Story originally printed in the Onalaska Life or online at www.onalaskalife.com
Published - Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Village committee OKs selling cross site to Lions Club for $600
A Holmen committee recommended tonight the village sell a section of land that has an illuminated cross and star to the Holmen Lions Club for $600.
The vote by the Finance and Personnel Committee was unanimous and came without discussion.
The Holmen Village Board will consider the sale when it meets at 7 p.m. Thursday.
Village officials have moved toward selling the land to avoid litigation after a Holmen resident lodged a complaint about the lighted cross display in early March. For five years, the village has owned the blufftop land on which the 40-foot cross stands, and village resident Eric Barnes asserted that violates the doctrine of separation of church and state.
A village-ordered appraisal of the small section of land that holds the cross and star valued the property at $100.
 The Holmen Village Board's Finance and Personnel Committee voted Tuesday to recommend selling the Star Hill property, pictured above, to the Holmen Lions Club for $600. Lee Newspapers photo |
But the Washington, D.C.-based American Humanist Association reportedly had bid $1,000 for the 30-by-30-foot parcel and included a check for the full amount. The Madison-based Freedom from Religion Foundation topped that with a $1,200 bid.
Finance and Personnel Committee Chairman Mark Seitz read a list of reasons why the village should sell the property to the Lions Club: The $600 offer exceeds the appraised value; the village has the right to sell land to whomever it chooses; and the Lions Club originally put up the star and cross and has maintained it.
The sale to the Lions Club would mandate the area be fenced with signs stating it is the club property; the club will have an electric meter installed and pay for lighting the structure; and the club will restrict access to protect the adjacent village water reservoir.
“This is an effective way to bring this matter to a fair conclusion,” Seitz said.
Annie Laurie Gaylor of the Freedom From Religion Foundation had a different view. “It’s very jawdropping,” she said. “The purpose of this sale is to keep the cross where it is, and I think that is a very inappropriate purpose for a village to have. ... You’d think the village would want to at least have the appearance of fairness.”
Gaylor said she suspects that the FFRF bid of $1,200 might have driven up the price the Lions had to pay for the property, which she viewed as a good thing. “At least we got the taxpayers a better deal,” she said.
No members of the public were at the meeting, but village Administrator/Clerk Catherine Schmit, attorney Alan Peterson and village President John Chapman did attend.
Village officials declined to comment after the meeting.
“Enough has been said already,” Chapman said.
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