The Notes: Week of February 9 - February 13, 2026

Hello there, Neighbors!  Thanks for tuning in again this week.  It's another Committee Meetings Week this week and there are lots of agenda items about which to inform you.  Read on...!  And let me know if you have any questions or concerns about anything as we go. 

Monday, 02/09/2025

Municipal Services Committee - 4:30pm  There are a few non-controversial items on the table for discussion by this committee -- requests for 1) approval of a temporary construction dumpster on Superior Street for the remodeling project at the 222 Building downtown, 2) adoption of a preliminary resolution to allow the city to issue special assessments on property owners on various streets who will be getting replacement sanitary/storm sewer laterals, and 3) adoption of a preliminary resolution to allow the city to issue special assessments on some District 13 property owners (along Baldeagle Drive, Harrier Lane, Honeygold Court, Kestrel Circle, and French Road) who will be getting final concrete pavement, sidewalks, and driveway aprons.  The latter two items will then be referred to the Finance Committee for the next step in the special assessment approval process. 

Then comes further committee discussion on an item that was mentioned in the last Committee Meetings Week alderman blog post regarding "removal of parking on College Avenue."  This item was held over for further discussion during the last meeting of this committee.  The true aim of the original resolution -- misleadingly entitled "Calling for the Removal of Street Parking on College Avenue" -- is to remove only a few very limited-term parking spots on a short stretch of College Avenue near the bridge (between Lawe Street and Rankin Street).  Here is a memo which explains this further.  I believe that the original resolution requires an amendment to specifically clarify that the intent is not to remove parking all along the entire downtown stretch of College Avenue.  I will push for a very clear amendment before I will vote on the approval of this resolution.  Once you read the memo to get a better feel for what's being proposed, let me know your thoughts.  

Finance Committee - 5:30pm  Along with the preliminary resolutions to allow for special assessments (mentioned above), this committee will be asked to review and approve the following other items:

• Approval of a sole-source contract for new furniture and fixtures for the city's remodeling of the Parks and Recreation offices.  The sole-sourcing is required because the modular furniture that the city has been employing in all of the recent office renovations is only supplied by one vendor.  A competitive quote was obtained to ensure that the pricing is not out of line, though.  So I feel better about approval of this sole sourcing request.  
• Approval of a contract for the design and engineering for a new basketball court and tennis court at Jaycee Park (in the amount of ~$35,000 plus a contingency, the lowest competitive bid).  Side note: design and engineering for basketball and tennis courts seems like a nice little business to get into, huh? 
• Approval of contracts for planned water and sewer reconstruction projects and a sanitary interceptor sewer in the city
• Approval of contracts for various sidewalk and concrete paving and repairs throughout the city
• Approval of a development agreement between the city and the developer of the Comet Ridge Development (west of Haymeadow Avenue and north of West Crossing Meadows Lane).  Some items of note in this development agreement include 1) a requirement of the developer to pre-install a gravel base for the called out 10-foot sidewalk (side path) along one of the streets in this subdivision early on after ground breaking so that prospective lot/home buyers are made well aware that this wider sidewalk is a part of the plan before they may choose to purchase a lot there, 2) a provision that the city will only own and maintain the stormwater pond plotted for this development if it is planned and made a shared/regional pond (not just for this subdivision), and 3) language regarding the US Postal Service requirements for cluster mailboxes in new developments (so that the city is absolved from providing and maintaining these mailboxes).  All of these provisions are included in this development agreement because of recent lessons learned by the city with other recently developed subdivisions, many of which are in District 13.   

Parks and Recreation Committee - 6pm  There are no action items on the agenda for this committee.  They will review and discuss the Annual Reports from 2025 for the city's grounds division, recreation division, and Reid Golf Course.  

Tuesday, 02/10/2025

Fox Cities Transit Commission - 2:50pm  This meeting has been cancelled. 

Utilities Committee - 4:30pm  This committee will take up one action item -- potential approval of a contract for ~$193,000 for native vegetation management in the city -- before discussing an information item entitled "Adopt-a-Pond Program Overview."  This is a proposed new program for the city in which "participants 'adopt' one or more of the City's stormwater ponds to conduct routine cleanups, provide visual inspections, and support environmental stewardship throughout the community."  There is no action required by the committee as this informational item is meant only to introduce the program.  If you are interested in more information on this, please see the documents regarding the program linked in the meeting agenda. 

Wednesday, 02/11/2025

Board of Health - 7am  The last time this board met, they decided to place a hold on the scheduled hearing regarding a cease and desist order for a short-term rental facility in downtown Appleton.  This was detailed here.  The board may go into closed session regarding this issue in deciding on whether to uphold the cease and desist order or to allow the owners of this short-term rental to continue operations while they work to bring the property into compliance with the city's requirements for short-term rentals. 

Then, in another weighty situation, the board will conduct a hearing regarding an appeal of a Prohibited Dangerous Animal declaration.  The animal in question caused a woman to require 86 stitches to her face due to an incident that did not occur in the City of Appleton.  The dog and owner, though, do live in Appleton so the city's ordinances regarding dangerous animals do apply.  The hearing will determine whether the dog should be banned from the city (Prohibited Dangerous Animal) or allowed to remain in the city but under controls such as strict muzzling and confinement to a kennel if in outdoors areas on the owner's property (Dangerous Animal).  The board may again go into closed session for discussions on this item as well. 

City Plan Commission - 3:30pm  This meeting has been cancelled. 

Community Development Committee - 4:30pm  This meeting has been cancelled. 

Safety and Licensing Committee - 5:30pm  These committee members will begin by hearing from two more liquor licensed establishments regarding demerit point violations -- D2 (for service of alcohol to an underage person) and Newberry Mobil (for no licensed bartender on the premises at the time of liquor sales).  Then in a rather short "action" portion of the meeting, there are two items up for approval (one liquor license change of agent and one new taxicab/limousine company license).  

Human Resources and Information Technology Committee - 6:30pm  This meeting has been cancelled. 

And with that... city government meetings will wrap up for the week!  

Do you have any questions on any of the above items?  Please email me any feedback, questions, or concerns.  I'm always interested in what's concerning you in city government.  So please share.  

Have a wonderful week ahead (with a few days of predicted temperatures over the freezing mark! woo hoo!) and I look forward to you stopping back in next week for another alderman blog post.