Happy New Year, District 6 Neighbors!
While city offices were only closed a couple of days for the holidays, the Common Council hasn’t met since December 18, with New Year’s Day falling on our normal “first Wednesday”  meeting day. Committees did not meet during Christmas week, so we’ll start 2025 with a fairly full committee week.
Municipal Services Committee – Monday, January 6, 2025, 4:30 p.m.
The committee will be asked to approve a contract for Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination Ongoing Field Screening Services for stormwater for 2025 (Westwood Infrastructure, Inc. - $35,000) and a contract for materials testing and contaminated materials response (Westwood Infrastructure, Inc. - $100,000) Note that the funding for the materials testing is included within the individual infrastructure projects.
We will also vote on a permit for a dumpster to be located in one of the parking stalls on Superior St. north of College Avenue for the 222 College Avenue remodeling project and for a permit for signage on the Superior St. skywalk with directions to parking and the Hilton Hotel entrance.
Finance Committee – Monday, January 6, 5:30 p.m.
The committee will hear a presentation of the annual report and the financial report of the Appleton Yacht Club.
Action items include a contract amendment with Restoration Systems, Inc. for phase 1 of the emergency repairs to the Green Ramp. Delays in the permanent repair have resulted in the need to extend the temporary shoring. ($17,225). These are the repairs of damage done to the ramp by a patron who ran into the wall while apparently treating the parking ramp as a racetrack.
We’re also being asked to approve a contract for the architectural and engineering service for the Community Development Department renovation in City Hall. (Wesenberg Architects - $67,400).
We have a number of information items noting the completion of projects, along with a couple of library budget amendments to record reimbursements and donations.
Utilities Committee – Tuesday, January 7, 4:30 p.m.
The committee will vote on a contract amendment for the design and construction management services for the wastewater treatment plant column and plank storage upgrades based on additional needs that were identified (Applied Technologies, Inc. - $4900, bringing the total contract amount to $30,400).
As an information item, they will review additional expenses related to the 2024 biosolids composting contract resulting from wet conditions in the early fall. There was an additional $10,250 in expenses.
City Plan Commission – Wednesday, January 8, 3:30 p.m.
The commission has no action items on the agenda but will receive a briefing on the Comprehensive Plan/Sub Area plan update.
DIY kits to complete with your book club, civic group, church group, etc. can be found here: https://appleton.maps.arcgis.com/sharing/rest/content/items/1e6b6551fcb14c6db7bd60ae8ba3d13a/data
The website for the project is: https://www.planappleton.org/
Community Development Committee – Wednesday, January 8, 4:30 p.m.
The committee will hold a public hearing on the availability of Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding to seek community input on priority community needs for the 2025 grant year.
As an action item, the committee will vote to approve the city program funding for 2025 CDBG funds estimated at $588,231.
  • Housing Rehabilitation Loan Program: $200,000
  • Community Resource Navigator: $88,231
  • Neighborhood Grant Program: $40,000
  • Appleton Housing Authority: $25,000
  • Fair Housing: $25,000
  • CDBG Administration: $65,000  
The balance, $145,000 would be available to external non-profit organizations through a competitive application process.
Information items include the annual updates to the Housing Affordability Report and the Housing Fee Report – these reports are a year behind, so this is 2023 data.
The committee will also get the inspection summary reports for October and November 2024 and hear a report on the Neighbors in Action workshops coming up this year. From the report:
The City of Appleton is excited to offer a new training opportunity for neighborhood organizations. The Neighbors in Action Workshop series will equip residents with leadership and engagement skills, provide educational opportunities related to event planning, grant management, and neighborhood development, and help neighbors across Appleton connect and build community together.
The workshop sessions will be held the first Thursday of the month in Winter/Spring 2025, starting February 6th. This project is being facilitated by Julie Filapek of NeighborWorks Green Bay. Julie is an Appleton resident with extensive experience in neighborhood development and neighborhood organizing across northeastern Wisconsin.
The workshop sessions will cover a wide variety of topics related to neighborhood organizations and provide many opportunities for connection and collaboration with neighbors. Areas of interest for the workshop sessions include:
• Identify and leverage the strengths you have to build on in your neighborhood
• Set a vision and goals and take action to achieve them
• Build a team that works together well and gets other neighbors excited to participate
• Establish and communicate your neighborhood’s unique identity
• Use traditional and creative methods for communicating with neighbors
• Build partnerships and raise funds to help you realize your goals
• Work with City of Appleton elected officials and department staff
The workshops are designed to update and enhance the city’s neighborhood program. You do not have to belong to a registered neighborhood to participate in the workshops.
More information is available on the city website:
You can register for the workshops here:
Safety and Licensing Committee – Wednesday, January 8, 5:30 p.m.
The agenda for this committee is starting to look like “Ground Hog Day” a month early. Other than the normal license applications and renewals, we have a number of items from last year back, including a denied bartender license and the license forfeiture for the Speakeasy Lounge. We also have another appeal for a denied bartender license on the agenda. The first appeal was held while the city attorney’s office reviewed some additional information, the conviction on a drug charge, which would make the applicant ineligible for a license. The other denial seems straightforward as well – with a third OWI conviction in 2022.
The license revocation for the Speakeasy Lounge is back after three members, including me, voted to hold it at our last meeting upon hearing that the owner planned to voluntarily relinquish the license upon sale of the business. I voted for the hold so that the new owners would not face a delay in being able to operate. If we hear that the license was NOT surrendered voluntarily, I would vote for the revocation this time.
We also have the license application for Dellaire’s, a coffee bar that would serve alcohol, back on the agenda. Information was received from neighboring businesses and another community that indicated a possible plan to install gaming machines in the business. APD investigation did not indicate any evidence that the business was to be used as a gaming establishment. We have yet to hear from the owner; I hope that he is able to attend this meeting.
Information items include the Gold Cross Ambulance annual review and some alcohol establishment demerit point notifications.
The Parks and Recreation, Transit Commission and Human Resources and Information Technology committees will not be meeting this week.
If you have not gotten rid of your Christmas tree yet (yes – all of my decorations are still up, but I swear, I have an excuse), pickup will take place the week of January 13-17. Have your tree out by Sunday, January 12. You can take your tree to the Glendale Yard Waste Site today through January 24 to participate in the “Tree for a Tree” program, where you receive a coupon for a free white spruce seedling, redeemable in April, for your Christmas tree. In both cases, the tree should be bare, with no plastic bags or decorations.
Have a great week!


Denise

 

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