June 2005
Dear Town of Summit Resident:
As your elected officials, the Town of Summit Board is dedicated to serving and acting in the best interest of the Town and its residents. It's an important responsibility that I know all Town Board members take seriously because we care about our community. As such, we thought it was important to update you on matters relating to the proposed Aurora Health Care hospital in the Town. As you probably know, on May 23, the Town of Summit Board filed a lawsuit alleging the Waukesha County Board went beyond its legal authority by rejecting the Town's approval of Aurora's proposal. The Town Supervisors unanimously voted to file this lawsuit because we want the Town to be in charge of its own future. We believe we are in the best position to decide how our Town will look 50 years down the road and what will be at the gateway to our community. Aurora Health Care has joined us as a plaintiff in this lawsuit.
The Town of Summit has a committed Board, and we reviewed Aurora's proposal thoroughly. The County Board's decision went beyond its legal authority and was based on opinions that relate to regulating the health care industry, dictating competition and trying to control the marketplace. Legally, we believe the County Board's responsibility was to base its decision on land use, not on the economics of the health care industry.
To better help you understand what we did, why we did it and where it goes from here, we've prepared a fact sheet. If you have further questions, I can be reached at 414-416-7872 or by e-mail at susa@execpc.com. I always appreciate your thoughts and input, and I encourage you to continue to share them as we pursue our Town's right to determine its own future. You can also reach out to other Town Supervisors with your questions and comments. We will do our best to be responsive to inquiries. Please know, however, that since we have entered litigation, we will need to be respectful of that action. Thank you for your understanding, and I will keep you updated as this issue moves forward.
Sincerely,
Leonard Susa
Town of Summit Board Chairman
