The Notes: Week of October 9 - October 13, 2023

Hello, again, Neighbors!  Thanks for joining me a day later than usual for another alderman blog post.  This week is Committee Meetings Week and almost every committee is meeting to, at the very least, discuss their portions of the budget presented to the council by the mayor.  We will have lots of budget talks the next couple of weeks.  At the end of today’s blog post, I’ll share the public input session information on the coming year’s budget with you. 

Now, let’s get to it!

Monday, 10/09/2023

Municipal Service Committee - 4:30pm  The Lawe Street truck route designation consideration resolution was referred back to this committee for more discussion again this week.  I am still opposed to a change to this truck route as per the volumes of data and information from our city traffic staff regarding the route as it is and how changing it could gravely impact the city.  It is my understanding that the authors of the resolution are wanting to present some amendments to the resolution again this week.  I would prefer to see this committee deny the resolution completely (as I mentioned when it first came forward in the last committee meeting week) as the city staff has done due diligence on the issue and recommends no changes.  Do you have an opinion on this issue either way?  Please share with me your thoughts.  

Finance Committee - 5:30pm  The city has run into an issue with the remodeling project in City Hall: in order to comply with the city’s own building codes, the city must spend an additional $37,400 on “fire protective coatings” on the steel beams and columns which were exposed when the defunct escalators were removed.  Rather than simply approving this additional expense, I would like to inquire as to why steel beams and columns — which, last I checked, are not flammable — are required to have fire safety coatings… and at such a great expense.  This is one of those issues in our city building codes which just doesn’t seem to make much sense and might therefore need to be changed.  I look forward to hearing the rationale behind this before voting to move ahead with this expense.  What are your thoughts on this?  Could you imagine any reason steel structural items would require fire safety coatings?  

Parks and Recreation Committee - 6:15pm  There are no action items for this committee to discuss this week.  Instead, there will be budget discussions for the Parks and Recreation Department overall and for Reid Golf Course.

Tuesday, 10/10/2023

Fox Cities Transit Commission - 2:50pm  This meeting has been cancelled due to lack of agenda items.  I suspect there will be budget discussions at the next meeting of this commission!

Utilities Committee - 4:30pm  A seven percent rate increase effective 01/01/2024 is on the table for this committee.  (A rate increase of 7% effective 01/01/2023 was approved last year.) The memo regarding this increase states that “the average residential customer will see a quarterly increase of $4” with this rate increase.  While I understand that utility rates need to keep pace with the general economy, I find it increasingly disconcerting that these rates are escalating at such a rate at such a tough time for all family budgets.  There will be an overall Utilities Department budget discussion to follow this rate increase vote and I will be interested to hear the continued rationale for the proposed rate increase.  

Wednesday, 10/11/2023

Board of Health - 7am  These early riser board members will revisit and discuss again a resolution regarding mental health.  As I mentioned when this resolution was first discussed and then moved to the full council, this is a do-nothing resolution even though its subject matter is no doubt of importance.  The resolution was referred back by the council so these board members will again chat about it.  I hope they can move to defeat it despite the important subject matter as the importance of mental health services in the city has already often been referenced in mayoral proclamations and is a daily part of the work that city and county health department staff do.  Board members will also discuss some health inspection fee rate increases and the proposed 2024 budget for the Health Department.

Appleton Redevelopment Authority - 9:30am  Members of this authority will discuss an extension on the closing date for the purchase of the property at 222 N Oneida Street (near the city’s downtown bus terminal).  Some additional site testing required by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is the reason for the delay.  I expect this authority to approve the delay as there is really nothing to do with DNR regulations but comply and wait for the testing results (which are projected to take months).  Am I right?

City Plan Commission - 3:30pm  The property on Wisconsin Avenue owned by St Therese Parish is up for a Comprehensive Plan change and rezoning to Commercial Neighborhood Mixed Use.  This is the empty lot where the school used to stand and including the church itself.  The church property is surrounded by mixed use-zoned properties already so it is likely that this change will not be of issue.  If you have any concerns about these changes to this property, please let me know.  

Human Resources and Information Technology - 4:30pm  After discussion on a small overhire (more than one employee doing the same job at the same time) for some overlap of duties when a long-time captain on the Appleton Police Department (APD) retires on the first of next year, this committee will take up pay increases for the Elected City Attorney and the Mayor positions with the city.  Both salaries are set every four years (before each position is up for election) and it is again time to review them now.  The recommendations from staff include “catching up” these positions to be nearer what the city’s other director-level positions are paid.  I am not opposed to fair pay for true work on the part of the people elected to these positions.  There should be room in the city’s budget to accommodate these increases as the city needs to remain competitive with the private market positions (attorneys and high level managers) and elected officials in these full-time positions should be compensated fairly for such work.   There must be better places in the budget which are ripe for the cuts needed to accommodate fair increases for these positions.  What are your thoughts?  

Later in this meeting, there will be discussion and information presented regarding the rapidly increasing health insurance expenses for city employees and how the city intends to deal with that, an update on the Connecting Care clinic that the city shares with the Appleton Area School District, and the mention of a small table of organization change in library staff.  

Safety and Licensing Committee - 5:30pm  This meeting has been cancelled due to lack of agenda items.  I suspect there will be budget discussion at the next meeting of this committee!

Community and Economic Development Committee - 6:30pm  There is one action item on the agenda for this committee — a request to approve a grant for the Historic Central Neighborhood in the amount of ~$80,000 to create “a community space” and update the playground equipment at Columbus Elementary School (in cooperation with the Appleton Area School District (AASD)).  The city’s Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program in the city has a budget balance of $79,999 which has been carried over for several budget years.  As such, the city would like to award this grant for this project in that $79,999 amount.  While the budget dollars are there for the appropriate project, I am a bit disappointed that this is the only project that has come forward for neighborhood development in Appleton and that there is not more AASD funding involved in the project itself.  I suspect that this grant will be approved by this committee and the approval be moved forward to the full council next week. What are your thoughts on this potential grant award? 

That will conclude the committee meetings for the week.  As you can see, there are lots of items to talk about and budget discussions yet to be had.  Here is how you can learn more and give your input on the 2024 City of Appleton Budget:

There will be a Public Listening Session on the 2024 budget on Tuesday, 10/17/2023, from 5pm to 7pm.  I believe that it will be an online/conference call type of session.  You should call 920 832-5814 to register to participate.  

There will be a formal Public Hearing on the 2024 budget at City Hall on Wednesday, 11/01/2023 at 6pm.  You are also asked to call to register for this hearing (though it will be in person and you are welcome to drop in at City Hall to attend). The number to call for this registration is 920 832-6443.

The official Budget Adoption meeting of the full City of Appleton Common Council is scheduled for Wednesday, 11/08/2023 at 6pm.  This is a special session of the full council to be held in City Hall. 

I’ll be asking budget questions and posting about them right here on this blog, so be sure to keep your eyes out for future posts.  Thanks again for reading and always sharing your feedback on items posted on your alderman’s blog.  I look forward to hearing more from you in the future!  Have a great rest of this week!!