Copyright © 1999 NLThomas
All Rights Reserved

Re: Nicolet Minerals Company v. Town of Nashville Case No. 99-cv-32

Today, April 30, 1999, the town was served notice that Nicolet Minerals company has filed a lawsuit challenging the rescission of the Local Agreement.

On December 12, 1996, a former town board signed a Local Agreement with Crandon Mining Company (AKA Nicolet Minerals Company, owned by Rio Algom Ltd., of Canada) over objections of local residents. The opposition to the signing of that agreement was by a margin of four to one. Residents were outraged at the Local Agreement. It offered no protection to town residents, yet granted restricted future town boards from protecting the health, safety and welfare of its citizens, etc. In short, the Local Agreement was considered unconscionable in that all the power was given to the mining company and that the agreement itself was negotiated behind closed doors without allowing the public to participate. (Although several who had been part of the closed door negotiation had held personal leases with the mining company and had taken money from them over the years.) The former board is awaiting a June trial date for allegedly violating the open meetings law in regard to those closed door negotiations.

Shortly after this Local Agreement was signed the entire former town board was voted out of office and Chuck Sleeter was elected Town Chairman. Mole Lake tribal member Robert Van Zile and Duane Marshall were elected Town Supervisors after they vowed to undo the Local Agreement contract. After nearly two years of careful research, the current Town Board rescinded the Local Agreement based on its legal deficiencies, and is confident its rescission will be upheld in a court of law.

Nicolet Minerals Company (NMC) has sent two mailings to town residents which in essence, threatened to bankrupt the town if they didn't retract their rescission; the most recent mailing was sent just before the April 6 election. In spite of NMC's efforts the current town board won re-election by easily defeating their pro-mining opponents on April 6. The residents have spoken loud and clear in the past three elections (pro-mining opponents tried unsuccessfully to oust Chairman Chuck Sleeter in a recall last summer). The town residents refuse to be bullied and threatened by a large foreign corporation.

NMC has stated that they will take whatever steps are necessary to protect their interests and their investments. Nashville residents have responded by saying that we have already taken the steps necessary to protect our interests and our investments by rescinding this unconscionable Local Agreement that is certainly not in our best interest.

Chairman Chuck Sleeter stated, "This is America, not some foreign country. Rio Algom is going to learn that Americans have the right to protect their home from the siege of a foreign company's greed. Rio Algom certainly has more money than our 973 residents in this small rural community, however, Rio Algom cannot buy the law or the merits of this case and that is how we intend to win. Our forefathers made sure that the whim of a foreign multinational corporation cannot prevail over the will of the people. The law is on our side. Nashville residents are not afraid of NMC's lawsuit and look forward to the opportunity to expose this Local Agreement for what it is and what is not, as well as exposing the truth behind its negotiation in the months ahead."

The town set up a web site at the following URL: http://www.nashvillewiundersiege.com last February, in anticipation of this lawsuit. The town has created a Legal Defense Fund for accepting donations from groups and individuals who wish to help the town in its defense.
You Can Help Stop the Siege! Send your tax-deductible contribution to:
Town of Nashville Legal Defense Fund, P.O. Box 106 Pickerel, WI 54465
email: help@nashvillewiundersiege.com