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

Hello again, Neighbors!  Thanks so much for all of your feedback all last week regarding the items on the full council agenda and the special session that was scheduled for last Thursday.  The special session, it turns out, was cancelled due to a lack of quorum.  State statutes require two-thirds of the full council to be present in order to conduct a full council meeting and too many of the council members called in to the mayor's office beforehand to report that they would be unable to attend that meeting.  I expect another special session to be scheduled in the near future to go over that one agenda item.  (See here for a refresher on that topic.)

We are now full steam ahead into another Committee Week and there is a full slate of meetings about which to inform you!  I'll give a quick run-down of the highlights and you can always contact me should you have any questions or concerns about these or any other city government topic. 

Monday, 03/21/2022

Municipal Services Committee - 4:30pm: This should be an interesting meeting.  There are some parking and traffic control changes to be reviewed and approved by this committee.  Then they will review the parking utility annual report for 2021.  Spoiler alert: the parking utility did not end 2021 in the red only because of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds deposit of ~$1.5M.  They'll also have a discussion on the possible redesign of Soldier Square in downtown Appleton, review the city's crosswalk installation evaluation flowchart (this after the council approved a $75k consultant for pedestrian safety through the "funds diversion resolution" last Wednesday night.  Note: Your alderman argued and voted against this spending.), and see the latest "large item curbside collection" educational documents. 

Finance Committee - 5:30pm:  This committee will discuss 1) a deeding of portions of city-owned land on Gardenia Drive (acquired by the city for a street right-of-way) to the abutting neighboring properties to eliminate the need for city maintenance of said properties, 2) a $335k award for hardscape renovation at the city's wastewater treatment plant, 3) approving 2021 final budget adjustments, and 4) review a plan to help the city attract seasonal (summer) employees.  The latter includes the city offering $100 hiring bonuses (which requires an employee work through July 31st), $100 retention bonuses (for working through August 26th), pay increases of $1/hour for Fridays/Saturdays/Sundays, referral bonuses of $50/person referred and hired, and $1/hour pay increases for April/September/October.  The areas for which the city is really searching for employees are grounds maintenance, pool lifeguards and slide attendants, and umpires.  So if you know of a college-aged child in need of a great summer job, this summer may be a great one for him/her with the City of Appleton!

Parks and Recreation Committee - 6:30pm:  This committee will hear the same presentation of the city's seasonal employee incentives plan as communicated to the Finance Committee in their earlier meeting. 

Board of Zoning Appeals - 7:30pm:  As is always the case, this board will hear some interesting appeals from City of Appleton property owners.  A property owner on John and Rail Streets would like to tear down his existing detached garage and replace it with an attached garage that would be only twelve feet from his property line where twenty feet is required.  Another property owner (a developer) would like a variance to place a dumpster enclosure (for a mixed use building on this property) on the property's lot line rather than five feet off the lot line as required by code.  I suspect that one of the two of these will be approved and the other will likely not.  Tune in (if you're an interested nerd like me) to find out if I've guessed correctly!

Tuesday, 03/22/2022 

Fox Cities Transit Commission - 3pm:  The commission will review the payments, financial report, and ridership report for February 2022 (they seem to be a little bit behind here) and potentially approve the purchase of a fleet vehicle for support services for Valley Transit. 

Utilities Committee - 5pm:  There is only one action item on this committee's agenda (approval of a contract for sanitary and storm sewer cleaning).  But then they will discuss "all things water main breaks" -- the 2021 year-end summary of water main breaks, a 5-year water main break map, and the January 2022 and February 2022 water main break reports. 

Wednesday, 03/23/2022

City Plan Commission - 3:30pm:  Tipsy Taco (planned location at the corner of South Memorial Drive and West College Avenue) and All Tied Up Floral Cafe (planned location of 324 E College Avenue) and Desamour Properties (planned location at the corner of North Badger Avenue/North Linwood Avenue and West Spring Street) are each requesting special use permits for alcohol sales and service.  The commission will then take up a change to the floodplain zoning in the Apple Fields subdivision here in District 13 (as mapped and reviewed by FEMA and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR)).  

Community and Economic Development Committee - 4:30pm:  The city has received an offer to purchase a lot in the Southpoint Commerce Park and this committee will discuss the offer and whether the city should accept it.  Once that's decided, there will be a presentation regarding the Afghan refugee resettlement in the area and city staff's involvement in this effort.  I will be interested to hear about this as I was a proponent of an official follow-up by the city on this issue when the council approved a resolution regarding the city offering assistance in this resettlement back in September.  

Safety and Licensing Committee - 5:30pm: There are two liquor license requests on this committee's agenda.  The committee will also hear from the City Clerk regarding alcohol license quotas in the city and reminders about the upcoming spring election.  The city's website has a very helpful and informative page in this regard.

Also... here's a reminder from your alderman in that regard: PLEASE VOTE on Tuesday, April 5th!  Many of you have the pleasure -- as I do! -- to live in both District 13 in the City of Appleton AND in District 22 in Outagamie County.  If you would like the same sort of regular updates on Outagamie County government happenings as you receive here for the City of Appleton and if you would appreciate a county supervisor who will work tirelessly to help keep your tax dollars low, I ask for your vote in the Outagamie County supervisor race.  Please contact me (at my campaign email address) for more information or if you have county government questions for me.

Human Resources and Information Technology Committee - 6:30pm: The city's Department of Public Works (DPW) is asking this committee to approve converting a half-time purchasing job in the department to a full-time position due to the work demands of the position and the fact that purchasing for the DPW is currently requiring the supplementing of over 900 work hours a year from employees in other divisions.  This will, of course, result in a budgetary change for the salary and benefits for this position which the department proposes to "find" by reducing their part-time seasonal budget and using some "vacant" DPW salary dollars.  I'm a bit concerned about this from a budget standpoint... but if the need is there, this position should be changed to full-time to support the DPW operations for the city.  This committee will also review the aforementioned seasonal employee incentive plan for the city.  

Friday, 03/25/2022

Library Board - 12pm:  This board will wrap up Committee Week with a rare Friday meeting.  There will be a library project update from the project's architects at this meeting so everyone should be interested and concerned.  There is also an agenda item titled "Discussion of Updated Building Design Presentation."  As we learned last week, there are reasons to be concerned about the budget for this project and the timing of the public versus private funding as it relates to the project.  As the project moves along, I will be interested to learn how and where and when adjustments to the project can be made to accommodate the funds availability.  I hope we will hear a bit about that in this presentation.
  

I'm so glad that you tuned in again this week to read what's happening in your city's government.  As always, I'm here to listen to your questions, thoughts, concerns regarding city government happenings.  I hope your week ahead is full of sunshine and warm temperatures... though I know we can't count on Mother Nature for that during this time of the year here.  "See" you again next week!