The Notes: Week of March 2 - March 6, 2026

Welcome back for another Full Council Meeting Week alderman blog post, Neighbors.  Thanks for stopping by to have a read!

Here's what you can expect this first week of the new month:

Wednesday, 03/04/2026

Appleton Public Arts Committee - 8am  There are two items on the agenda for this committee this week.  

• First, they'll be asked to make a choice for a mid-year-2026 change to the photos on the Houdini Plaza Welcome Tower.  The first option they have would be to hold another community photo contest (which has been done in previous years).  If they choose this option, they will also need to choose a theme for the photo contest.  The second option is to use public domain art/photos of Harry Houdini to help celebrate 2026 as the "Year of Houdini."  The Society of American Magicians (SAM) will be holding their annual convention in Appleton this summer in honor of Harry Houdini in his childhood home town of Appleton.  Leaders of Creative Downtown Appleton, Inc (CDA) have proposed this second option and their organization would pay for the printed panels (approximately $2,200) and gift them to the city.  Which option would you prefer?
  
  
• Then they will be asked to approve the replacement of the light pole banners for Appleton Downtown, Inc (ADI).  ADI has designed new banners and will pay for them.  The new banners are designed to use the existing hardware/brackets and are proposed to be installed at the same time as the city's Department of Public Works folks install the American flags on the downtown light poles.  The banners proposed have a new thematic design but are the same size and shape as the existing ADI banners... so there is really no cost to the city here.  I expect this item to be easily approved by this committee. 

Both of the above will also be taken up by the Parks and Recreation Committee and the full common council in future meetings.  

Municipal Services Committee - Special Meeting - 6:45pm  In this special meeting right before the full council meeting, this committee will entertain municipal code changes related to parking violation forfeitures.  Current code calls for partial credit for parking tickets paid on or before 15 days after the date of the ticket issuance.  For example, a parking ticket in the amount of $45 for overtime parking can currently be satisfied with a payment of $20 within 15 days of the date of the ticket issuance.  The proposed changes would lengthen that time period to on or before 30 days after the date of the ticket issuance.  I'm not sure why the city is proposing a longer time for lenience for parking ticket payments; but I'm sure we'll find out more at this special meeting.  Have a look at the proposal here and let me know your thoughts.  This same item will be taken up again by the full council minutes later... 

City of Appleton Common Council - 7pm  With no proclamations on the agenda, the mayor's portion to start out this meeting will be a quick one.  Then we move forward with potentially approving those items that were discussed and voted on last week in committee meetings.  If you haven't already, please take a look at last week's alderman blog post and let me know if there's anything there of concern to you.  Here are the items of top interest, most likely to garner further discussion in this full council meeting:

• After public hearings, the council will look to approve the final resolutions for levying special assessments as per city policy for those properties along reconstruction of sanitary/storm laterals and new concrete pavement this summer.  The latter includes streets in District 13 -- portions of Baldeagle Drive, Harrier Lane, Honeygold Court, Kestrel Circle, and French Road. 
  
  
• From the Safety and Licensing Committee:  I'm sure you saw the news reports on an exception potentially being made for the organizers of a No Kings rally and march who submitted their special events permit 8 days after the prescribed 45-days-prior-to-the-scheduled-event deadline.  As a member of this committee, I was very reluctant to vote to recommend approval of this exception.  In the end, I did vote in that way... but only because I think it's important to the safety of the community.  If the exception was not made, the organizers would still have the first amendment right to gather for this event.  But with a special events permit, the Appleton Police Department (APD) and other city departments are able to review and disapprove or approve the event organizers plans. 
  
  The late application requested "no police presence" for the event.  Through the special event permit process, this request was overturned by APD and police will be present to help secure public safety.  The late application also requested "we'd like to block College Avenue with personal vehicles."  This, too, was overruled by city staff in the special event permit process since it is not a legal or safe way to barricade major roadways. 
  
  This does not mean that I accept or approve of a disregard for the deadlines called out in the city's special events process.  In fact, I am deeply concerned about a precedent setting here.  The 45-day deadline was put in place to allow enough time for all city departments' review of the event plans and enough time for back-and-forth feedback for a safe and legal large event in the city.  As it was in this case, city staff were asked to essentially "fast track" this application due to the week's delay in submission.  This is not conducive to city staff having ample review and feedback time as is called for with the 45-day deadline.  And this "fast-tracking" no doubt drew some city staff members' time away from their other duties to the city and its citizens.
  
  Another concern I've heard from some of you is the expense of APD overtime that will be required for the safety policing of this event.  As per city policy, special events organizers are required to pay 25% of the costs to the city.  The city would not be able to assess this if the event were to proceed without a special events permit.  Either way, taxpayer dollars will pay for this freedom of speech/assembly.  But some of the costs will be recouped through this process. 
  
  It is certainly a tough position for the city council to be in.  We are between a very large rock and a particularly hard place.  I would like to make it clear to these and all special events organizers that there will not continue to be exceptions made.  I would prefer that a maximum of one exception per event/organizer should be the practice for this city.  But... how would the council be able to make that clear while allowing this exception...?  
  
  I am very interested to hear from you your thoughts in this regard.  Please send me your feedback.
  

There are, of course, other items up for approval.  But the above are the ones at the top of most folk's mind at this time.  If you have any other concerns or questions, you know how to reach me (hint: click here).  

Happy March, everyone!  I hope you enjoy this first week of our leaping headlong towards spring.  Let's hope the weather keeps improving without any significant snow set-backs. 

I hope to see you back here for another post next week!