The Very-Delayed-But-Now-Available Notes: Weeks of July 24 - August 4, 2023

Hello, after a long break from alderman blogging, Neighbors!  I am grateful to be safely back from a lovely vacation in Michigan's Upper Peninsula (with terrible cellular service -- and sometimes none!) and yesterday's family celebration of my daughter's birthday.  Thanks for your patience as I get back into sharing what's happening in City of Appleton local government with this blog.

It is Full Council Week this week so I will share what's coming up this week and in the summary for Wednesday's Full Council meeting, will share a few tidbits from what happened in last week's committee meetings.  So... buckle up and let's go!

Wednesday, 08/02/2023

Joint Review Board (Calumet County) - 10am  This board last met in June to talk preliminarily about the then proposed new Tax Incremental Financing (TIF) district in the city's Southpoint Commerce Park which has now been approved.  Here is a refresher on what this board does if you are interested.  In this week's meeting, board members will look to approve a resolution affirming the plan and boundaries for the new TIF district. 

Finance Committee (Special Meeting) - 6:15pm  Before the evening's meeting of the full council, the Finance Committee will hold this special meeting to approve one action item -- a contract for some repair and maintenance of the city's parking ramps.  While the bid that's up for approval comes in just at budget, we are still talking about a $700,000 repair and maintenance bill for the downtown parking ramps.  Here's where I again suggest that perhaps the city should look into selling these parking ramps rather than continue to spend this sort of money on them and not charging or collecting the parking fees to fully cover the upkeep on them.  This is a discussion that should be had during the upcoming city budget period.  What are your thoughts on the city owning and having to maintain downtown parking ramps and taxpayer money subsidizing that?  Let me know what you think.  

Human Resources and Information Technology Committee (Special Meeting) - 6:30 pm  This committee did not meet last week but has one action item to discuss and potentially approve before the meeting of the full council.  It seems that city staff has chosen a vendor to support the revision of the city's website (hurray!).  The chosen vendor ranked in the top four of all the applicants for the project in terms of pricing and their qualifications and experience and was eventually ranked highest after demonstrations of their work to various city staff members.  The cost of the revision comes in at just below the $100,000 budget for this project and the balance of that budget will be used for other "branding and style guide assistance" for which the city also has a great need.  I look forward to the updating of the city's website to help all of us better access city government information.  I expect a resounding approval of this action item.  Do you agree?  Please share with me your feedback on this item. 

City of Appleton Common Council - 7pm  Here's what you can expect for the first full common council meeting in August 2023 (including tidbits on last week's committee meeting agenda items):

• The mayor kicks things off with two proclamations and an overview of the upcoming city-wide property revaluation.  Yes, your City of Appleton property will be revalued to as close to 100% market value as possible this year.  No, your tax bill will not go up because of the revaluation.  If you have any questions for me in this regard, please reach out so that we can chat about it.  
  
  
• From the Safety and Licensing Committee:  The usual slate of beer and liquor license renewals and premises amendments and a few taxicab license renewals were approved by the committee last week and are now up for full council approval.  Last week, representatives of five establishments in the city were asked to present to the committee their corrective actions taken subsequent to sale of alcohol to minors in those establishments.  
  
  
• From the City Plan Commission:  Last week, commissioners approved the proposed Number 4 plat map of the city's Southpoint Commerce Park.  Lot 13 of this plat is slated to become the city's next new park (wooded wetland demarcated below).  The committee members also approved a resolution creating this new Appleton Conservancy Park.  (Note: This resolution was also discussed in other committee meetings and passed by the Community and Economic Development and the Parks and Recreations Committees last week.)  The full council will look to approve both of these items as well.  It's exciting to see that this new parkland will be made available to Appletonians.  Of course, though, there will be a cost to developing this land for use as a park.  So we will need to be mindful of that come budget time.  What are your thoughts on this proposed addition to the city's park inventory? 
  
  
• From the Finance Committee:  The parking ramp contract mentioned above will be up for approval by the full council as well as a couple of other contracts for city work. Another item that came before this committee (for which I found a sliver of internet access and joined this committee meeting remotely last week!) was a resolution essentially both praising and tsk-tsking the Wisconsin state legislature for Act 12 -- the newest state legislation regarding increasing shared revenue monies from the state coffers to local municipalities.  Here is the text of the amended version of the resolution which came out of the committee meeting:
  
  

  Resolution #7-R-23 Local Government Funding Legislation Resolution Expressing Support for Wisconsin Act 12

  Authors: Vered Meltzer, District 2; Chris Croatt, District 14 Date: July 19, 2023 

  Whereas, the City of Appleton is excited to share that Local Government Funding Legislation Assembly Bill 245, Shared Revenue, was signed into law on Tuesday, June 20, 2023 by Governor Tony Evers; and

  Whereas, beginning July 1, 2024, a full penny of sales tax goes into a segregated local government fund; and

  Whereas, all communities will see at least a 20% increase over current municipal aid except Milwaukee which receives 10% and the local sales tax authority; and

  Whereas, the City of Appleton will receive a 20% increase, which will help support essential local services; and

  Whereas, future percentage increases in sales tax revenue will be applied to both existing and supplemental aids; and 

  Whereas, the Common Council of the City of Appleton wishes to express our gratitude to all of the mayors, local government officials and the League of Wisconsin Municipalities for their tireless work in presenting the case for the increase in shared revenue directly to state legislators and in listening sessions across the state; and

  Whereas, the Common Council of the City of Appleton, while concerned that Act 12 also contains further limits on local control related to public safety, public health and allowing our citizens to express their views via advisory referenda, is pleased that the Legislature has recognized that the increase in municipal aid is vital in allowing cities, towns and villages to maintain infrastructure, services and public safety.

  Now, Therefore, Be It Resolved, that the City of Appleton thanks the Legislature for increasing funding for the shared revenue program and directs the Clerk to send a copy of this resolution to the state legislators representing the City of Appleton, to Governor Tony Evers and to the League of Wisconsin Municipalities.

  I voted against this resolution (as amended and would have voted against the original version) in the committee meeting as it is an actionless resolution.  I have consistently voted against actionless resolutions as the point of them always seems to be that some aldermen want "the city" to take a political stance on some usually hot-button issue and "send a copy of this resolution" to people who will likely never read or concern themselves with them.  There is no need for that in local government.  Local aldermen are legislators -- makers of laws/rules.  "Feel-good" resolutions or ones in which some thoughts or actions of some people are condemned do not fall under our job description, in my opinion.  
  
  I also voted and spoke against this resolution as a "pat on the back" for some legislators.  And what's worse is that this resolution as amended is now a bi-polar, passive-aggressive piece.  Not only does it proclaim that the Common Council of the City of Appleton praises and expresses gratitude for this Act which takes state-collected income and sales tax from taxpayers and redistributes it to local municipalities (something that seems nearly criminal in true representational democracy) but, in the next whereas clause, it slaps the hands of state legislators for not performing the redistribution or writing the legislation to the liking of this resolution's authors (and amending author).  This is merely a statement of the political leanings of some of the members of the common council, not a statement of how many of the citizens of Appleton feel about Act 12 or about state revenue sharing itself as a practice.  
  
  I intend to vote against this resolution on Wednesday as well.  What are your thoughts about this resolution, revenue sharing, Act 12, or my thoughts on all of the above?  Share your feedback with me, please.

• From the Community and Economic Development Committee:  The committee last week approved two action items (in addition to the resolution to create the Appleton Conservancy Park):
• An amendment to the covenants and restrictions in a portion of Southpoint Commerce Park.  A developer there would like to build-to-suit a fleet maintenance "truck shop" and the deed restrictions on that land do not allow for such land use.  The proposed truck shop would also be smaller than the covenant-required 7,500 square feet.  So this proposed construction requires this two-pronged amendment.  
• An amendment to a development agreement in TIF District 11 at 318 College Avenue.  The developer would like a six-month extension to fulfill the building requirements for TIF assistance due to "labor and supply chain issues."  The proposed new completion date would be 01/01/2024. 
  
  
• From the Utilities Committee:  Last week, this committee was asked to approve the amended fee schedules for stormwater agreements between the city's stormwater utility and Reid Golf Course and Appleton Memorial Park.  This item already passed through the Parks and Recreation Committee weeks ago but requires the Utility Committee approval as well.  A couple of other small contracts were approved by the committee and are up for full council approval this week. 
  
  
• From the Human Resources and Information Technology Committee: The contract for a company to revise and revive the city's website as mentioned above is the only item from this committee up for full council approval this week.

I hope that this summary gets you all caught up on what was missed while I was in cellular no man's land.  I appreciate the grace you've granted me in the delay in keeping you updated.  It is always my primary goal to keep you informed and listen to your feedback on things coming through the common council.  I look forward to getting back on track with our weekly touching base and also to hearing from you if you have any questions or concerns for me. 

Until next week's post... I wish you the best... as always!