District 6 Update, February 22, 2021
I am enjoying the beginning of the big thaw to start the week, and being relieved that my family in Texas and Arkansas are mostly recovering from their experience with the brutal cold of last week.
I hope that some of you got downtown over the weekend to
check out the ice sculptures on College Avenue, as I have heard that some are
already gone, and I suspect that the warm weather will take its toll on the
rest in the next day or so.
In the Common Council meeting last Wednesday, the mayor reissued the proclamation supporting the use of face coverings indoors and outdoors when social distancing cannot be maintained. The mayor issued the proclamation as the state legislature was voting to end the governor’s mask mandate. There was also a proclamation observing Caregivers’ Day. We also voted to confirm the mayor’s appointment of the teen member of the Library Board.
The COVID-19 update was cause for some optimism last week.
New cases were at the lowest level since last August and the status based on
burden and trajectory went down to the HIGH level. The vaccine clinic at the
Fox Cities Exhibition Center was scheduled to catch up with the appointments
that were overscheduled the week the site went live and to begin taking new
appointments. A number of people in this group were able to cancel these
appointments as they obtained the vaccine elsewhere. I did just receive a notice that vaccine
shipments were impacted by the severe weather across the country so that new
first dose appointments are not going to be offered this week; schedule second
dose appointments will still take place.
Based on requests from some alderpersons, the Health Department is going
to begin including vaccination numbers into the daily updates along with the
case counts.
In other council business, contracts were awarded for 2021
capital budget items to update the HVAC systems in Fire Stations #2 and #3.
Contracts were also awarded for the 2021 concrete paving projects and for the 2021
sewer and water main reconstruction.
In an item held from last December, the rezoning of The
Refuge – the former monastery at 1000 N. Ballard Rd. – from Public
Institutional to Neighborhood Mixed Use was approved. From the request:
The property owner is requesting a zoning change from P-I
Public Institutional District to C-1 Neighborhood Mixed Use District. The owner
is seeking this request to utilize the C-1 Neighborhood Mixed Use zoning
district standards to allow for the continued use of the site by individuals
who produce music (songwriting/recording), artists who utilize space for
(painting, glass blowing, drawing, sculpting, etc.) and facilitate future site
improvements to accommodate movie production studio and temporary housing for
film crews (individuals) on site for 1-3 week periods.
The property is still owned by a non-profit organization.
The Taskforce on Resiliency, Climate Mitigation and Adaption
also met last Wednesday. Having submitted our initial report last fall, we have
been working with the mayor and city staff to try to establish a framework for
integrating the recommendations of the task force into the city’s
sustainability plan. A subcommittee of the task force has been meeting with
city department heads and the next step is to hold a workshop to establish an
implementation plan. The group will meet again on March 3.
In this week’s committee meetings, Municipal Services will
address a request from the Pollenablers group to observe “No Mow May” again
this year, where no weed citations will be issued for the month of May and for
a grace period the first week of June. The Pollenablers would once again
provide signage for participants and alternate free disposal of clippings in
June.
Last year 435 homes participated, and data was collected at
20 homes and 15 mowed urban green spaces. Professor Del Toro provided an
extensive analysis of the data, but the bottom line is that 4 times as many
bees and other pollinators were found in the unmown areas as in the mown areas
and we protected between 19 and 24 acres of pollinator habitat in the city.
Because there were some objections last year, I reached out to Public Works
Director Vandehey for a comparison of complaints last year versus the average:
A caveat is that we did have a dryer than average spring
last year, so the grass and weeds probably did not grow as fast as normal.
The Pollenablers have discussed having large flags for
people to place in their yards this year so that it will be clearer to
neighbors that we are letting our lawns grow for a reason. I hope this works
out as I looked for the flags on my walks last spring.
I am inclined to support this and participate again this
year.
The Finance Committee will be taking up a request to write
off delinquent accounts receivable and personal property taxes totaling 63,960.14.
Most of these are small amounts from businesses that might no longer be
operating, but I did see some larger amounts and names I recognized so I will
be interested to see if any questions come from members of the Finance
Committee about trying to collect more of these delinquent amounts.
There is also an item to amend the budget amount for the
reconstruction of the Reid Golf Course parking lot as the bids came in $43,000
higher than budgeted. We had some discussions about this project on Budget
Saturday last year were advised that deferring this work is not feasible due to
the condition of the lot.
The items I think will be of most interest on the Library
Board agenda are two information items – relating to the service update and the
building project. Per a memo from Library Director Rortvedt, the library will
resume in-person access on March 1. Initially this will be limited to holds
pickup, copier, fax and internet access. If our COVID numbers stay down, they
hope to expand to browsing in the not-to-distant future.
With regard to the building project, the deadline for bids
was February 4 and eleven proposals were received. They are being reviewed and
the finalist will be presented at the Finance Committee meeting on March 8 and
the Library Board meeting and Common Council meetings on March 16 and March 17.
From the agenda item:
The architect will work with a main Project Team, which
will consist of members of the Appleton Public Library, the Mayor and the
Director of Parks, Recreation and Facilities Management. In addition, a
to-be-formed Advisory Committee composed of members of the public and select
community organizations will be established to provide additional input during
design. The architect will also be expected to work in conjunction with a
simultaneous neighborhood-level planning process, which will have a separate Request
for Proposals process in the near future to ensure that the library fits within
the neighborhood and serves as an anchor for a comprehensive neighborhood
redevelopment process.
The redesigned library is intended to reflect the
priorities of a participatory 21st Century library. The goal of this project is
to create an inspiring and flexible space that will satisfy the community’s
needs for generations to come.
The City continues to prioritize public input in this
process and invites the community to continue to provide feedback as we move
forward with the design process pending Library Board and Common Council
approval.
One item on the City Plan Commission agenda is heartening –
we are being asked to rezone a parcel on N. Meade St. from commercial to single
family because this former location of a power substation is going to be the
site of a new Habitat for Humanity home. We are also being asked to approve the
annexation of about 16 acres from the Town of Freedom for the First Addition of
Broadway Hills Estates.
As always, you can review agendas and minutes in addition to
watching video of committee and council meetings here:
https://cityofappleton.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx
Enjoy the next week of temperatures not only in the positive
double digits, but above freezing!
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