Appleton Common Council District 6 Update for May 3, 2023

 

Photo from "Meanwhile in Wisconsin"

Greetings District 6 neighbors,

Apologies for the late update this week – I was out of town over the weekend for a (ha!) spring marathon in Eau Claire. After braving the elements there, imagine my surprise when I started seeing the social media photos of snow here in Appleton. How many times have I said that spring is surely around the corner?

On that note, remember that spring yard waste pickup continues through the end of next week on the day after your normal trash day. I’ve gotten a couple of questions about why the material has to be bundled or bagged. The fall leaf collection is either with the vacuum trucks or front-end loader, while the spring collection is all by hand. The paper bags are available in a lot of places – I saw a package that would be big enough for several seasons at Costco last week.

At the last Common Council meeting, the resolution that would end No Mow May failed, so the 8-inch restriction on the height of lawn vegetation will not be enforced this month. If you are participating and still have a yard sign from last year, put it out to let your neighbors know why your grass is high – the QR code links to information about helping pollinators in the early spring. Pollenablers-Fox Cities has a few of the lawn signs – there are some at the SLUG Garden at Lawrence (right off Lawe St. just north of the bridge). The group asks for a $5 donation to cover costs. There will be some signs at a few other locations around town as well.

After a couple of slower proclamation meetings, Mayor Woodford will be issuing seven tonight:

- American Legion Poppy Day

- Neurofibromatosis Awareness Day

- Hmong American Day

- Teacher Appreciation Week

- Municipal Clerks Week

- Asian & Pacific Islander Heritage Month

- Nurses Month

I don’t expect too much controversy about any of tonight’s agenda items. The resolution to have the Department of Public Works study and possibly revise the street light policy was approved. As noted, the city leases most of the lights from WE Energies and the expense is increasing rapidly, even with expected savings from the conversion to LED.

Based on questions at committee meetings, we might hear some discussion about the leasing of dance studio space at Northland Mall to replace the current studios in the City Center. As I noted in the last update, the rental cost will be somewhat higher, as the former space was rented well below market. Director Gazza also emphasized the importance of keeping the programs affordable.

In a bit of additional Northland Mall news – I received a site plan for a Dunkin’ Donuts outlet in front of the mall. With Chik-Fil-A also coming to the same area, I hope this heralds more activity for this area of our district.

We may also have some discussion about the storage space in City Center. While there will be no rent, the common charge per the condominium agreement will increase by about $7800. Director Gazza noted that this space will allow much more efficient storage of city equipment, particularly voting equipment, that is currently stored in several different spaces.

The Appleton Police Department is requesting that a vacancy in the clerical department be replaced with a new Community Engagement Specialist, reporting to Lt. Cash in the Community Resource Unit. Currently, there would be no additional salary burden, but there would be a need to budget for this higher-grade position in future years.

The Safety and Licensing Committee heard that the city and Chadwick’s Bar have come to an agreement regarding the violations related to underage drinking in the bar. Chadwick’s has purchased some very sophisticated scanning equipment that should help them detect fake IDs and has agreed to a 10-day license suspension starting May 14, and the city has agreed to postpone action on 80 demerit points that could have resulted in a permanent license suspension or revocation. The agreement is dependent on the bar not having any more demerit points for the next two years.

I think that covers everything that would cause any discussion.

As always, you can watch meeting videos, read minutes, and review agendas for upcoming meetings here:

https://cityofappleton.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx

Construction is still underway at City Hall, so there are a few ongoing glitches with the livestream and sometimes the recorded videos. Once all the new equipment gets installed, it should be smoother.

Have a great week!


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