An accounting
Why so ugly?
A short reckoning with the only payment I was promised — and why the website now looks the way it does.
I built this website. I also built the eat. app for the progressive dinner, the Skyway Social app, the volunteer hub, the survey infrastructure, the library, the admin platform, the mission and about copy — and the map at spskyway.com. About 700 hours of volunteer work over fourteen weeks.
The agreed payment was simple, and it was the only payment I ever asked for: attribution, plus the ability to speak on the work if anyone asked. No salary. No equity. No invoices. Credit and voice — that is what was promised.
In April 2026, the Saint Paul Voice ran the first article about the group. The map was not credited and the link was not included. I asked Bill Hanley, over email, where the attribution was. So I called the publisher directly, spoke to Tim, and got the piece updated the same afternoon. I forwarded Bill a screenshot of the corrected paragraph with the new line highlighted — “created by group member and independent software developer Jacob Ramos and accessible at spskyway.com” — and wrote “More accurate.” Bill assumed I had edited the article myself and replied that, in his forty years as a reporter and editor, you can’t dictate how reporters write. I hadn’t edited anything. I had asked a reporter to add the credit a volunteer had been promised, and the reporter agreed it was fair.
Two weeks later, on May 10, 2026, the Pioneer Press ran a longer feature. Same problem. The map was credited to the organization, the website was credited to the organization, and spskyway.com appeared nowhere. I wrote to the reporter and got a hyperlink added. Then I wrote to Nancy and Bill and asked — for the second time in two weeks — that we put the attribution agreement on paper going forward.
Here is what came back:
The previous verbal commitments can no longer be carried forward.— Nancy Kehmeier, President · May 12, 2026
The only thing I asked for was withdrawn the moment I asked for it in writing. Attribution and voice — the two things this work was traded for — were declared no longer in effect, and a “clear and complete separation” between Open-Civ and Friends of the Skyway was demanded in the same paragraph.
So I separated. I pulled my tooling. The survey, the library, the admin, the events system, the volunteer dashboards, the shareable links, the email pipeline, the personalized volunteer pages — all of it was code I wrote, and all of it came down. What remains at skywayfriends.org is the minimum the agreement now permits: a few sentences, no forms, no images, and a byline that points exactly where the organization said attribution should point.
I am still a friend of the skyway. I am not a friend of Nancy Kehmeier and Bill Hanley. The cause is real and worth supporting. The behavior is not.
Four email threads are below, oldest first within each, in the order they happened. April’s thread is short — one afternoon. May’s first thread runs three days. The third is the week after that — three messages, the day the homepage you came from went up. The fourth is the day after that — three messages, sent within twelve minutes, after a broadcast went to the list. Nothing has been edited beyond trimming signature blocks for readability.
Article one · Saint Paul Voice · 11 messages · April 27, 2026 · one afternoon
April: the first article
Bill Hanley forwards the PDF of the published Saint Paul Voice piece. The map is uncredited and unlinked. Jacob asks where his attribution is. Bill replies that you can’t dictate how reporters write. Jacob calls the publisher directly, gets the article corrected, and informs Bill and Nancy.
Attached.
Where is the mention of my work or an actual link to the map?
Yes. The writer was very apologetic about all the details he would be unable to include. Of course, we would each have had different priorities.
Whose email did he include in the article? I’m not familiar with it.
I wondered that too. He must have scraped that off my email signature. I use it for some of my other “Active Residents” work (Skyway Blood drive, Skyway 5K) which was also included in this article.
Interesting.
https://www.skywayfriends.org/#join
More accurate.
Ha. Yes! Wouldn’t it be [great if] we could dictate how reporters and editors think and write! Unfortunately, in my 40 years as both a reporter and editor… it has never been thus! My Skyway5K friends agree!
I called in and spoke with Tim. I did dictate how they wrote. It’s up and live. Thanks.
https://www.stpaulpublishing.com/friends-of-the-st-paul-skyway-crafting-action-plan/
“Dictate” is the wrong word for me to use.
I asked him to give me credit for my intellectual property that I have spent 11 weeks on and countless sleepless nights. He agreed it was unfair to not be mentioned when I have done all of this for free. I don’t think it took away from your shine at all.
Article two · Pioneer Press · 8 messages · May 10 – 12, 2026 · three days
May: the second article, and the answer
Two weeks later. Same problem in a bigger paper. Jacob writes to the reporter, gets the link added, then writes to Nancy and Bill asking that we get the attribution agreement on paper going forward. Nancy revokes it instead.
Friends of the Skyway Article — Intellectual Property and Attribution
Hello Frederick,
My name is Jacob Ramos. I am the Technical Director for Friends of the Saint Paul Skyway. I maintain the website, built the eat. app to support the progressive dinner, built and wrote the website (including the library, all my ideas and words, including the mission statement), built the social app to support the Skyway Social event, and I built the map at spskyway.com.
Proper attribution was part of the agreement for me working for free on all of these projects. Unfortunately, Nancy and Bill have failed several times to do so. I’ve begun to regret partnering with them because they are failing to uphold the terms of our original deal — proper attribution for my work. I have received no money. It is literally the least that can be done for 700 hours of work.
From my map’s legal page:
Any permission any such community group or its affiliates may have to access, display, link to, embed, or reference the Service is a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable, non-sublicensable, royalty-free, and fully revocable license, terminable at any time for any reason or no reason, and conditioned on prominent and proper attribution to “Jacob Ramos / Open-Civ” together with a working, user-visible link to spskyway.com.
For all references to the map, please direct people to the proper link and attribute me as the Technical Director in charge of digital organizing. The current phrasing suggests they are paying me for this work. They are not. I am a volunteer who loves the skyway, and would also like to be recognized for my work.
This has happened again with the Saint Paul Voice, and others are growing impatient regarding their own work. I do not want to cut the map off from the website because it is important to the work, but proper attribution in media was an agreement that Nancy and I made from the beginning.
Thank you for your time and understanding regarding this important matter.
Thanks for writing, Jacob. It’s a very elaborate and good-looking website. Nancy did mention she had a volunteer who did an outstanding job on it. The article was about skyway advocacy — not about who built or did what behind the scenes — but I can understand some of your frustration if you feel you haven’t gotten sufficient promotion in the process.
I’m out at Mother’s Day events all day through this evening and quite literally writing from the passenger seat while in transit in between events. Let me confer with editors and see what we can do in the morning?
Thanks for getting back to me, Frederick. Yes, that timeline works for me.
Please let the team know — the main concern is that we are sending folks to the wrong web address for the map. It can be found at SPSkyway.com. I think it would help your readers know where they can access the resource that I built.
I am less concerned about personal attribution, as I genuinely built it to help, but it’s frustrating that they never could have done it and make it look like they put it on. It feels like my product has been co-opted, and this has affected multiple opportunities for me, separate from press. People have reached out to them for business inquiries and they have turned them down and didn’t even inform me. They have no right to do that, and I think it would be less easy for them to do so if I were given proper attribution. But again, the main concern is sending people to the right place — though I would so appreciate if you could do both.
Have a great Mother’s Day!
Jacob, I’ve added a hotlink under “online maps,” as so:
Alarmed by growing difficulties for skyway-level residents, workers and shop owners, Kehmeier joined forces with fellow skyway denizens to launch Friends of the Skyway in January. Part advocacy group, part social network, the nonprofit association, alternately known as Friends of the St. Paul Skyway, maintains an elaborate website (SkywayFriends.org) with online maps, invitations to group dinners and social hours, and new survey results highlighting the pleasures and pains associated with skyway living.
Thanks for writing.
Dear Bill and Nancy,
I am writing to address the fact that I have had to request corrections on a published article for the second time.
Moving forward, I ask that we ensure all media communications direct readers to the correct web locations. Proper attribution and accurate links are essential, particularly regarding the map and the digital infrastructure I have developed for the organization.
I hope you have a productive day.
Jacob,
We sincerely appreciate the time, energy, and expertise you and all the other Friends of the Skyway members have volunteered. In your case that would include the Skyway Map, the eat. app, and the other tools you’ve contributed to the organization. We’re sorry to hear that in recent weeks you’ve come to feel under-recognized and unsupported — that was never our intention for any of the considerable hours and “intellectual property” contributed by any of the members.
Given where things stand between you and the group, it may be worth thoughtfully considering whether a full separation between your company and Friends of the Skyway would allow you the space to focus on building your new business.
Dear Nancy,
That is quite a misrepresentation of the situation. My only request is for proper attribution.
I look forward to continuing my support for skyway activation based on the original terms we agreed upon and that I have documented.
Jacob,
Thank you for your message. We appreciate the role you’ve played in the skyway activation discussions and the commitment you’ve shown throughout this process. As the situation has evolved, the context and conditions surrounding our earlier conversations have shifted as well. Because of these changes, the previous verbal commitments can no longer be carried forward.
We also understand that attribution is important to you. Within a volunteer-driven organization, attribution functions differently than it does in a business environment, and this distinction makes it even more important to maintain a clear and complete separation between your company and Friends of the Skyway. This separation is necessary to uphold the collaborative standards and reputation expectations that have become a concern in recent interactions.
A week passed. On the morning of May 18, Nancy sent a four-part demand asking for written confirmation of what was and wasn’t owned. Within a day the new homepage went live — four sentences, no tooling, no images, every contribution attributed in the singular to Nancy Kehmeier, President, exactly where the organization had said attribution should now point. She noticed by that evening, and the dispute escalated from attribution to ownership of the website itself. Note the sentence embedded in her second message: “The information below will be conveyed to the necessary individuals, with one exception.” What that means, and to whom, is not specified.
Aftermath · Clarifications · 3 messages · May 18–19, 2026 · two days
May 18–19: the ownership demand
A week after the verbal agreement is withdrawn, Nancy sends a four-part demand asking for written confirmation of what is and isn’t owned. Within a day the new homepage goes live — four sentences, attributed to her. She sees it that evening and the dispute escalates from attribution to ownership of the website itself.
Clarifications
Jacob -
Several weeks ago, we exchanged correspondence regarding Open‑Civ and the intellectual property rights you have asserted. I am now receiving inquiries from multiple volunteers associated with the Friends of the Saint Paul Skyway. To ensure full transparency and to prevent any further misunderstanding, I require written confirmation of the following statements. For the avoidance of doubt, these are the only matters within scope for this discussion, and my request is limited exclusively to the items listed below.
Intellectual property ownership — Jacob Ramos and/or Open‑Civ are the sole owners of all intellectual property rights associated with the Skyway Map web application and the eat. web application. This includes, without limitation, source code, design elements, data structures, and any related proprietary materials. No other applications, projects, or materials are included within the scope of this inquiry.
Website ownership — Jacob Ramos and/or Open‑Civ are the sole owners and rights holders of the following websites, and only these websites: spskyway.com, skywayfriends.org, eat.skywayfriends.org, social.skywayfriends.org. Ownership includes all associated domains, content, code, administrative access, and related digital assets. No additional domains or digital properties are included within the scope of this inquiry.
Use of membership data — Jacob Ramos and/or Open‑Civ assert a right to use the Friends of the Saint Paul Skyway membership data that was collected. Volunteers provided their information with the reasonable expectation that it would be used solely for Friends of the Saint Paul Skyway–related purposes. You are required to provide explicit clarification of the legal basis under which you claim the right to use this data for any purpose beyond that scope. This request pertains only to the membership data referenced above and no other datasets.
Use of organizational names — Jacob Ramos and/or Open‑Civ do not have the right to use the names “Friends of the Saint Paul Skyway,” “Friends of the Skyway,” or “Skyway Friends” to imply or express endorsement, sponsorship, partnership, or attribution of credit. No other names or marks are included within the scope of this inquiry.
Please confirm the accuracy of each statement above as written, or provide revised language that accurately reflects your position without ambiguity. A clear and complete written response is expected.
Thank you,
Jacob,
It has come to our attention that you responded to this communication by modifying the Friends of the Saint Paul Skyway / Friends of the Skyway / Skyway Friends website at skywayfriends.org. The information below will be conveyed to the necessary individuals, with one exception. By attributing all website content to me in my capacity as President of the Friends of the Saint Paul Skyway, you have created a representation that requires immediate correction. Accordingly, you are required to promptly transfer full ownership, administrative rights, and control of the website back to the Friends of the Saint Paul Skyway. The site was funded by an anonymous donor for the organization’s exclusive benefit and must be returned to organizational control without further delay.
Hi Nancy,
I have taken down the website I created because the original terms were no longer being met, not as a direct response to your recent email. While I understand you no longer wish to attribute my work or contributions, this is the resulting outcome.
Please be advised that I will not be performing any further work on your behalf.
A few hours later. At 1:06 PM the following day — May 20 — a short on-the-record email went out from jacob@skywayfriends.org to 577 people on the list: members, volunteers, journalists, neighbors, plus Nancy and Bill, who are on it. By 5:17 PM, Nancy had her response: accept the resignation, transfer both skywayfriends.org and skywayfriends.com domain licenses to her personally, do it today. I bought both domains with my own money — that has been the unchanged fact of this entire story. Below, the exchange that followed. The last message is one line: Nancy’s own May 12 sentence, returned to her unaltered.
Aftermath · Domain demand · 3 messages · May 20, 2026 · one afternoon
May 20: the domain demand, after the broadcast
Hours after the broadcast email goes out to 577 people on the skywayfriends.org list, Nancy replies. She accepts the resignation and demands transfer of both skywayfriends.org and skywayfriends.com to her personally, today. Jacob declines — he bought the domains himself — and follows up with one line: Nancy’s own May 12 sentence, returned to her unaltered.
Re: I’m no longer working with Friends of the Skyway. Here’s why.
Jacob,
We have received and accept your resignation from your volunteer role with Skyway Friends.
The final step required to complete your departure is the transfer of the domain licenses for skywayfriends.org and skywayfriends.com to Nancy Kehmeier. Please initiate this transfer today and forward the confirmation.
Thank you for the time you contributed to the organization. We wish you the best.
Nancy,
After much thoughtful consideration, no. As I chose the domain name, and returned the investment for purchasing them, both domains are mine. If you are having trouble, just Google “how do I buy a domain” and there should be good help there.
Because of these changes, the previous verbal commitments can no longer be carried forward.
For the record. I purchased skywayfriends.org and skywayfriends.com with my own money. There was no anonymous donor for the domains. There was no donation. The terms I worked for — attribution and voice in exchange for the work — were revoked by the organization on May 12, before any of this. The obligation to transfer anything to anyone went with them.
If you came here from skywayfriends.org wondering why the homepage now reads like a third-grader’s book report attributed to a single person — that is your answer. The site’s author was asked to leave; this is what the website is now allowed to be.
Credit costs nothing. Honor the people who showed up.
The map is still alive, fully attributed, at spskyway.com. The other tools — eat., Social, the volunteer hub, the library, the admin platform — are being rebuilt at open-civ.com for communities that honor their volunteers.