violent person (SVP) who is petitioning for release from a secure mental health facility.
An SVP is a person who has already served a sentence and is committed to a secure mental health facility for treatment in order to protect the public. Under state law, SVPs can be released if they meet several criteria, including ensuring that their residence is at least 400 feet from schools, churches, day care centers and other public gathering places.
Dewey County officials said they were caught off guard when they learned the county intended to purchase the land.
Dewey Town Chairman Maurice King expressed frustration with the lack of communication from the county, saying he and other key local officials, including County Supervisor Stan Potocki, had not been informed of the proposal. He said there was no.
“I just found out about it a few days ago,” Potocki said. “I’m a supervisor in this area, and no one has told me what’s going on. It’s really frustrating.”
Potocki said he has received several calls from concerned residents and plans to attend an upcoming county meeting to address the issue. Despite the county’s request to secure residential property for SVP, Elite Retirement Group CEO Patrick Marcel said his company received an offer in early October. He admitted that he turned down the offer within two weeks.
“I had no idea what the county intended for the land,” Marcel said, explaining that Elite declined the offer for reasons unrelated to the planned use of the land. He added that the company also has no intention of selling the land to the county for this purpose.
“They didn’t disclose anything in their first offer. They made an offer and we turned it down.” He added, “We have no intention of accepting any offer from the county. ” he added. We do not sell to the prefecture. ”
Marcel’s office received the county’s offer on Oct. 3, but Elite declined the offer on Oct. 15, six days before the county’s joint committee meeting that approved the deal.
The county is looking for a suitable location to house SVP after receiving his release petition in August 2023. Under state law, SVPs must be released to their county of residence, and if they fail to secure suitable housing, the county faces a $1,000 monthly fine. .
Martin Luther King Jr. criticized the county’s response, saying it “made it seem like a deal was reached.”
background
On October 21, the Portage County Health and Human Services Commission and the Space Property Commission announced the purchase of a vacant lot near Interstate 39 and County Road DB in Dewey to house sexual assault victims under Wisconsin Statute 980. Approved the resolution.
This resolution stems from the county’s responsibility to find housing for people released from secure treatment facilities under supervision.
“We’ve been looking for months,” Health and Human Services Commissioner Kim Vagueiro said at the Oct. 21 meeting. “Since August 2023, we have been working to find a suitable location that meets all legal requirements. We looked at several properties, but none of them worked out.”
Under Chapter 980, counties are required to house SVPs released from secure treatment facilities. For the first year, these people must live under harsh conditions, including GPS monitoring and escorted transportation. The county needs to find a place to protect the 1,500-foot buffer zone from schools and other sensitive areas, making finding suitable land difficult.
The county could be fined $1,000 per month if it fails to secure suitable housing for the SVP in a timely manner.
The purchase resolution was scheduled to go before the full county commission for final approval in November. But for now, it’s not immediately clear what the next step will be.
*This story will be updated from time to time.
