The Notes: Week of November 14 - November 18, 2022

Hi, Folks!  It's the middle of November (already!) and we are back in our groove of every other week of committee meetings and then full council meetings.  This week is a Full Common Council Meeting week and... of course there are a couple of other meetings scheduled, just to make my previous statement a bit untrue. 

Here's what we have on tap this week:

Tuesday, 11/15/2022

The full Library Board will meet at 4:30pm to approve the October bill register and some other housekeeping items.  They will also look to approve the proposed 2023 holiday and weekend library closure dates.  They will also review the latest update on the library project which I'm pleased to see includes this statement: City staff, Boldt, and the architects for the project are "reviewing the current design to reduce and/or modify the scope of the project."

Wednesday, 11/16/2022

The Human Resources and Information Technology Committee will hold a special meeting at 6:15pm (before the meeting of the full council) to take up a recent amendment offered for alderman salaries for those elected in April 2024.  As you might recall, in an earlier meeting of this committee, committee members decided against any increase in alderman pay for 2024.  I heartily agree that no salary increase for aldermen is warranted (as I mentioned here), especially at this time where much of the council seems to want to continue to increase the amount of property tax burden taxpayers must bear.  But in the process of alderman salary discussion at the regular full council meeting on 11/02/2022, an amendment came forward to eliminate the non-taxable benefit of a city ramp parking pass (for those aldermen who wish to use it) and instead increase the pay of all fifteen alderman by the book value of an annual parking pass in the city -- $480/year in 2023. 

Your alderman does not take advantage of the current parking pass benefit since parking downtown during scheduled city meeting times (afternoons and evenings) is most often free (after regular meter hours downtown) and easily accessible/available.  If I need to pay to park downtown during meeting hours, I simply plug a meter... just like you, neighbors.  I prefer not to charge you, the taxpayer, for a $480 annual parking pass since it is not necessary.  I feel that this is something all alderman should keep in mind when utilizing this parking pass benefit -- that it costs every taxpayer something for them to park in a parking ramp instead of seeking out free or less expensive parking options for parking downtown for meetings. 

So... as mentioned, instead of getting rid of the (non-taxable) parking pass benefit which is currently only used by some aldermen, a few on this council have decided to double down on the taxpayers of this city and instead offer a (taxable) increase of alderman salaries in the amount of $480 for all alderman -- a grand total of $7200 additional expense for taxpayers!  This is a ridiculous and indefensible ask, in my opinion.  It does not cost $480 for me to park downtown to do my job for you, neighbors.  You should not have to foot that bill just because some on this council would like this benefit added to their pay instead of as a separate line item expense on the city council budget.  I don't feel that aldermen require or deserve any special treatment for downtown parking... not any more than you do if you go downtown.  And to add insult to injury for aldermen, this proposal would also require each alderman and the city to pay more in income taxes.  The additional tax is a modest amount... but would still an additional expense to me as an alderman and to you and me as taxpayers in this city (for "company match" taxes). 

What do you think of this proposal?  Please let me know as soon as possible as I will need to take your opinions to this meeting as a member of this committee.  I intend to do my best to argue against this amendment so that we return to the original proposal this committee passed unanimously the last time we met -- no alderman pay increase.  

After this no-doubt heated discussion, the Full Common Council will meet (at 7pm or later if the committee discussion lasts longer than 45 minutes).

The full council meeting will begin with no resolutions presented by the mayor (!) and proceed through all of the items presented last week in committee meetings.  I expect this meeting to be a rather short one as there are very few items on the agenda for approval and only one seems to have a bit of community opposition (the proposed car wash on East Calumet Street).  If there is anything of interest on concern to you, please let me know.  

Thursday, 11/17/2022

On Thursday, the city meetings for the week will conclude with a special meeting of the Appleton Redevelopment Authority at 9am.   This committee has had a few meetings recently which have required them to go into closed session so this week's meeting should the public more aware of the subject of those closed sessions.  The agenda includes one action item (and a related notice that this committee may again go into closed session for discussions on this item): A request that the Appleton Redevelopment Authority sell the property just to the north of the existing downtown Valley Transit transit center (222 N Oneida Street) to Valley Transit for the proposed expansion/reconstruction of the transit center.  The Authority has owned this property -- which is in need of environmental remediation -- since 2017.  Consultants for Valley Transit have identified this property and the current transit center property as a good combined property on which to grow and improve the transit center in the city.  And Valley Transit is willing to proceed with the environmental remediation needed on this property after the sale.  I expect that this purchase will be acceptable to this committee and, in the near future, the full common council will see this item as up for approval as well.

And that will conclude this Full Council Week, Neighbors.  As always, I ask that you send me any comments or questions or concerns.  I am happy to hear from you and work with you on any questions you might have!  

When we next "meet," it will be Thanksgiving Week.  (WHAT?!)  Until then, I wish you all the best.  See you here again soon!