The Notes: Week of March 20 - March 24, 2023

It's looking like it will be a busy and interesting week -- well, Monday, at least! -- in City of Appleton government, folks.  So thank you for joining me back here again for another alderman blog installment.

Monday, 03/20/2023

CEA Review Committee - 3:30pm  We start the week with a meeting of a committee which rarely meets.  The Central Equipment Agency (CEA) in the city is where city fleet vehicles are managed and maintained and the costs of these vehicles is distributed from CEA to the departments which utilize the vehicles.  The Review Committee will take up the following requests from city departments:

• Upgrade a truck used by the Facilities Management group from an extended cab rear-wheel-drive truck to a crew cab four-wheel-drive truck when it's time for replacement in 2024.  The upgrade is an additional $5,000 estimated cost but will help to better serve the department with more supplies/personnel space and better maneuverability in winter weather. 
• Approve a multiple-step reassignment of some vehicles for the EMS Battalion Chief and Fire Chief due to some supply chain issues in receiving vehicles already on order. 
• Add a roller vehicle that was already directly purchased by Reid Golf Course to the CEA fleet (transferring it from being directly owned by the golf course).  This move will allow the golf course to come up with a small amount of funds for the replacement of the roller during the ten years of its estimated life rather than having to budget for the full purchase price ten years from now.  
• Add a new vehicle to the fleet for public health nurse use.  Apparently, there has been an "exponential growth" in TB cases in the city which require public health nurse travel.  I wonder why we haven't heard much about this case uptick before this vehicle request!
• Approve a request to keep a low-mileage weed-mowing tractor in the fleet after it is replaced in 2024.  The tractor, which is currently used by the Parks and Recreation Facilities Management Department would be moved to the Stormwater fleet but be occasionally used by both departments as the need arises.  This seems a wise use of a low-mileage vehicle for limited cost at this time. 
• A host of departments have seasonal uses for and request approval of some fleet vehicles.  This committee will be asked to make those approvals. 
  

Municipal Services Committee - 4:30pm  Here's where things get interesting this week, Neighbors.  If you have any thoughts or concerns about the following issues to be taken up by this committee on Monday evening, please consider attending this meeting or, at the least, sending me a direct email with your thoughts for me to carry to this meeting (which I will attend despite my not being member of this committee).  The "easy" items on the agenda include the following:  

• A request to amend a consulting contract to include the preparation of a "bridge rehabilitation report."  The report will cost the city $11,400 in additional consultant fees but is required by the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) in order for the city to qualify to apply for a bridge rehabilitation program from the WisDOT.  The report is no guarantee of WisDOT funds assistance for the project... but it must be done in order for the city to even apply for the funding!  This is what one might consider dysfunction in government, folks. 
• A request from the Hilton Paper Valley to place tables and chairs in the amenity strip on College Avenue (in front of the Starbucks entrance).  

And then there are the more complicated discussions of and committee votes on the following more controversial items:

• The potential approval of a one-year Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the city and Bird Rides, Inc for the continuation of Bird electric scooters in the city.  In the past couple of years, the scooters in the city have been a part of a "pilot" plan.  This year, they would like to remove the "pilot" terminology and make it simply a "program."  The renewal of the MOU will be for one year (rather than the earlier proposed two-year renewal) and include an increase in the per-ride fee that the city recoups from Bird from $0.10/ride to $0.20/ride.  These two items were requested by me as your alderman -- I requested that the renewal term remaining at one year rather than increasing to two years -- and Alderman Chad Doran of District 15 -- he requested that the city recoup a bit more from Bird for the privilege of having the scooters allowed in the city, for the additional work required of city staff for fielding complaints and questions regarding the program, and for the additional calls that the Appleton Police Department must field for scooter-related incidents and accidents.
  
  There is still the concern of many that there is a lot of underage use of these contracted scooters in the city.  While I have no issue at all with parents purchasing and allowing their own children to ride personal electric scooters in the city (that is an individual's right as a parent and comes with personal risk and expense if accidents occur), I do have an issue with a city-contracted scooter service not curbing underage use (as this could lead the city to having some legal liability should accidents occur with underage users).  Bird has stated that they will use some ID-checking functionality on their app for some time to try to help curb underage use of their scooters.  But that is not contractually guaranteed in the currently proposed MOU.    
  
  The changes in the MOU from its original proposal are welcome and make this more palatable to me as your representative.  But please let me know your thoughts and concerns regarding this program so that I can pose any additional questions to Bird representatives who will be present at this committee meeting.    
  
  
• The potential approval of the downtown College Avenue Lane Reconfiguration Plan.  This project has been mentioned and discussed several times in this blog and in the local press.  The most comprehensive information about the proposed project can be found here.
  
  This committee's approval at this meeting would mean that the project would also go to the full council for approval for city staff to go out to bid for the project.  If the full council approves this first step, there will also be a second approval step for the project -- approval of the bid for a contractor to perform the restriping.  This will give both this committee and the full council a further chance to review public feedback on the project and a second chance for a "go vote" for or against the project.
  
  
  

While I am not pleased with spending money on this corridor instead of on other city projects which have had to be delayed due to funding issues, I do see this project as an opportunity for the city to address some concerns of downtown residents and businesses for a *relatively* low cost.  What pains me about this project, though, is that the squeakiest wheel is seeming to get the grease.  But I am not opposed to this as a pilot plan... in the hopes that this plan satisfies those who have been most vocal about their desires to "calm" this downtown traffic corridor so that we can move on to addressing the more pressing infrastructure issues the city faces.      

How do you feel about this proposed project?  Please, when you share this information with me, also let me know how often and how you yourself utilize this traffic corridor and how you expect the proposed changes will directly affect you. 

• The discussion and vote on Resolution #2-R-23 - Resolution to Eliminate No Mow May.  As the resolution clearly and factually states, the paper on which the entire No Mow May initiative was based has been retracted by the paper's authors and has been disputed as factually erroneous.  As such, there is no longer a proven scientific basis for continuing No Mow May in Appleton.  
  
  While I have absolutely nothing against encouraging and helping to grow the bee population in Appleton and on this planet, I do have an issue with doing things which are not scientifically proven to be successful.  This is especially important after all that we've learned in the time since March 2020 about governmental overreach based on shaky, limited, or really the absence of unequivocal science and the limited ability for citizens to request repeals of governmental pressures when new scientific evidence is determined or presented. 
  
  I would love for the city to encourage citizens and property owners to plant bee-friendly early blooming plants and trees to help support and grow the bee population in early spring.  But long grass growth and the invasives and pest growth that tends to come with that is not something I believe best for this city or citizens.  This is not an opinion contradictory to the one I've had since serving District 13 as your alderman in my first discussions of the approval of No Mow May as a permanent portion of the city's municipal code last year.  (My earlier posts in this regard can be found here, here, here, and here.)  And now, due to the retraction of the scientific paper on the basis of "several potential inconsistencies in data handling and reporting," there is a distinct lack of evidence that long grass growth in May actually aids local bee populations.  There is plenty of anecdotal evidence which the loyalists and proponents of No Mow May continually provide as "proof" of its success.  But is anecdotal evidence enough to outweigh the downsides of the program (namely, neighborhood disharmony as I mentioned many times in last year's discussions)?      
  
  There are apiologists who dispute the benefits of the long grasses and dandelions that grow during No Mow May as a source of pollen and protein for bee populations.  This article, for example, sites several (non-retracted) scientific studies affirming its conclusion: "If you must have a lawn, consider planting fruit trees, even ornamental ones, and skip the dandelions."
  
  In the recent past, we have been conditioned to believe that "doing something is better than doing nothing" and governments at all levels in this country have taken that stance as the sort of "caretakers" of citizens.  There are many in Appleton who vehemently believe the findings of the now retracted study and cannot be convinced otherwise.  I respect that all of these people want to do something for the bee population in the city.  I want to help the bees as well.  But I don't just want us to do "something."  I want us to do the right things as is indicated by the updated science in this regard.  Let me know your thoughts on this now that you know for yourself the updated science (linked above).  
  

Finance Committee - 5:30pm  Committee members will discuss approval of a couple of contracts for infrastructure work in the city which do not exceed budget (what a miracle!).  These potential approvals will be followed by discussion of the rejection of all bids for the city's X-23 Water Main Construction projects.  The lowest bid the city received for this project, which is budgeted at ~$1.14M was... drum roll... ~$1.55M.  Approximately $400,000 over. budget.  City staff recommend rejecting all bids for this project so that they can go back to the drawing board and revise the scope of the project (which, as you might have guessed, removing some of the planned work and putting it off to another year).  How long will the trend continue before all members of the council begin taking drastic measures to work to cut un-needed programs from the budget and put more budget emphasis on a city's core competency -- infrastructure investment? 

The committee will also discuss and vote on budget carryovers from 2022 into 2023 (for projects "in process" at year end and into the first part of this year).  This carryover includes ~$12M in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds that the city has in hand (but which have been "committed" by the majority of the council based on the mayor's recommendations) and ~$8M for the city's library project.   

Parks and Recreation Committee - 6:30pm  This meeting has been cancelled for lack of agenda items.

Board of Zoning Appeals - 7:30pm  Monday will also be an interesting night for Board of Zoning Appeals members.  Here's a short rundown of the appeals:

• A proposed Chick-Fil-A would like to have a free-standing canopy and trash enclosure in the "front yard" of the property at 1000 W Northland Avenue (at the entrance to the Northland Mall parking lot) where no structures are allowed in the "required front yard" per municipal code.  Since this restaurant would be in a carved out portion of the parking lot, there is a property uniqueness that would allow for a variance here.  Whether board members will be convinced or not remains to be seen!
• A property owner on Haddonstone Drive wants to put in a pool which (including the home structure) would increase the coverage of his lot to 44%.  Property owners are allowed 40% maximum lot coverage by municipal code.  Since a pool is a desire of the owners and not a requirement to make this lot usable, I doubt a variance will be granted in this instance. 
• Community First Credit Union on South Oneida Street would like to new signage which would be fifty-seven square feet larger than allowed (150 sq ft maximum allowed).  Their existing sign (built over 20 years ago) is a legal non-conforming sign but upgrading it to be the same size as it is now will make it illegally non-conforming.  The zoning ordinance states that "any non-conforming sign hereafter... reconstructed... shall be made to comply with the provisions of this chapter."  So... I doubt that this variance will be granted. 
• An applicant would like to start a tavern business in a mixed-use area on Lawe Street.  The proposal is to use a residential property on a commercially zoned property, but that would not allow for enough parking spaces for a business (per municipal code).  Due to the uniqueness of this property, the criteria for a variance has been met.  Whether the board will grant one... we;ve yet to see.  

Tuesday, 03/21/2023

Fox Cities Transit Commission - 3pm  Commissioners will look to approve the February 2023 payments for Valley Transit and approve a 5-year contract with Bridgestone for a tire lease for transit vehicles (to the tune of approximately $32k/year).  

Utilities Committee - 4:30pm  The Appleton Wastewater Treatment Plant (AWWTP) is in the market for a new spare digester circulation pump (especially after the "incident" late last year).  Committee members will be asked to approve the procurement of a spare for $27,774.  Committee members will also entertain the awarding of three sole-sourced contracts.  I hope that some discussion about the concerns over sole sourcing for the city will be generated at this meeting.  

Wednesday, 03/22/2023   

City Plan Commission - 3:30pm  Commissioners will discuss and potentially approve a special use permit for automobile sales and display at 520 E Northland Avenue.  The staff report recommends approval of this permit.  They will then move on to a proposed annexation of over 39 acres from the Town of Center on County Trunk EE.  The annexation was requested by the property owners and is proposed to be zoned R3 (Multifamily).  

 

Community and Economic Development Committee - 4:30pm  There is only one action item on this committee's agenda for the week -- the potential approval of revised Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding in the city.  The recommendation for these award revisions was discussed and approved last week by the CDBG Advisory Board.  This committee's approval is the next step towards full common council approval of the revisions.  Committee members will then discuss the 2022 City of Appleton Growth Report.  A city staff summary on this report states "The increase in new single family home lots is welcome in the city," yet current infrastructure growth issues (like the delayed extension of Lightning Drive to the north) seem to indicate otherwise.  

Safety and Licensing Committee - 5:30pm  This meeting has been cancelled due to scheduling conflicts.  There will be a special meeting of this committee next week. 

Human Resources and Information Technology Committee - 6:30pm  This meeting has been cancelled due to lack of agenda items. 

And that completes our most interesting week of meetings in city government.  There is one other item of importance I can update you on, though -- Vosters Park.  Per city staff, the logging operation (the felling and removal of all of the diseased ash trees) has been completed in the wooded area of the park.  Final removal of any heavy equipment there should be completed as soon as possible.  The trees you see remaining there will remain (but for the one ash that held a squirrel nest which was retained until nesting season concludes)... so what you see there now is the old growth woods we still have... and it still looks like a nice wooded area!  The wooded area will remain closed off and remain inactive until the ground and area dries a bit.  Once the area is dry enough, the light fill/grading of the selected area and wild grasses and new tree planting will occur there. 

Thanks for tuning in again for the week's happenings.  As always, if you have any questions or concerns about anything mentioned above, I'd love to hear from you!  I hope the week treats you well.  Rest assured your alderman will be deeply involved in the important discussions to be had this week.  

Until next week....