The Notes: Week of May 6 - May 10, 2024

Welcome back to the alderman blog, Neighbors!  It's Committee Meetings Week again and we have a pretty full slate of meetings to review.  Below is what you can expect for the week.  And near the end of this post is a short blurb on the final vote on a bartender's license application that's been on the table for quite some time.  

This week in committee meetings, you will likely hear about the following agenda items:

Monday, 05/06/2024

CEA Review Committee - 3:30pm  This committee for the Central Equipment Agency (CEA) meets only occasionally to recommend to other committees the usage of funds for the purchase of new vehicles and other equipment to be used by city departments.  This time they will elect a new chairman and vice chairman and then move to potentially approve the following:

• A ~$1.123M Velocity Pumper PUC Engine purchase for the Appleton Fire Department from Pierce Manufacturing
• The "redistribution" of a forklift that was slated to be sold when its replacement arrives later this year.  The Department of Public Works (DPW) would like to hold onto this used forklift and add it to their Traffic Section.
• A request to upgrade a vehicle used by the Utilities Department Master Electrician from a regular cab four wheel drive truck to a cargo van with utility compartments when it's to be replaced in 2025.  The upgrade will be an additional $13,000 in expense (in the 2025 budget) but this cost will be split between the water utility and the wastewater utility and, according to the Utilities Director is well justified for the additional storage capacity, added vehicle durability, and enhanced organization of tools, etc.

Municipal Services Committee - 4:30pm  Members of this committee have lots to discuss this week with the following agenda items:

• A request to approve the extension of the sidewalk blockage in front of the Fox Commons/City Center Plaza project next door to City Hall.  This has been blocked for construction for quite a while and the request is for the blockage to remain until 07/01/2024.
• The potential approval of some changes to the city's downtown parking and meter bag policy.  
• Multiple ordinance changes regarding parking and intersection controls on a number of street projects and after temporary trial periods.  Of note in District 13, there is a request for some parking restrictions along Lightning Drive and a stop sign at Lightning Drive and Baldeagle Drive.  Let me know if you have any questions if this might affect you.
• The resolution submitted last year regarding changes to the city's overnight parking policies is also back on the table after it was held a month ago.  I don't know what might come of the discussions on this during this week's meeting.  But last time it was discussed, it was the opinion of staff that there were no really good solutions or changes the city could implement without substantially impacting other city services like garbage pickup, snow removal, and street sweeping.  While the overnight parking restrictions are more difficult for those in higher density neighborhoods in the city, it seems as though the current requirements and restrictions are the best overall for the city as a whole.  As such, I do not suspect that any changes will be implemented any time soon.  What are your thoughts on the city's current overnight parking policy?  Are changes needed?
• There is one information item on the agenda, simply termed "Bird Rides Update."  I hope (and suspect) that there will not be further discussions between the city and Bird for continuing their scooter service in Appleton.  I believe that the city has given this idea and this company a good trial and the negatives outweigh the positives in the city.  I would prefer the program no longer be used in Appleton.  How do you feel about the Bird scooters?  Would you be sad to see them no longer on Appleton streets?
  

Finance Committee - 5:30pm  The city has received financial assistance from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) in the amount of $611,302 for the replacement of lead water service lines to private residences in the city.  There are two action items on this committee's agenda regarding the acceptance of those funds.  Another action item is the request for a sole source purchase of the fire apparatus mentioned in the CEA Committee information above.  

Perhaps most importantly, though, will be the potential discussion of the latest resolution from Aldermen Nate Wolff and Brad Firkus.  This resolution calls for an increase in the city's Wheel Tax from $20/vehicle to $30/vehicle.  The short resolution makes a veiled threat that special assessments for road construction could come back if this increase is not approved but does not mention anything affirming that this increase would do anything more than anger and frustrate Appletonians.  There is no evidence that this "solution" would truly be a solution.  Of course, it would increase the dollars taken in by the city for road construction.  However, the wheel tax revenues will still likely fall too far short of paying for all roads that need construction in this city.  I do not believe that slapping this kind of band aid on a very large and fundamental problem in this city is the right way to go about this.  I will be interested to see what arguments are presented and what data can be used to perhaps justify this.  But at this point, I am very much not in favor of this proposed fee increase.  What are your thoughts about a  $30/vehicle versus the existing $20/vehicle Appleton Wheel Tax?   

Parks and Recreation Committee - 6:15pm  This meeting has been cancelled due to lack of agenda items. 

Tuesday, 05/07/2024

Fox Cities Transit Commission - 2:50pm  This meeting has been cancelled due to lack of agenda items. 

Utilities Committee - 4:30pm  This committee, too, will be asked to approve the acceptance of the Wisconsin DNR lead water line replacement funds noted above.  They will also take up two sole sourcing requests -- one for engineering services and one for a water leakage monitoring system -- and a request to increase a contract for engineering for some water equipment upgrades due to project scope changes. 

Wednesday, 05/08/2024

Board of Health -  7am  This meeting has been cancelled due to lack of agenda items.  Those lucky early morning risers....! 

Appleton Public Arts Committee - 8am  In this special meeting of this committee, members will discuss a request for students in a mural class at the Trout Museum of Art to paint a mural inside the city's red parking ramp near the third floor west stairwell.  This memo details the proposed mural.  Since it is a new council year for this committee as well, they will also elect a vice chairman and take up other such fun housekeeping agenda items.  

Appleton Redevelopment Authority (ARA) - 9am  Since this committee has not historically met regularly, there are housekeeping items for them to take up this week.  There is also one request for the approval of a new committee member to the ARA's Exhibition Center Advisory Committee.  These committee members will also be presented with the Housing Development Policy that was presented to the common council a few weeks ago.  And last on the list of their agenda's information items is an update on the ARA-owned property behind the city's transit center downtown.       

City Plan Commission - 3:30pm  On this commission's agenda, there is a proposed rezoning of some recently Emerald Valley subdivision property.  It was annexed into the city in 2004 but to this point has not yet been developed.  This property still holds the initial annexation zoning of Agricultural but the developer is requesting a Single-Family Residential (R1B) zoning so that development of this next phase of the subdivision can move forward.  The preliminary plat map for the proposed 8th, 9th, and 10th additions to Emerald Valley Estates is also up for approval by this commission.  Let me know if you have any questions or concerns.  It's great to see new home construction taking off again in the city!

Community Development Committee - 4:30pm  This meeting has been cancelled due to lack of agenda items. 

Safety and Licensing Committee - 5:30pm  This committee will hear from representatives of five businesses in the city with new alcohol license demerit point violations.  The businesses include Walmart on Calumet Street, Valley Mobil, Northland Citgo, Courtyard Marriott, and Aldi on Kensington.  Several of these establishments were found with illegal gambling machines on there premises which results in 150 demerit points as soon as a conviction was handed down.  There are several new liquor licenses, a vaping device retailer license, and a few temporary liquor licenses up for approval by these committee members as well.  

On a related note: 

Regarding the bartender's license application from a gentleman with five Operating While Intoxicated (OWI) charges (two of which are felony charges) that came through this committee multiple times for review and re-review...  Last week during the meeting of the full council, there were fourteen council members present and voting.  (One alderman was absent and excused.)  When this item came up for a vote, there was much discussion by all of the members of the Safety and Licensing Committee and the remaining council members.  

The chairman of this committee spoke vehemently against the licensure as he had many valid concerns with it.  I share in his concerns.  (See here for a summary of the arguments on both sides of this discussion.)  As I have mentioned many times in the past weeks posting about this subject, I could not see a way to go against the recommendations of the Appleton Police Department on this license application.  I voted against this licensure for the greater safety of all Appletonians.  The following aldermen agreed and also voted against this license:

• Brad Firkus - District 3
• Vaya Jones - District 10
• Kris Alfheim - District 11
• Chris Croatt - District 14 (and the chairman of this committee)
• Chad Doran - District 15

Those aldermen who were unable to separate emotion from the logic of this discussion and voted to approve a bartender's license for someone with a conviction record of 5 OWI's are as follows:

• Bill Siebers - District 1
• Vered Meltzer - District 2
• Katie VanZeeland - District 5 (and president of the Common Council)
• Denise Fenton - District 6
• Patrick Hayden - District 7
• Patti Heffernan - District 8
• Alex Schultz - District 9 
• Nate Wolff - District 12

And as you can see... the final vote came in 8-6 to approve this license.  If you have any opinions on this, please reach out to your alderman or any of those listed above here.  

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

And there you have it... A lot of different subjects will be taken up in local government meetings this week! 

Please email me (and any other aldermen) to let us know your thoughts on any of the above subjects.  I am always happy to hear from you and look forward to this next week of advocating for the best interests of District 13 and all other fellow Appletonians.  

Have a great May week!  Let's hope for a continued trend of warmer days and more sunshine this week.