Former Trustee Sandi Sorensen's August 3 Letter to the Board

  

In case you missed this...

Sandi was one of the three targeted people smeared in the investigation.

Sandra Sorensen

1946 Deerwood Trail
Kronenwetter, WI. 54455                                                                               August 3, 2026

Village of Kronenwetter 
1582 Kronenwetter Dr.
Kronenwetter, WI. 54455
                     

         Public Comment/Open Letter to the Village Board

Village Residents and Board:
   Due to the misinformation, disinformation, or just plain dishonesty emanating from the Village board and Administration I felt it necessary to set the record straight.   

  
   1.) Because I have told the truth in this matter, I have never, nor will I ever, recant my 
original statement that the “stories” I relayed to Mr. Joling, allegedly made by Mr. Davel 
were told to me by Mr. Wegner and later confirmed by Ms. Poyer.  It is my belief they 
both told the truth and I will elaborate as to why later.  

   2.) Contrary to Village Hall gossip and Mr Joling's false accusations to the news media, I have never “attempted to influence the outcome of the investigation”. It is not my habit to
hang out at Village Hall or try to influence or ingratiate myself to the employees.

a.) I was inside the building to vote on April 2nd, days after the investigation was 
concluded, and I used the occasion to go up to speak with Ms. Poyer and Mr. John 
Jacobs. Anyone making the asinine claim that I was there "to influence the 
investigation" will have to explain how I can do that after the investigation had 
already been concluded.
b.) The fact that someone in the office felt it was necessary to immediately inform Mr. Davel of my presence and talking to employees, in my opinion  goes to show the 
unhealthy East German-like "snitch culture " that Davel has apparently established 
there.

   3.) My motive for reporting Davel's alleged inappropriate "tattoo story" to Joling was and 
always will be to provide a healthy, emotionally stress-free, as possible, work 
environment for all employees. That is the truth, and should make sense to any rational, 
objective person.

   4.) Instead, my motive was questioned and was falsely attributed without basis to 
"retaliation" against Mr. Davel.  Given the factual circumstances, that was not an 
objective and rational  conclusion for an investigator to jump to, unless of course, 
investigator Curtis was instructed toward that outcome.

  
   5.) In my opinion, this "retaliation" claim is absurd and seems to come from the imagination of a paranoid, adolescent-minded under-achiever trying to bully and fake his way through life.

 a.) Speaking of which - For all of the "war stories" that he reportedly tells about killing people and all that, I cannot find any evidence in his resume or record showing that he was ever assigned to anything involving direct combat.  

   6.) As part of the Village Board hostility toward me, Ms Stowell suggested that I am losing my memory, simply because I did not, and still do not, blindly accept accusations or 
insinuations made against employees or anyone else, without some kind of proof. That is 
not senility as was implied, that is honesty and integrity. Rumors and accusations stated 
as fact, are not fact without verification. "Guilt by accusation" is not my style.  
   

   As to why I believe the statements of Ms. Poyer and Mr. Wegner are the complete truth - it is simply a matter of credibility. They have no motive for, or history of  lying, manipulation, bullying, or false accusations. I believe the same cannot be said of Mr. Davel. 
   Long story short - I have statements from numerous people from Shawano County who worked with Mr. Davel. There are two dozen so far, who have or are willing to make statements. Here are representative examples of the statements made:

   “He (Davel) belittled co-workers, berated them”, “he was a terrible bully who used words
like dictatorship”.  “He continually said things like, ‘you’ll be the  next one gone.’  ‘Don’t
plan on being here much longer’.  He changed the rules depending on who was involved. 
“He lied to people, and didn’t include the right people in the room for meetings, and 
decisions were being made without the appropriate people being present.  If you didn’t 
get along with him, he made life miserable for you."

   Mr. Davel was described as a verbal bully – 'someone who takes on power and steps outside his role to absorb more power’.  One of the many complaints filed in Shawano County against Mr. Davel reads:

“I am writing to file a complaint against James Davel.  I have been experiencing negative behaviors in the workplace from Jim Davel.  This includes yelling, swearing, lying, gaslighting, performing negative impersonations of me, and interfering with my ability to perform my job.  I receive constant criticism without discussion of possible solutions.  I am exposed to intimidation tactics such as clenched fists, attempts to separate me from co-workers and attempts to place me in an enclosed room with only him present.”

   All of this was occurring while Mr. Davel was, according to this employee, “Not my boss’.  
   She went to the library board, and like other Shawano County employees received from the Shawano County Board of supervisors, absolutely no support.  You may ask why, because, according to this employee, “they were not very vocal, and they bowed down to the strongest voice in the room.” Meaning Davel.
   Does any of this sound familiar?
   In Shawano at perhaps his 3rd or 4th director’s meeting Davel is quoted as saying ‘the only way to move forward and get things done was through a dictatorship!’, and that is how he ran things.  
   He doesn’t follow rules.  He did what he wanted. – He made decisions and put things in place without discussion or approval.  
   Mr. Davel had (has) a favorite saying, “If it isn’t in writing, it didn’t happen”.  Mr. Davel was described as inhumane and aggressive in his communication, with communication going only one way.  One former employee started recording meetings with Davel due to his ‘not recalling’ saying certain things – Davel would scream at, point fingers in (her) face and find anything to make it difficult for women in the workplace.’

   One former Shawano County Treasurer stated Mr. Davel, on at least 7 separate occasions 
challenged her authority on how finances for the county should be handled even when she had the law and regulations on her side.  One employee stated that most times Davel didn’t know the rules or regulations governing municipalities and even when he did, if he didn’t agree he  didn’t care and attempted to do things his way.  Rules didn’t apply to him and the fallout from his unwillingness to follow them usually fell on someone else. It was never his fault.

   It appears Mr. Davel has been dishonest with the Village since before he was hired.  He 
told the APC Committee he was “retiring” from his position at Shawano.  Recently discovered sources at Shawano indicate Mr. Davel was allowed to quit or be fired.  (In short, he was asked to leave one way or another.). Mr. Davel has appeared to have overstated his qualifications as according to multiple sources his supervisory skills consisted of ridicule and getting in your face or kissing up and flattery to get you on his side so you always agree with him.

    So far, twenty-five individuals associated with him at his former job challenge Mr. Davel’s integrity, honesty, and character. That doesn’t include the $70,000.00 unnecessary von Briesen costs in Shawano County directly attributable to Mr. Davel’s retaliatory behavior.

   Based on personal experience and observations, I doubt it takes a rocket scientist to surmise where the truth lies in the current debacle that has occurred in Kronenwetter.    
   It isn’t difficult to surmise that several individuals within the VOK were taken in by Mr. 
Davel’s boisterous, know it all attitude and they have compromised their reputations and names by assisting in the perpetration of this costly investigation hoax. 

 
   One last observation. Mr. Davel was hired with the understanding that he would pass  the usual background check. Some of those workers at Shawano recall being contacted and telling the truth about their negative experience with him.
   Somewhere between the answers on the phone and the Village Board, the candid warnings and red flags regarding his behavior, and incompetence, including at least two flat-out statements advising not to hire him, all disappeared. 
   Why was that? Why was an "all clear" message given to the Board, when information of 
Davel's wretched, dismal performance history was readily available?

  Sincerely,
Sandra Sorensen