The Notes: Week of January 19 - January 23, 2026

Happy Sunday, Neighbors.  It's our first active Full Council Meeting Week in City of Appleton government.  There is also one other scheduled meeting besides the council meeting.  To follow is your regular rundown of what you can expect.

Tuesday, 01/20/2026

Library Board - Appleton Public Library Cornerstone Conference Room - 5pm  The board will be introduced to two new library employees -- a Community Partnerships Supervisor and an Administrative Support Specialist -- and then look to approve the December bill register and a small policy update.  There will also be updates provided on library hiring, strategic planning for the library, and a preview of the library's Personnel and Policy Committee meeting scheduled for February.  

Wednesday, 01/21/2026

Appleton Redevelopment Authority - 8:30am This meeting has been cancelled. 

City of Appleton Common Council - 7pm  The mayor will of course begin the meeting... but this time without any proclamations.  The only thing listed is a "Common Ground Presentation" of which I know nothing more.  And there's nothing in the published agenda which might indicate what this means.  So... we shall see!  

Then there is a special resolution on the agenda -- for the street vacation of a portion of Canal Street (a street that's been platted but not at all being used in this area of the city).  This was mentioned last week as it was discussed by both the City Plan Commission and the Municipal Services Committee.  The meeting then moves on to addressing the items discussed last week in committee meetings.  Here are the items most likely to get a bit more attention during this council meeting:

• From the Municipal Services Committee:  Some parking restrictions on East Pacific Street which were under temporary evaluation are up for approval to be made permanent.  Many neighbors in this area of the city came to the committee meeting to state that they are in agreement with the parking restrictions... but to also share that there are still some issues with folks parking illegally and dangerously in that neighborhood.  The area in question is home to a small business (restaurant) in the middle of a residential area.  So there are some complications, as you can imagine.  I intend to vote to approve the permanency of the parking restrictions.  But I recognize that there is more work to do here to make this business fit well in this neighborhood. 
  
  
• From the Safety and Licensing Committee:  Back for another potential vote is the denial of some amusement devices licenses for a few electronic gambling machines that could be considered illegal by state law and municipal code.  These two items were referred back to the committee for even more discussion before a final denial.  I expect that this week will be a final denial.  Many of you have asked how some establishments in Appleton currently have and use these devices.  And the answer, I believe, is that they have not properly applied for licensure of them... perhaps because they don't know that it's required in the city or perhaps because the owners know that their applications of said machines might be denied.  There are some very specific ways in which these machines might be considered legal.  But there are also some very specific types of machines and ways of using them which make many of them illegal.  It's a complex issue which requires business owners to work with the city to make sure they are operating legally.  
  

At the end of the agenda is a notice that the council is expected to go into a closed session "for the purpose of discussing a potential development agreement and investment of public funds related to the development of the Thrivent Financial for Lutherans Appleton Campus."  That should be an interesting discussion about which I won't be able to share any details, of course.  I will, if and when I can, though.

Do you have any questions or concerns with any of the above items?  Or about anything else city-government-related?  Please let me know.  I'm happy to hear feedback or questions from you and happy to help with any concerns you might have.  

I hope you'll join me again next week for another alderman blog post.  Until then, I wish you an excellent week in which you keep warm.  (Thanks, Mother Nature, for this cold spell. Not!)  Take care and be well!