Why is the Oneida Tribe’s Anna John Resident Centered Care Community (AJRCCC) still not accepting new residents months after the ribbon cutting ceremony for their new $17 million facility?
Reports are circulating that ongoing and new problems with the construction of the building are to blame for the inability of Oneida elders to receive necessary services.
One of the companies involved in building the new AJRCCC facility was Oneida-Kodiak, LLC, which is owned by the Tribally-chartered Oneida Seven Generations Corporation and in a business partnership with Alliance Construction & Design, most notably regarding the failed incinerator project proposal in Green Bay.
At least, they were in a partnership.
OSGC’s appeal of the Brown County Court’s decision to rescind OSGC’s Conditional Use Permit is currently awaiting judicial assignment at the WI Appeals Court level.
The website for the Wisconsin Dept. of Financial Institutions shows that on September 6, 2013 the Registered Agent was changed from OSGC’s ex-CEO Kevin Cornelius to current OSGC CFO & CEO Bruce King.
However, the website Oneida-Kodiak.com is currently inactive, and the ‘Business Partners’ page at AllianceBuilds.com is empty except for the words “Coming Up Soon….”
What’s really going on here?
Has the partnership between Oneida-Kodiak and Alliance Construction been dissolved?
Does this have anything to do with the recent departure of Kevin Cornelius or the internal Tribal audit that’s recently been requested regarding the possible improper co-mingling of Tribal & corporate funds and / or misuse of State & Federal loans for construction projects on privately owned buildings & properties?
Could all of this result in another expensive lawsuit… or lawsuits?
How will OSGC/Oneida-Kodiak afford legal representation without having Treas. Tina Danforth dip further into the Tribe’s General Fund?
Does Oneida-Kodiak Construction still exist? Will it for long?
These are questions that the Business Committee must be asked at the Monday September 16 Community Discussion from 5:30-8:00 p.m. at the BC Conference Room on the 2nd floor of the Norbert Hill Center in preparation for next Saturday’s September 21 GTC Budget Meeting.
Tribe members – especially elders who need the AJRCCC services promised – deserve straight answers.
[UPDATE: It was stated at the Monday evening September 16 Community Discussion that, in addition to the problem with soffits falling down which originally delayed the opening of AJRCCC, a general contractor had installed at least a dozen door closers backwards (the name of the contractor at fault was not mentioned). It was also claimed that AJRCCC is waiting on the State of Wisconsin to perform an inspection of the building, though how they could currently house occupants from the former facility without having an inspection done seems curious. Also, it was admitted that Meals on Wheels preparation will not move to the AJRCCC facility until October and that the Congregate Meals will not be served there until November. Your Tribal dollars at work.
UPDATE 2: Butch Rentmeester has admitted that it was in fact Oneida-Kodiak Construction which incompetently installed the doors in the AJRCC. See ‘Don’t Let The Doors Hit You‘]
