Appleton Common Council District 6 Update for the Week of January 29, 2024

From Appleton Downtown, Inc
Note that Ramp Parking is now $6 for over 4 hours

Greetings District 6 Neighbors,


It’s hard to believe that we’ve almost reached the end of January, but if February brings an end to this gloomy weather, I’m ready for it. The last week of January does bring us another “fifth week for the Common Council, where we have no committee or full council meetings. The committee work from last week will appear on the agenda for the next Common Council meeting on February 7.

Before I get into normal council business, I want to let you know about an opportunity for citizens to learn more about the workings of local government and the operations of our city. The Appleton Citizens Academy is an enhanced version of the old Appycademy program that ended during COVID. The Citizens Academy is a 10-week program that will include some interesting behind the scenes tours of various departments and presentations from the people who really make the city work. You can get more information and sign up here:

https://www.appleton.org/government/mayor-s-office/citizens-academy-8147

The deadline for signing up is February 9 and the program is first come, first served, with those who don’t get into this session getting priority for the next.

We also have early voting for the spring primary starting on February 6 – those of us in District 6 don’t have any races in the primary, but it’s a reminder for those who like to use mail-in absentee ballots that you can request them for the whole year at [myvote.wi.gov]myvote.wi.gov.

One item that we will have on the agenda for February 7 meeting is the resolution from Alder Doran stating that the Common Council “directs city staff to prepare a request for proposals to develop a parking facility strategic plan, to include a study to assess the value and conditions of the city’s publicly-owned parking assets, to look at best management practices and options, and to develop a downtown marketing and promotional campaign.”

 

As I have noted in past updates, we already have funds budgeted for a marketing campaign, and I believe that staff is very aware of he conditions of the ramps – we have also budgeted funds for needed repairs and upgrades this year and in the capital budget. I will not be voting to take funds from what is already budgeted for another study.

 

At the Finance Committee meeting last week, the committee recommended approval of the resolution from Alders Van Zeeland, Meltzer and myself calling for applying the $134,180 Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant to applicable initiatives in the library project. The geothermal heating and cooling project was my first choice. We were under the impression that the deadline for allocating these funds was the end of January, but Director Gazza informed us during the meeting that the deadline had been extended until March. The day after the meeting, I was surprised to get an email from Director Gazza stating that, because the library bidding did not meet federal standards under the Davis-Bacon act that regulates labor standards for federally funded or assisted projects. The library project was bid under state standards. I have reached out to Director Gazza and Attorney Behrens to determine if we had the option of rebidding the geothermal project since we did not get bids on it during the original bidding process for the library.

 

The Parks and Recreation committee recommended approval of the revised Houdini Plaza rental fee schedule after the item had been referred back at the last council meeting, so we will see that item at council again next week.

 

The other items at committee (discussed in last week’s update) were approved unanimously without a whole lot of discussion, so I expect that most of the discussion at the February 7 meeting will be related to the parking study and possibly the energy efficiency and conservation block grant.

 

I leave you with a wish for some sunshine, even if it comes with colder temps. (Maybe Sunday???)  Have a great week anyway!

 

 

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