Supervisors strike discussion on coal piles, C. Reiss says they're working on solution
Jan 15, 2025
GREEN BAY, Wis. (WFRV) - C. Reiss officials say that they're continuing to work with stakeholders to relocate their coal piles away from their current location along the Fox River just south of the Mason Street bridge.
This news comes after it appeared the coal piles were at risk of staying put after Brown County officials voted to change the terms of a lease agreement that would allow the coal piles to move to the former Pulliam power plant.
On Wednesday night at their board meeting, county supervisors took a discussion about the coal piles situation off the agenda. After the meeting, a county supervisor told Local 5 News they didn't want public discussion about the topic to jeopardize private conversations they were having with other stakeholders.
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Through a spokesperson, C. Reiss CEO Keith Haselhoff released the following statement:
"C. Reiss continues to work with stakeholders on potential options to relocate the coal piles, an effort we've been engaged on for the past two years. Last month, the County Board rejected the agreement C. Reiss negotiated in good faith with the County Administration, placing at risk some $25 million in state and federal grants awarded to the county to move the coal piles."
--C. Reiss CEO Keith Haselhoff
On Wednesday, the board agenda showed that supervisors were supposed to discuss a resolution that asked the state to allow them to retain a $15 million grant to develop their port. The county risked losing the grant because it was contingent on reaching a deal to relocate the coal piles.
In the resolution, county officials argued that they did their part to negotiate in good faith and therefore the state shouldn't penalize them by withholding the grant money. At a previous committee meeting, some supervisors had argued that the resolution made the county look like it was blaming C. Reiss for a deal not getting done.
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C. Reiss officials had previously said that the county's portrayal of them as a difficult negotiating partner doesn't reflect reality.
On Wednesday, Governor Tony Evers announced a $2 million grant for the Port of Green Bay and the Fox River port development site to install a dock wall, dredge, fill behind a bulkhead, and regrade property to create a new transload facility at the mouth of the Fox River.