The
combination of this cooler drizzly weather (I started this on Saturday morning)
and all the first day of school photos on social media confirm that summer is
coming to an end. It was so much fun to see all of the bus stop photo shoots on
my walk Wednesday morning. I miss that combination of the change in seasons accompanied
by the start of a new school year – clean notebooks and new pens and pencils seem
like a symbol of a fresh start in the way that the New Year coming in the
middle of the long winter season seems less so. I envy my teacher daughters just
a little for still having that every year.
The city’s
business moves on regardless of the change in seasons or the new school year.
Before I get into the Common Council meeting from last Wednesday, I’d like to
give a quick update on the Taskforce on Resiliency, Climate Mitigation and
Adaptation. As I wrote when the body was formed, the purpose of the taskforce
was to build on the many actions the city is already taking to become a more
sustainable community. Unfortunately, soon after the members were appointed
back in January of 2020, COVID forced us to stop holding in-person committee
meetings. We worked in virtual subcommittees to do research and develop recommendations
to be included in a climate action plan for the city. The writing group of
which I was a part worked virtually and in some outdoor meetings to create a
draft report which was submitted on November 1, 2020. After that, not a whole
lot happened, and the members of the taskforce began to experience some frustration
at the idea that a lot of work had gone into a document, and we were not seeing
any action taken. In March, the city engaged consultants to work with the
taskforce on a framework for the climate action plan and on a greenhouse gas
inventory – a key component of the draft climate action plan. In late June, Chair
Terry Dawson resigned from the taskforce due to personal circumstances, and Heather
McCombs agreed to take on the role of chair. We have since been working to
rewrite the climate action plan under a new framework proposed by the consultants
and agreed upon by the taskforce. This has involved subcommittee meetings and
work sessions outside of our normal twice monthly meetings. We expect to
complete the new report in the near future and are looking forward to hearing
about the greenhouse gas inventory/energy audit in our next meeting. Per the
resolution which created it, the taskforce’s commission ends in February of
2022, but we all agreed that the city needs a permanent body that will address the
affects of climate change and work with city staff to take steps to mitigate
the effects of climate change on our community. This has been added as a
component of the climate action plan and we plan to introduce a resolution to
create such a body at a later date.
Alderperson
Meltzer opened the Common Council meeting on Wednesday with an invocation where
he stressed the importance of wearing masks in this time where we are fighting
the upsurge in COVID cases from the Delta variant, and talked about mask
wearing as a kindness and as a small sacrifice compared to what we as a country
have sacrificed in other times of crisis. It’s worth a listen: https://cityofappleton.legistar.com/MeetingDetail.aspx?ID=886960&GUID=3054076F-7758-42CD-9CB4-3F059F2F03E4&Options=info%7C&Search=&Refresh=1#
The mayor
presented the nominations for the redistricting committee. The city goes through
a redistricting process every ten years after the census just as the counties
and state do. There is a committee that includes five alderpersons who will
work on the process – the Council President and Vice-President and three
at-large members. I had applied to be included on the committee but was not
nominated by the mayor.
Outagamie
County has already proposed two different sets of supervisory district maps and
has taken public comment on them. The timeline is compressed this cycle because
of the delay in receiving the census results. The counties have to have their
plans to the municipalities by September 14th, and the municipalities
must have their ward plans back to the county by October 25th, with
the aldermanic district plans being voted on by the common councils by November
10.
Some of you
have probably seen the proposed supervisory districts proposed by Outagamie
County. As you know, the City of Appleton has gained population, but the majority
of that gain has been in the new subdivisions on the north side of the city. If
we keep the same number of aldermanic districts, there will have to be changes
in the boundaries in order to keep roughly the same number of people in each
district. There will be opportunity for public input on the city wards and
districts as for the counties, and I will keep you updated on the process.
Mayor
Woodford presented proclamations for Senior Center Month, Childhood Cancer
Awareness Month, Hmong New Year Season, Arts in Education Week, and September
11, 2001 Remembrance Day. There will be a procession and ceremony to honor the
victims and first responders of the attacks as well as American military
personnel who served in the war on terrorism on Saturday, September 11, 2021. From
the event page:
https://www.facebook.com/events/273512197539979/
On
Saturday, September 11, 2021, the City of Appleton will hold a solemn
procession and commemorative ceremony to honor the victims and first responders
of the 9/11 attacks as well as the American military personnel who served in
the war against terrorism.
“We must never forget those who lost their lives
on September 11 or those who gave their lives serving this country,” said Corey
Otis, Appleton Parade Committee Chairperson. “Everyone is invited to unite in
Appleton for this ceremony.”
At 8:45 a.m., the time when the first plane hit
the World Trade Center, the solemn procession will begin. The route is two
blocks long: it begins at Fire Station #1, at the corner of Atlantic and Drew,
and moves south on Drew Street to City Park. Procession participants include
the Appleton Police and Fire Departments, local military veteran groups, and
Clan Donald Pipes and Drums.
At 9:03 a.m., the time when the second plane hit
the World Trade Center, the commemorative ceremony will begin in Appleton’s
City Park. The event will include music from the City Band and Clan Donald
Pipes & Drums; remarks from Mayor Jacob Woodford, Police Chief Todd Thomas,
Fire Chief Jeremy J. Hansen, and John Oakley from Appleton VFW Post 2778; and
traditional memorial tributes, including an invocation and benediction by Bob
Johnson of American Legion Post 38, the laying of the wreath, rifle salute, and
playing of "Taps." The ceremony is expected to last no more than one
hour. Seating will not be provided, so spectators should bring their own chairs
or stand during the ceremony.
Local houses of worship are asked to ring their
bells at the following times on Saturday, September 11:
8:45 a.m. (Central Daylight Time) - in remembrance
of those who died when American Airlines Flight 11 struck the North Tower of
the World Trade Center.
9:03 a.m. - in remembrance of those who died when
United Airlines Flight 175 struck the South Tower of the World Trade Center.
9:43 a.m. - in remembrance of those who died when
American Airlines Flight 77 struck the Pentagon.
10:00 a.m. - in remembrance of those who died when
United Airlines Flight 93 crashed near Shanksville, Pa.
Noon - in remembrance of all those lost to acts of
terrorism.
Unfortunately,
I will be away next weekend, but I know this will be a moving event.
We
received the COVID-19 update from Interim Health Officer Jensen. We are once
again at the VERY HIGH category based on burden and trajectory of new cases –
the first time we have been at this level since January. 97 to 98 percent of
the current cases are in unvaccinated persons. The percentage of cases in
vaccinated persons since January is at 4.4% and of the cases as of last Tuesday
it was 5.2%. There were 45 cases in people
under 17 for August 4 through August 17. As of August 30, 55.3% of Appleton
residents were fully vaccinated and 65.7% of vaccine eligible persons were fully
vaccinated. 46.6% of residents 12-17 years of age are fully vaccinated. Vaccines
are widely available free of charge at local pharmacies, at the Fox River Mall
clinic on September 9-11 from 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., and at the Outagamie
County Public Health Division on the 3rd floor at 320 S. Walnut St.
from 9:00 to 3:00 daily.
The
only items separated for individual consideration when we established the “order
of the day” for the meeting were the changes to the scavenging ordinance to
make it legal to take bulky items that are left in the terrace but to keep the
prohibition on removing items from trash or recycling containers. This item
passed unanimously as did the other item that was separated – the 10-year lease
for the placement of the “Stairway to the Stars” sculpture in Pierce Park. This
item was separated because one alderperson had a question about any cost to the
city for the placement – there is none; Sculpture Valley be responsible for the
base and any maintenance.
Among
the items that were approved with the balance was the contract for The Boldt Company
to be the Manager at Risk for the library project. If you have not seen the
design proposals, they are being displayed at the library with options for writing
comments.
There
were two resolutions introduced at the meeting. The first, of which I am a co-sponsor,
states the Common Council’s support for the resettlement of Afghan parolees (this
is the status for people who come to the United States without visa status) in
Appleton:
RESOLUTION #13-R-21 Support for Resettlement of
Afghanistan Parolees in Appleton
Date: September 1, 2021
Submitted By :Vered Meltzer – District 2, Katie
VanZeeland – District 5, Denise Fenton – District 6, Maiyoua Thao – District 7,
Alex Schultz – District 9, Nate Wolff – District 12
Referred To: Community & Economic Development
Committee
WHEREAS, upon the collapse of the Afghanistan government
and the Taliban takeover of Kabul which precipitated the emergency US led mass
airlift, roughly 125,000 Afghan citizens have fled their home country and may
be seeking asylum abroad with as many as 50,000 arriving in the US on
“humanitarian parole” without visas; and
WHEREAS, thousands of these Afghan citizens supported
American and allied forces, standing side-by-side with our service members,
diplomats, and aid workers while serving as interpreters, engineers, logistical
service providers, and more; and
WHEREAS, the city of Appleton, which became a Compassion
City in 2010 under the Earth Charter's Charter for Compassion Campaign, has
historically been a haven for refugees escaping war and political violence; and
WHEREAS, World Relief Fox Valley, the local refugee
resettlement agency and its well-established refugee resettlement program,
which has welcomed 1000 refugees since its inception in 2012, is preparing for
the anticipated arrival of 100 Afghan parolees to the Appleton and Oshkosh
communities it serves and will need additional resources for this lesser
classification of arriving parolees;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Common Council
of Appleton wishes to offer a home in Appleton for those who were evacuated due
to the war in Afghanistan and hereby affirms to the United States federal
government that the City of Appleton stands ready to welcome Afghan
humanitarian parolees, and;
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Common Council of
Appleton directs the department of Community and Economic Development to
coordinate any necessary response with county, state, and federal government
departments and agencies, in accordance with previously established and proven
best practices for emergency resettlement, as well as offer any additional
assistance it can to facilitate rapid response housing options within the City
of Appleton.
This
resolution will be considered in the Community and Economic Development
Committee meeting at 4:30 Wednesday, September 8.
I met with
Community and Economic Development Director Harkness Wednesday afternoon to get
an update on the situation. Multiple city staff, including Director Harkness
and representatives from the Health Department, Police Department, Valley
Transit and the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Coordinator are involved with
the Joint Committee on Resettlement. Just as the Hmong refugees had aided the
U.S. military during the Vietnam war, there were many Afghans who worked as interpreters
and in many other capacities for the United States during the war in
Afghanistan. Many of these people had Special Immigrant Visas (SIV) pending at
the time of the Taliban takeover of the country.
I also
attended a briefing by World Relief yesterday where they talked of the plans to
settle approximately 100 of the Afghan parolees in the Fox Cities. All of the
people who are being settled are being fully vetted, per World Relief.
If you have
questions about this situation, please let me know and I can provide some more
sources of information or put you in contact with those who can answer your
questions.
The second
resolution was in response to the problem of vehicles that have been modified
to have very loud exhaust systems “cruising” around the city. Several of the
business owners on College Avenue have expressed concern that the noise makes
it unpleasant to use the new outdoor dining areas that have been such a benefit
to them when people still have concerns about dining indoors. The resolution
would make these modifications illegal under the city code.
As always,
you can read full minutes, view the meeting videos and preview meeting agendas
here:
https://cityofappleton.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx
Items before
committees this week include:
Appleton
Redevelopment Authority Exhibition Center Advisory Committee – Tuesday,
September 7, 1:00 p.m.
· Public hearing
on the change in ownership of the Red
Lion Paper Valley Hotel to the Hilton Appleton Paper Valley and the Fox Cities
Exhibition Center booking summary
· Presentation on
tourism in general and specific to the Fox Cities and the economic impact of
COVID-19
Appleton Redevelopment Authority – Wednesday, September 8, 9:00
a.m.
· Update
on College Avenue North Neighborhood Plan
· Update
on Library Redesign Process
City Plan Commission – Wednesday, September 8, 3:00 p.m.
· Public hearing
and action for rezoning at 2121 S. Schaefer St. to allow construction of a
second commercial building
· Request for
approval of the final plat of the Apple Fields for 19 single family lots between
Ballard and Lightning Dr. and north of Evergreen.
Community and Economic Development Committee – Wednesday,
September 8, 4:30 p.m.
· Public hearing,
city funding proposals and city approval for 2022 Community Development Block
Grant (CDBG) funds. The award estimate for 2022 is $599,710.
· Resolution #13-R-21 - Support for
Resettlement of Afghanistan Parolees in Appleton – as described above
Safety and Licensing Committee – Wednesday, September 8, 5:30
p.m.
· Resolution #14-R-21 - Excessive
Vehicle Noise as described above
· Special events:
o Wisconsin
Arborist Association Tree Climbing Championship, Erb Park, September 17-18,
2021
o Valley
Social Dance Studio, Outdoor Dance, Telulah Park, September 19, 2021
o Appleton
Public Library presents: Solar Viewing w/ Solar System Ambassador, Houdini
Plaza, September 29, 2021
o Appleton
Public Library presents: The Skies Above You w/ Solar System Ambassador, Pierce
Park, October 27, 2021
o Appleton
North Homecoming Parade, 5000 N Ballard Rd, October 1, 2021
o American
Cancer Society, Making Strides Against Breast Cancer, Telulah Park, October 9,
2021
Human Resources and Information Technology Committee –
Wednesday, September 8, 6:30 p.m.
· Request to approve over hire for
Water Plant Instrumentation Technician – to allow training and knowledge transfer
after hiring a replacement for the current technician who is retiring.
· Discuss Alderperson salaries. This item
referred back to HR/IT in March, after Alderperson Martin proposed a raise to
$10,125 from the current $6221.44 (last raised 1.5% in October 2019) and then
held in April until this meeting. Any action we take on this cannot go into
effect until 2023 as council cannot vote on their own salaries during their
term.
I have
expressed concern before that the salary of an alderperson places limits on who
is able to serve. I am grateful for the opportunity to serve and am fortunate
to be retired and not dependent on the salary, but my situation is clearly
different from many of the people I represent. I don’t believe anyone runs for the office for
the money, but it does take more time than I think anyone expects when they first
take it on. In addition to the two full council meetings each month, we all
serve on two or more committees, and some serve on additional boards. We need
to read all the material for all our committees and for the full council
meetings, and we respond to constituent issues and other requests. Meetings are
often in the evening, so people with young children sometimes have to have childcare.
I know I could not have served when I was a young mother, and yet I believe
that we somehow need to find a way for those voices to be represented. I admit I
do not know what the right salary is. We looked at Green Bay as a reference,
but doing the math shows that they actually make less per citizen represented
than we do. (GB does give alders the option of city health insurance) Hopefully
we can start a productive discussion this week.
Monday committee meetings (Municipal Service, Finance, Parks
and Recreation) are canceled for the Labor Day holiday and will meet again the
week of September 20.
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