Appleton Common Council District 6 Update for the Week of March 11, 2024

 

Greetings District 6 Neighbors,

I’m writing this next to the open window in my guest room/office. Both the human and feline members of my family are enjoying fresh air and sun today. While I know that 55 degrees in early March is not a good omen for the planet, it’s hard not to appreciate the sunshine.

At last week’s Common Council meeting, we had several people speak regarding their concern over concrete pavement assessments and assessments for sanitary laterals. Several of the concerns were regarding the process and were addressed by city staff at or after the meeting. Some residents in the area where new concrete streets are being constructed were concerned about the amount of the assessment. In one case, a homeowner had received an estimate and then received an assessment that was substantially higher. City staff was able to determine that the original estimate had been for the street pavement only, but there was a large stretch of sidewalk and a substantial driveway apron as well. The wheel tax took the place of special assessments for street RECONSTRUCTION; new subdivision homeowners are still assessed for the initial street construction that replaces the temporary asphalt put down at the time of the development. Homeowners in areas where the  streets are being repaved are assessed for water and sewer laterals, but not for the street reconstruction.

The changes to the operating hours for the Whitman and Glendale yard waste sites failed by a 6-6 vote (three alders were excused from the meeting and a tie vote is considered a failure by our council rules). I didn’t hear concerns about the change from District 6 residents, so I voted for the change. The hours will stay at on the current schedule.

There is a financial concern with the failure of the proposed change – in the winter, we are paying to keep the Glendale site open even on days when there are only about a dozen people coming to the site all day. City staff expects this to be even less due to the removal of the garbage dumpsters from the yard waste sites (approved in the 2024 budget).

The improvements to lighting in the downtown area (Walnut St. and College Ave.) were approved, though several alders expressed the desire that improvements be made to additional intersections as well. I’ll discuss the other proposals for downtown safety under the respective committee agendas.

In this week’s committee business:

CEA Committee – Monday, March 11, 3:30 p.m.

The CEA committee (Central Equipment Agency) is responsible for all the capital equipment – vehicles, etc., owned by the city. They haven’t met since June of 2023, so they will elect a chair and a vice chair at this meeting. They will then vote to recommend approval of the seasonal vehicle requests – vehicles in city inventory that will be used by and charged to various departments for the spring and summer season. They will also vote on the 2025 equipment replacement plan for vehicles and equipment at the end of their useful life. Information items include the equipment purchase logs for 2023 and 2024. Note that these equipment purchases are approved as part of each year’s annual budget.

Municipal Services Committee – Monday, March 11, 4:30 p.m.

The two big items on today’s agenda are the proposal to allow overnight street parking with a monthly permit and the proposed changes to the hours that food trucks would be allowed to operate downtown.

The resolution to allow overnight parking arose from a concern that many homes in the central business district have been converted from single family homes into duplexes and apartments, and that there is not sufficient off-street parking for all the residents. This resolution was introduced last October and has been held a couple of times to allow city staff to perform research. In the most recent memo, staff does not recommend approval unless multiple concerns, including street sweeping, snow plowing, administration of the permit process and enforcement are addressed. Administration and enforcement would require additional resources. To be honest, while I understand the issue in the neighborhoods near downtown, what I hear from you is concern that the current regulations are not being enforced, resulting in problems with snow removal. I will attend the meeting to share my concerns, and I do not plan to vote for this when it goes to the full council.

As you may recall, the police department has proposed limiting allowed hours of operation for food trucks downtown – requiring them to shut down at midnight rather than the current 4:00 a.m. The email received has been overwhelmingly against this change. While I understand the reasoning that reducing crowds downtown after bar closing time might reduce the likelihood of fights that could lead to violence, I’m not convinced that we should make this drastic change to the small businesses that operate these trucks without more evidence that it will help. I’m also concerned that closing the food trucks down will lead to more drunk driving when people don’t have options within walking distance. I will be interested to hear more from Chief Olson and other city staff about the issue, but at this point I do not plan to support it.

The committee will also take up some parking and signal changes, along with some street occupancy requests for construction and an annual window box overhang downtown.

Finance Committee – Monday, March 11, 5:30 p.m.

We have only one action item this evening, the approval of the contract for sewer and water and grade and gravel in the Southpoint Commerce Park (Carl Bowers & Son Construction Co. - $2,366,282,52 with contingency).

Information items include a couple of change orders for in-progress projects.

Advisory Panel on Sustainability and Climate Resilience – Tuesday, March 12, 3:30 p.m.

Note that this panel meets at the Facilities and Grounds Operation Center in Memorial Park, so their meetings are not recorded. They will continue to work on the priorities and workplan for 2024 and get a presentation from the Wisconsin Conservation Voters about the Inflation Reduction Act.

Utilities Committee – Tuesday, March 12, 4:30 p.m.

The committee will be voting to approve the 2023 Stormwater report to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and to award contracts for Native Landscape Management (NES Ecological Services - $192,345.12) and the Clearwells Repair Project at the water treatment plant (August Winter and Sons, Inc. - $290,400 with contingency). The city maintains a buffer of native plants around the stormwater ponds – the management contract includes control of invasive species, erosion control with new plantings and maintenance of the pond aerators.

Sadly, they will also look at approving the contract for 2024 Ash Tree removal (Foley’s Tree Service, LLC - $375,000).

The committee will also receive reports on the lead and galvanized service replacement program and the water main break reports for January and February as information items.

Not on this agenda, but to be addressed at the council’s organizational meeting at the beginning of the next term, is a resolution submitted by Alder Doran that would disband the Utilities Committee and move those functions to the Municipal Services Committee. His argument is that the Utilities Committee often does not have agenda items and cancels meetings fairly frequently. The current chair of the committee is opposed to the proposal, and I would tend to support the opinions of the committee members but will listen to the arguments at the meeting.

Board of Health – Wednesday, March 13, 7:00 a.m.

The Board will vote on revisions to the swimming pool license categories and fees to align with the state standards (required by statute). The Health Officer believes the fee schedule changes would not result in any change in revenue.

They will also vote on proposed changes to the rat control regulations, removing the Health Department's responsibility for baiting and exterminating rats on residential premises. The responsibility will be shifted to property owners, removing the requirement that Health Department staff maintain a Certified Pest Control Operator credential. This seems totally logical – I honestly was not aware that the Health Department had ever had this responsibility.

As information items, the Board will hear a mental health wellness presentation and get updates on respiratory virus surveillance and the wastewater report, along with the March Health Department newsletter.

Appleton Redevelopment Authority – Wednesday, March 13, 9:00 a.m.

The Redevelopment Authority will welcome a new member, Richard Carpenter, and vote on a license agreement between the city and The Boldt Company for a vacant plot owned by the ARA so that Boldt can store and stage equipment on this property located just north of the transit center. They will also perform a redevelopment mapping exercise.

City Plan Commission – Wednesday, March 13, 3:30 p.m.

The Plan Commission will hold a public hearing and take up a request to combine two lots and rezone one parcel from R-2 Two Family to R-1 Single Family to maintain consistent zoning. The owners want to build a garage which cannot meet the setback requirements unless the lots are combined. The current house sits on both lots.

Community and Economic Development Committee – Wednesday, March 13, 4:30 p.m. (special time)

The big item for this committee is the proposed Development Incentive Agreement with USV 222, LLC (US Venture’s company for the redevelopment of the 222 Building). There are no details included in the committee agenda – we will be discussing the negotiations for Tax Increment District funds in the development agreement in closed session before taking up this action item.

Although many people may have concerns about USV’s ownership of basically all the land on the bluff site and their intentions regarding those parcels, the only thing before the committee this week is the development agreement for the 222 Building. The city did not advance USV any funding for development on the bluff site.

We will also be voting on the proposal to keep the selling price for land in the industrial parks at $43,000 per acre with an option fee of 1% for lots of five or fewer acres and 2% for lots of over five acres. The city pays an 8% commission to licensed brokers for transactions.

Note that there is a public meeting on the Lawe St. reconstruction project on March 18 from 5:00 until 6:30 p.m. in council chambers at City Hall.

Have a great week!