Chris Heineman really stepped in it. This was right out of the tRump playbook, taking unfounded punitive action at the last minute, and then, doing a 180; never admitting it was HIS idea; and putting someone else in the middle to both cancel use of the Community Room and then to retract that cancellation, and of course, Heineman offers no apology. This is not professional behavior. It’s my belief that he did this because it was my name, my workshop, that it was retribution for challenging a couple of his actions, and it’s possible he acted with encouragement from others. It’s time for the City Attorney to give a refresher of the meaning of “under color of law” given his actions as Council Administrator.
What did Chris Heineman do?
In mid-December, December 11, 2025, to be precise,I’d scheduled the Red Wing Fire House #2 “Community Room” for January 24th, a “Lobbyists ‘R’ Us” workshop that Tom Dunnwald, Esq. and I, Esq., had presented elsewhere, going back ages… Why? Because I hear so many people whining, “What can I do?” and complaining and complaining and… well, it’s pretty simple. If you don’t speak up, you WILL be run over, guaranteed. And if you stand up and ACT, and ACT, and ACT, you just might help make change!
It’s not easy. It takes a LOT of years of hard work to achieve a major policy change, and sometimes as long for a small one. And it’s not just about making progress, it’s also about holding fast to the good work of so many who have come before us so we don’t go backward. Yet here we are. Make no mistake about it, it’s WORK, banging your head against the wall, but don’t forget, this is, ostensibly, government of the people, for the people, by the people. It’s “a republic, if you can keep it.” Yup, that’s our job.
Hence our January workshop:
On January 20th, I received a phone call and was told I would not be able to use Fire Station #2, and on asking why, I was told that the workshop was deemed partisan and Red Wing’s Fire Station #2’s Community Room was not to be used for partisan activities. I tried to get more information on where that notion that it was partisan came from and was told to talk to City Council Administrator Chris Heineman.
I quickly reached out to a couple of potential venues, but got voice mail and a forwarded message, and started calling Heineman. Four calls, still “in a meeting,” and it was close-of-business time, so I went over to City Hall. The lights were being turned off, but I was granted leave to wait… and wait… and ultimately Heineman did come out, some papers/email in hand, and declared that my workshop was a partisan activity. My bottom line was that I wanted assurance that the workshop could go forward as planned, and I said that at least three times. Heineman said he’d contact the Fire Chief who was at a conference, that it was his idea, and that I’d hear back tomorrow. Heineman did not admit that the revocation of use of Fire Station #2 was his idea.
The next day, Matt Lenz, the second in command at the Fire Dept called, and left a message. I returned the call, and I was told that my workshop could go ahead at Fire Station #2.
The workshop went on as planned, we had a good turnout, and hopefully some of those attending are motivated to do some lobbying on local, state, and federal levels, or better yet, all three!
The following Monday, I fired off a Data Practices Act Request to dig into how that last minute cancellation, and retraction the following day, came about, and copied each City Council member so they would all know, as “the boss,” that this had occurred:
So what happened? Well, it started with this, when “someone” forwarded Heineman a screenshot from one of the Red Wing groups of my announcement of the workshop:
And then Heineman got to the Fire Chief, Mike Warner — note it’s Heineman driving this:
In the email below, dated Monday afternoon, January 19, 2026, see page 2, where Heineman concluded, based on the flyer for the workshop that had been forwarded to him on SUNDAY EVENING! I’d not published any other info about this, just posted notice on a couple pages, and it was forwarded to him by ????? and who knows what else was said between them. It’s likely mostly based on my name, because my reputation in town exceeds me. Note he did NOT contact me, he had no questions, didn’t seek information — and yet he says, the next day, Monday, January 19, and note,it’sHEINEMAN’Sidea:
I recommend cancelling the use of the Community Room at Fire Station 2 for the “Lobbying ‘R’ Us” (sic) event on Saturday, January 24.
… “I recommend…” and Heineman goes on to declare, “IS” and then qualify with “MAY” his two very bizarre notions of “POLITICAL FUNDRAISING OR CAMPAIGNING ACTIVITIES,” notions pulled out of some nether orifice:
The proposed “Lobbyists ‘R’ Us” training is a partisan political activity that may relate to political fundraising or campaigning activities which the current usage policy lists as activities that are not allowed.
At about 3 p.m. on Tuesday, January 20, 2026, days before the scheduled workshop, I received a call from the Asst. Fire chief, Matt Lenz, who told me that I could not use the Community Room! WHAT?!?!?! The workshop was to be that Saturday! And that’s when I started calling Heineman and sent this email while I was waiting on the chance that he was confused:
After leaving 4 messages, I went over and did finally get to have a chat with Heineman. I went to him directly, first calling persistently, and unsuccessful, then went to City Hall and waited and waited.
In those days between the heads up email he received Sunday night and the call from Matt Lenz to me on January 20th, Heineman made zero effort to contact me, he made no effort to get more information about the workshop, not a peep from Heineman. That was what told me this was a targeted action and that he was a gutless wonder with a preconceived notion. I would like to know who it was who sent him the flyer and got him going, I have a few likely suspects.
Heineman’s take on our discussion at City Hall? Oh my…
Oh, I’m so demanding. Heaven forbid I should make a calm, clear, direct statement of expectation. After this email, Chief Warner sent this missive to Matt Lenz:
Ah, “the Carol issue.” What Heineman did do was, again, NOT call me after HE reneged, no apology, and he passed on that duty to inform me to someone else, and Matt Lenz was stuck in the middle again. Here’s Matt Lenz to Chief Warner (“ended up”?), though Matt had left me a message and I called back:
The workshop went on as planned, a good group and lots of good questions and ideas and I hope there was sufficient motivation to get lobbying! It’s also my hope that Chris Heineman has learned a few things about dealing with the public, his co-workers, and, last but not least, Overland!
Methinks we’ve got trouble… right here in River City… I’ve not been able to make recent City Council meetings, but it appears that Heineman’s overreach needs more attention. Why, in addition to the above? There are his appearances before the Charter Commission wanting to unilaterally change the Charter without publicly discussing it with the Council (yet with no specific proposal, maybe “concepts of a plan”); the elimination of the convenient “one email” to reach all Council members and installing an email to the Administrator who would then choose who should receive the email (!). Another example was the jaw-dropping response to the legit question of who was acting when Heineman was not present, a duty assigned in the Charter to the Administrative Services position that, again, no longer exists. At ~3:03:30 in the meeting, LINK HERE, Norton asked who had taken that role in Heineman’s 2 prior absences. There was mobius avoidance of answering, and then, at ~3:03:55, DIRECT REFUSAL TO ANSWER — Heineman said, “I respectfully decline to answer the question…” He was not challenged on that response. WTAF? We have our very own Bondi? Unacceptable.
Keep your eyes and ears open!
p.s. I’ll be holding a CAMPAIGN FINANCE workshop on June 20, 2026 from 1-2:30 p.m. at the Library. I’ll be sending out engraved invitations to those who have recently been found to have violated campaign finance law, to all those currently in office, and to those who have filed to run. And of course, as always, open to the public, and FREE OF CHARGE.
Ah, the life of a Minnesota DNR camp host! It’s been chilly, in the 30s at night, but it’s workable.
The first year here, in the Wawona 6, a 60 mph wind took out my staked and guyed screen tent, wadded it up, and stuffed it under the car.
So much for that. I put up a tarp and that blew down a couple of times — the weather was INTENSE, wind and rain made for a rough few days!
Given the need for a bathtub floor, not a dirt vestibule, I tried Inflatable #1, but the short sidewalls were a royal back pain. Having a floor in the 2nd room sure made a difference, but those sidewalls… and the tarp was a problem too, blew down 3 times (but I got pretty good at putting it back up):
So this year, I bit the bullet and solved both problems, a tent with high sidewalls and more usable space, and a clam-style kitchen tent.
All the comforts of home, particularly all the cooking paraphernalia one could possibly need — a pretty big fridge that doesn’t use much electricity; a small cooler wrapped in reflectix with ice cubes from yesterday holding up well; Primus, butane, and a Trangia knockoff for stoves; Cobb & Skotti grills; a toaster/convection/air fryer contraption; electric kettle; full set of cooking doo-dads; dishes & silverware (don’t have cups or glasses!); bowls and pans for every occasion; water and dishwashing set up (though we have 2 dish sinks at the showerhouse):
Camp hosting means free camping for a month with very LITE duties, I do really like a shiny bathroom sink. And just yesterday, I was told our pit toilets are the best ever smelled and seen! Seven ticks so far, 5 on me, 1 on my pillow, and 1 at the top of the entrance of the tent. None yet on Maisy, which is good.
Camp host? It’s a little of everything, helped a guy put on his rain fly yesterday. The hardest part is helping folks navigate the DNR Reservations system on their phones — “reservations can be made online or by calling 866-857-2757.” I sure can’t figure it out on a phone!
A few folks stop and stare at the tent, and I invite them to check it out. The only downside I’ve found with this tent set up is that when packed up, they’re bulky and heavy, ~ 45 lbs., and take up as much space as the fridge. A couple with newborn and year old in a backpack trying to figure out camping with babies (!!!); and good to see Min Martin & Dave Oakes. The Himangas were here too yesterday, testing out their new trailer.
The dishwashing sink broke, stuck full on pretty late. Ranger Tanner had to come over and shut it off, and in the midst of that operation, the cover blew off the faucet below the sinks and water spewed out — nope, OOPS, that was NOT the faucet to turn. Then one of the women’s sinks was clogged, and no plunger. Well, now there are two!
No emergencies, no fires… Life is good. Back to work in my office with a view:
Interesting filings today in PUC Docket R-26-172 — how can anyone oppose rulemaking, and how can anyone think it’s reasonable to route transmission and site generation without rules? The Public Utilities Commission is tasked with regulating utilities, and how does one regulate without regulations?
Here’s what has come in today — the deadline is 4:30 but I’ll have to hit the road soon — if others come in I’ll post later. This first one is choice:
And here’s what I had to say, on my behalf, and also clients North Route Group and NO765MN (CN-25-117 and CN-25-121) and the Andersens (CN-25-109), after seeing some of the comments:
Take a good look at what the legislature did to the rules. And those that say “renumbered,” click on those and you’ll see they were moved and repealed as well!
CHAPTER 7850, SITE OR ROUTE PERMIT; POWER PLANT OR LINE
