Resident says developer faced weeks of nonresponse and extra fees, urges city follow‑up

Jerry Tanis, a Napoleon resident who said he has lived in the city for 64 years, used the citizen‑comment period to describe a stalled lot sale and what he called repeated communication failures between a developer and city staff.

Tanis said the developer attempted to contact the city by email and phone for three to four weeks with no reply, and that the buyer threatened to withdraw four days before a scheduled closing after receiving a city rejection letter. He said the city's additional requirements increased costs by about $22,000 on a lot he reported selling for $40,000. "It's roadblock after roadblock," Tanis said, and later added, "The communication point blank sucks. It's horrible." He told council he had instructed the developer to stop direct contact with the city and to communicate through him going forward.

Council members and staff offered to follow up. Chad and Lori told Tanis they would connect with him after the meeting to gather details and determine whether the matter should be handled by municipal property management or another office. Chad said he would be happy to connect with Tanis outside the meeting and get the issue addressed.

Tanis also said he would "keep you posted on retaliation because I guarantee I will be retaliated against," and council members encouraged him to share contact information and provide documentation so staff could investigate. No formal council action or finding was taken during the meeting; members committed to follow up with the resident and staff to review the case.

The exchange raised questions about permitting communication and customer service processes; council members asked staff to take the lead on contacting Tanis for further detail so they could determine next steps.