The Notes: Week of August 10 - August 14, 2026

Hiya, Neighbors!  Thanks for your patience for this week's alderman blog post.  

It's Committee Meetings Week this week so we have quite a few meeting agendas to pick through.  But there are also a few committees with the week off as well.  Follow along below (as you always do!):

Monday, 08/10/2026

Municipal Services Committee - 4:30pm  The first action item on this committee's agenda is essentially a vote on whether self-planted weeds have First Amendment rights.  Yes, a homeowner who was cited for noxious weeds (in excess of the height limits in municipal code) in the terrace in front of their home is asking for a long term temporary occupancy permit to allow these weeds to remain until they die naturally... because the First Amendment grants the right of "Life = to include the Rights of Nature to survive and flourish."  The city does allow for homeowners to -- ahead of the growing season each year -- apply for a long term temporary occupancy permit for purposeful terrace plantings.  However, those do have stipulations (such as height and vision corner restrictions) on them as well.  In this instance, I am of the belief that this homeowner wants simply to avoid either doing the work to cut these weeds down or wants to avoid a fine for allowing them to continue to grow in the terrace.  In that respect, I cannot vote to approve this.  What are your thoughts on this as you read this application?

There are a few other simple items on this committee's agenda such as revoking a business's designated parking stalls in the red parking ramp due to non-payment all this year and a temporary occupancy permit for a construction dumpster next to the Copper Leaf hotel.     

Finance Committee - 5:30pm  The big item on this committee's agenda is a suggested change in the financing method for the city's Central Equipment Agency (CEA).  The current model for CEA (where all large equipment needed to service the city is purchased and maintained) requires city departments to pay regular fees into a CEA fund from their operating budgets to fund the purchases of replacement vehicles on prescribed replacement schedules.  The newly proposed model for funding equipment replacements would be to use a combination of new short-term debt for the city and the balance of funds currently held in the CEA fund.  Of course that will eventually draw down that entire current CEA fund; so the mayor's office is proposing to determine and hold a minimum balance in that "cash" fund just to fund emergency replacements and other potential additions.  But, with this plan, as time moves on there will be less and less dependence on the general fund (operating income from taxpayer dollars) and more dependence on short-term debt which would then be paid off through the city's debt levy funds. 

According to bond experts contracted by the city, this will not negatively impact the city's bond rating and will leave the city able to "sell" short-term bonds which some investors are interesting in purchasing.  So, at least there is that.    

I will be first to tell you that I do not like this.  I do not like increasing the city's debt load, no matter if it's short-term or not.  I do not like that this, in effect, loosens up the operating budget which could allow city departments and the mayor to overspend with the additional "found money."  And I do not like that once the city goes in this direction, there will be very little (or perhaps no) way to work our way back to the current funding structure which makes city departments pay for the purchases of the equipment that they use. 

According to the proposal, the city departments will still be required to pay for fuel, upkeep, maintenance, etc for all vehicles that they use.  But the actual amounts needed for equipment purchases would not come out of departmental budgets in the future.  So I am naturally concerned that the city departments will have very little accountability as far as how many and what types of vehicles they request to acquire.  The mayor has assured the council that there will be new policies devised to keep the departments accountable to the taxpayers and keep the city from spending this borrowed money on frivolous or not absolutely needed equipment.  I guess we shall see if this proposal moves ahead as the city approaches 2027 budget time. 

What are your thoughts on this issue?  How do you feel about this potential shift in funding?     

Two other contracts -- both within budget constraints -- are on this committee's agenda for approval as well. 

Parks and Recreation Committee - 6pm  The only items on this committee's agenda are reviews of the mid-year reports from the grounds division, the recreation division, and Reid Golf Course.  You can view these reports by clicking the links in the prior sentence.  This committee will not be voting on any action items this week.  

Tuesday, 08/11/2026

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

Utilities Committee - 4:30pm  According to the online information, "this meeting has been cancelled."  However, there is a meeting agenda attached.  My guess is that there was a meeting scheduled and for some reason, there weren't enough committee members to call the meeting at this date and time.  There is an interesting informational item on the agenda for whenever this meeting does take place: an update on the city's Northland-Bellaire Flood Study and Preliminary Engineering Update.  Click the link for more information in this regard and let me know if you have any questions.  I will let you know when this committee will eventually meet to talk about this update.  

Wednesday, 08/12/2026

Board of Health - 7am  This meeting has been cancelled. 

City Plan Commission - 3:30pm  There are a few interesting action items on the agenda for this commission this week:

• A request to approve a property owner-requested annexation into the city from the Town of Grand Chute (address: 1893 W Spencer Street)
• A request to review and approve an extra-territorial preliminary plat for a 19-lot planned subdivision in the Town of Grand Chute north of Evergreen Drive and west of Richmond Street (as the City of Appleton has extra-territorial rights with adjoining townships)
• And most interesting: a request to approve the the final plat for the southern half of Wilden Portfolio Park (the Thrivent land).  Please see here for the entire staff review package and maps of the proposed final plat

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

Safety and Licensing Committee - 5:30pm  This meeting has been cancelled. 

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

Friday, 08/14/2026

Library Board - Appleton Public Library Mary Beth Nienhaus Community Room C - 1pm  This "meeting" is just a notice of quorum that many of the library board members may be present together for a Library Strategic Planning Workshop at this date/time.  No board action will be taken at this workshop.    

And that will do it for this week.  Please accept my apologies for the taking so long this week to get this summary to you.  I'm so glad that you rely on this alderman blog and read it so you know more about what's going on in your city's government!  

Please, as always, let me know if you have any questions or concerns on anything noted above or anything else city government-related.  Have a great rest of this week and I'll "see" you back here again soon!