The Presque Isle Town Board addressed an open records request submitted by The Lakeland Times which includes a report from Madison-based Special Investigations & Forensic Technologies (SIFT) during a meeting on May 15.
The town’s struggles were detailed in a May 20, 2025 article by Trevor Greene that appeared in The Lakeland Times of Minocqua.
Brought on after a contentious April 2023 election for town chair, SIFT was hired by the town board to look into town computers long-time town clerk Lorine Walters and her son, Jim Walters, had access to. SIFT was to deter- mine if there was any destruction of town property or records, according to the article.
Two years later, the board’s problems shifted to SIFT. Town clerk Kim Prott said at the May 15 meeting said the company has been contacted, but failed to provide a report the town paid for and requested. The board agreed to request SIFT return two town computers it’s still in possession of, with the town to pay for postage.
It then agreed to request an invoice from SIFT for money the company contends the town still owes it, which totals $1,812.
The board also agreed to have Town Chair Al Eschenbauch write an email to the Times and include the sheriff’s office explanation that the town doesn’t have the requested records from SIFT yet, which is why the records request hasn’t been able to be satisfied.
