The Notes: Week of May 9 - May 13, 2022

Happy Mother's Day to all!  My reasons for celebration today are below.  My mother passed away a few years ago but, during her long life, showed me what it means to be a caring mother.  I'm grateful for all of the years I had with her and for the almost fifteen years I've had as a mother to my beautiful daughter, Nora.  I wish all of you -- mothers or not, whether your mothers are still here with you or not -- a lovely day today.   

Tomorrow begins Committee Meetings Week in City of Appleton government.  Below is a run-through of what we can expect this week:

 
Monday, 05/09/2022

The Municipal Services Committee starts the week with their 4:30pm Monday meeting.  They will likely take up a resolution regarding the city adding some construction on Soldier's Square downtown into the 5-Year Capital Improvement Plan (CIP).  While I wholly support a revamping of Soldier's Square to better honor our city's veterans, I do not support the city financing this project.  I suspect that there are many private donors who can and will step up to support the project financially once the project has a real, substantial plan (which it currently does not) and thereafter gets city approval for the work to proceed.  I do not know, though, that the project (again, as yet thoroughly defined) needs "5-Year CIP status" to move forward.  This resolution, in my opinion, was hastily written and the project needs much more groundwork lain before the common council can give it the go-ahead and private donations be properly put to work there.  Until then, I think it best to deny this resolution and have the project move forward in a more citizen-led manner until we can truly determine the direction it is to take. 

The committee will also hear about plans for street lane closures, etc., for the library construction project and a request from the city's Parade Committee for free parking on College Avenue (between State Street and Durkee Street) from 4:30pm to 6pm on Saturday, June 11, for a "Cavalcade Car Show" following the city's Flag Day Parade. 

The Finance Committee meeting will follow at 5:30pm.  A representative of Baird will present plans for bonds issuance for city financing -- $15.53M in General Obligation Notes (see breakdown below) and $11.46M in Sewerage System Revenue Bonds.  

The committee will also hear a request to purchase a current transformer (CT) cabinet and main switchgear for the library project now instead of later on in the library construction project due to long lead times (52- to 60-weeks!) for these items. 

The Parks and Recreation Committee meeting for the week (normally scheduled for 6:30pm) is cancelled.

Tuesday, 05/10/2022

This week's meeting of the Fox Cities Transit Commission (normally scheduled for 3pm) is cancelled. 

But the Utilities Committee will meet at 4:30pm and hear about Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) stormwater permitting in urban municipalities. 

Wednesday, 05/11/2022

The lucky folks on the city's Board of Health will meet at a bright and early 7am on Wednesday.  They will elect a vice chairman, designate a contact person, hear a COVID-19 report (apparently we are not beyond this yet), and review approved noise variances in the city. 

The Board of Review will meet at 3pm for their usually-once-per-year public hearing of any and all requests for reconsideration of real property assessments by property owners in the city.  This year, there is only one property owner requesting a revision of property value assessment... and it's the same property owner who made this same request last year.  The owners of the Dental Associates building at 2115 E Evergreen Drive believe that that property should only be valued at $740,770 and the city's assessment is $1,754,300.  The evidence last year was just not enough for the city's assessment to be overturned.  I suspect -- though one can never tell! -- that the results of this year's meeting will be the same as last year's for this property owner.  

At 3:30pm, the City Plan Commission will meet to discuss an issue of interest to District 13 neighbors.  Apostolic Truth Church, the owners of the "field" in the middle of French Road, Glory Lane, Providence Avenue, and Ashbury Drive are requesting a city comprehensive plan and zoning change for that property from One- and Two-Family and Multi-Family Residential to Public Institutional for the purposes of construction of their new place of worship.  The city staff review of the request states that they recommend approval of this rezoning and change to the city's comprehensive plan. 

Neighbors who have any questions or concerns are asked to make public comment at this commission meeting and I will be in attendance for this meeting as well.  So you can ask me any questions ahead of time and I can relay them to the commission members during the meeting if you are unable to attend.  Please feel free to contact me should you have any questions or concerns in this regard. 

The Community and Economic Development Committee will meet a bit later at 4:30pm.  They will discuss and vote on whether to recommend full council approval of two variances to the deed covenants and restrictions for a property in the city's Southpoint Commerce Park.  The Community and Economic Development Department recommends that the committee approve these variances and there will likely be little or no opposition to them.

Because this week's meeting of the Human Resources and Information Technology Committee (usually scheduled for 6:30pm) is cancelled, the Safety and Licensing Committee (which meets at 5:30pm) will round out this Committee Meetings Week.  Members of the Safety and Licensing Committee will take up the recommended denial of an operator license for an "habitual offender" with a sordid legal past, many annual liquor license renewals, a couple of pet store applications/renewals, and a rehashing of a "excessive vehicle noise" resolution from September of 2021. 

Of some importance is the agenda item calling for the committee to approve some small redistricting changes that must be done in Appleton to make the city's voting wards align properly with the finally-approved state district maps (subsequent to the latest redistricting required after the 2020 census).  The city clerk's office has provided the committee with two options for making this realignment occur in the city.  Clerk Lynch's memo in this regard explains the two options.  As a member of the committee, I will be taking part in the decision which will come forward to the full council next week.  At this point, I am leaning towards Option 2 as it allows for fewer ballot styles within the city (which likely means a lower ballot printing cost and less potential for voter confusion).  But I'm open to the discussion and will hear all arguments either way.  If you have any questions on these potential changes (which will only potentially affect some neighbors in Districts 3 and 4 in the city), please let me know.  

Thanks for reading today's post.  I'm always grateful for feedback on these blog posts and anything else of interest or concern to you as a citizen of Appleton.  Enjoy the rest of your Mother's Day!  I'll be back here next week for another post and I hope you'll join me!