The Notes: Week of February 21 - February 25, 2022

Howdy, neighbors!  Welcome to a brand spankin' new Committee Week in Appleton city government.  This week has a full slate of meetings but for the Parks and Recreation Committee meeting which has been cancelled for this week.  Here's a brief rundown of what can be expected this week:

Monday, 02/21/2022

• Municipal Service Committee - 4:30pm: These committee members are charged with the review of quite a few items this week.  Among them are the following:

1. A recommendation of an outside contractor (at no charge to the city) for review of large projects (buildings over 50,000 cubic feet), 
2. The recommendation that overnight parking in the city's Yellow Parking Ramp (across from the library) be restricted to the 6th and 7th floors, 
3. The appeal of a $75 tire pick-up fee by a resident who claims that the tire had not been set out for pickup but rather somehow found its way onto the curb near his driveway,
4. Various and sundry traffic control/parking changes in multiple areas in the city, 
5. A preliminary resolution for the construction and tax assessment of sidewalks and driveway aprons on Amethyst Drive, Bluetopaz Drive, and Tiburon Lane, 
6. A no-action-item discussion of the process and possible redesign of Soldier's Square, 
7. A review of the city's crosswalk installation flowchart (which is of significant importance with all of the recent discussions on the "funds diversion resolution" that I've mentioned in many previous blog posts, most recently here), and 
8. An update on the transportation utility study process (most recently mentioned here).

Likely the most interesting and provocative item on this committee's agenda is the final action item: the discussion of a resolution presented at last week's full council meeting to amend/change the city's No Mow May policy to make it "more bee friendly."  The resolution suggests amendments to the current policy to change the maximum allowable height of grasses or weed growth during the No Mow May period from the current 8 inches to 12 inches.  I will be present at this meeting to hear the discussion in this regard; but I am not in favor of this resolution and it's proposed amendments to the policy at this time.  It is my concern that this policy itself causes undue neighborhood disruption and disharmony for the supposed benefit to the bee population in the city.  I believe that there are other more constructive and more appealing ways to encourage city property owners to plant flowers and bushes that would better encourage bee population stimulus than this no-mow policy.  Please let me know your thoughts on these proposed changes and the No Mow May policy in general.    

• Finance Committee - 5:30pm:  Many contract reviews and requests populate this committee's agenda for the week.  In addition, this committee will be asked to review appeals by a few property owners in the city for personal property tax refunds, real estate value reassessments, and the rescinding of personal property taxes for a business's non-taxable equipment which was erroneously reported as taxable. 
  
  
• Zoning Board of Appeals - 7pm:  As a Zoning Board of Appeals fan (odd, I know!), I am happy to see this agenda on the week's schedule!  The Board will review two property owner appeals.  The first appeal is from a homeowner on East Fremont Street who would like to build a front deck within the 20-foot front yard setback.  The second appeal is from a developer on a lot on Packard Street who would like to build a apartment building that is nearly two feet taller than the maximum allowed 60 feet.  Neither the homeowner's appeal nor the developer's appeal meets the "but for this variance, the property would not be usable" standard and I would expect board members to deny these applications for that reason.  But you just never know what will happen at a Zoning Board of Appeals meeting!  Listen in with me here Monday night if you are interested in the end results.

Tuesday, 02/22/2022

• Fox Cities Transit Commission - 3pm:  Commission members will review and look to approve the December 2021 and January 2022 payments, January financial statements and ridership and revenue reports for those months as well. 
  
  
• Utilities Committee - 5pm: There are a couple of Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and city stormwater reports and the potential approval of some contracts for organic recycling, native landscaping/ landscape management, and wetland delineation services for the city on this committee meeting agenda.  Also of interest is a follow up informational item regarding the city's Aquahawk program which was mentioned here last week.  
  

Wednesday, 02/23/2022

• City Plan Commission - 3:30pm: Commissioners will take up one item at their meeting on this Wednesday: the approval of a dedication of land for a public right-of-way for sidewalk on the Appleton Street side of the former Blue Ramp site adjacent to City Hall downtown. 
  
  
• Community and Economic Development Committee - 4:30pm:  The 2022 Downtown Sponsorship Agreement between the city of Appleton and Appleton Downtown, Inc. (ADI) is up for discussion and approval by these committee members.  A total transfer of $15,000 from the city budget to ADI for the sponsorship of downtown events such as Light Up Appleton, the summer farm market, and Small Business Saturday in the downtown area is proposed.
  
  
• Safety and Licensing Committee - 5:30pm:  This committee will hear more on the Intoxicated Bartender Ordinance proposed last month and further mentioned here.  There are also numerous liquor/beer and cigarette sales licenses up for approval by this committee.  
  
  
• Human Resources and Information Technology Committee - 6:30pm: A request for an "over-hire" (two people taking on one job for an overlapping period of time so as to transmit organizational knowledge during an employee's transition to retirement), some no-cost changes to the table of organization in the city's Information Technologies (IT) Department, and a proposed pay increase for the position of Pool Manager for the city are the action items to be discussed at this meeting. 
  

Thursday, 02/24/2022

• To finish out this Committee Meetings Week with a rare Thursday meeting, the Library Board will meet at 4pm.  Among other items to review by the Library Board are the recognition of the Volunteer of the Year, Lisa Gardiner, and the acknowledgement of receipt of a thank you note from a library scholarship recipient.  (Personal aside: It is so refreshing to know that thank you notes are still sent and recognized as received.  These are the things that we see less and less of these days so I'm glad to see this as an agenda item.) 

And that's that for this coming week, folks.  Thanks for reading this week.  I am always happy to receive feedback from readers and fellow District 13 neighbors and Appletonians.  Please contact me should you have any questions, opinions, or concerns with anything that I've written about above or if you just have a question or issue with which you think I can help.  I'm here to listen!  

Let's round out this last full week of February on a high note.  Have a great week and I'll see you back here next Sunday!