Petition

By signing this petition, I show that I oppose an $18 million bond deal proposed to finance a $35 million expansion of the privately-owned Ridge Breeze Mega-Dairy. We strongly urge Frazer Lanier not to underwrite, and Public Finance Authority not to participate in, this bond deal which was purposefully crafted to subvert public oversight and good governance.
 

Background Information:

• Approval for the bond deal was secured over a six-month period without an open public process or input from the full Pierce County Board of Supervisors. This is not good governance.

• Pierce County Supervisors and members of the public were not included in the process to approve the deal, despite well-known community concerns about the proposed Ridge Breeze Mega-Dairy expansion from 1,700 to 6,500 cows that will produce 80 million gallons of waste spread by an estimated 12,000 truckloads over 7,500 acres in three counties and 17 towns.

• Bond Counsel for the proposed deal, Lynda Templen from Husch Blackwell purposefully crafted the deal without meaningful public participation. 

• Underwriter for the proposed deal, Jason Grubbs from Frazer Lanier from Alabama, did not require meaningful public participation.

• Both Templen and Grubbs executed a similar deal in 2023 without a public process in Marinette County, Wisconsin. 

• The bonds would be issued by the Wisconsin Public Finance Authority (PFA). 

Timeline:

• July to September 2024 – County and Ridge Breeze lawyers negotiate
• January 23, 2025 – Bond approved by County – no hearing
• March 12, 2025 - Town of Salem canceled public hearing
• March 12 & April 15, 2025 – Ridge Breeze claims it will withdraw application, but do not formally withdraw