The Notes: Week of January 03 - January 07, 2022

Happy first Sunday of the year, Neighbors!  I'm so glad that you've stopped in for an update.  Unfortunately, there's not a lot for me to share with you today.  Since the fourth week of December was "Cancelled Week" instead of Committee Week, there are no committee items to take to the full common council on this Full Council Week.  In the final full council meeting of 2021, the mayor proposed and the common council agreed unanimously to cancel the Wednesday, 01/05/2022, full council meeting.  And here you have it... a Cancelled Full Council Week!  

For those of you who have stuck around past that final sentence in the above paragraph... there is one city meeting this week to preface: The Board of Building Inspection will meet on Thursday, 01/06/2022, to discuss and perhaps grant a variance for a business located at 101 W Edison Street.  There's not much to be said about this variance request except that the current municipal code requires the installation of automatic sprinklers for this space and the applicant is asking not to have to do so.  No further background is given in the variance request paperwork on file so we will all have to tune in online on Thursday afternoon at 3pm to find out more about the request.  (I'm going to guess you won't be doing that; but in case you are interested, use this link and choose "this week" in the search area at the top.  When the meeting is live, there will be a link available in the "Video" column to watch as the meeting progresses.)

For some other happenings in city business, please check the following websites/Facebook pages:

• The City of Appleton Department of Public Works Facebook page has information on the city's Tree for a Tree program and also provides information and dates for Christmas tree curbside pickup throughout the city.    
  
  
• The City of Appleton Human Resources Department job opportunities page lists twenty-four jobs available for hire within the city.  If you are looking for a change of pace or change of career in 2022, perhaps the city has something available for you!  
  
  
• Though it's an advisory board and not listed as a meeting of a governmental body, the Police Chief's/Police Department Community Advisory Board has a meeting scheduled for Monday, 01/03/2022, at 6pm at the Appleton Public Library.  There's no posted 01/03/2022 agenda so what will be discussed is as yet unknown.  But if you are interested, you're welcome to attend. 
  
  

I know some of my neighbors are concerned about the quality of snow plowing/removal in our neighborhoods.  Some of you have already made inroads with some city staff in this regard with telephone calls as well.  Our neighborhoods are, unfortunately, considered less of a priority for snow removal than the main arterial roadways in the city.  As such, there is generally a delay in the snow plowing service we receive and sometimes city plows don't arrive here until long after many of us have had to drive over the snow-covered roadways, compacting the snow.  Then the subsequent snow and ice removal has been less than ideal.  As such, I will be in further contact with the Department of Public Works Director this coming week to trouble-shoot this issue a bit more and see whether anything more can be done to rectify the situation and make our neighborhoods safer for winter driving.  I will be sure to share with you whatever relevant information or ideas come from those conversations.  

Please let me know if you have other questions or concerns for me and I will be happy to listen and help where I can.

Until next week when I expect there will be much more to talk about... have a great week, folks!