Appleton Common Council District 6 Update for the Week of March 16, 2025
Greetings District 6 Neighbors,
I told my colleague Alder Siebers the other night that I was making him personally responsible for our little reminder over the weekend that winter isn’t over. He had assured me a week or so ago that it was.
We will begin the Common Council meeting with a couple of board reappointments and with a presentation from the Appleton Area School District regarding attendance. The numbers haven’t gotten better since I met with Superintendent Greg Hartjes last fall. 20.3% of high school students (921) missed five or more days of school without an excuse AND missed 18 or more days of school with or without an excuse. Of those 921 high school students, 811 are not on track to graduate. AASD is asking the council for: “(a)n ordinance that would support student success.” Per the presentation:
- The ordinance would be used when our three-tiered system of support has not helped a
student consistently attend school
- The Common Council determines the dispositions that would be which available to the court
- Implemented during a 4-semester trial period, followed by a review of impact
This is part of the business presented by the mayor – no action will be taken at the meeting. I was elected to the council in the fall of 2019 just weeks after the truancy ordinance was repealed, ending the city’s involvement with school attendance, but I remember the emotions on all sides. The AASD presentation is here:
Headed into this council week, I was sure that I would be writing mostly about an item from the Parks and Recreation Committee meeting, and I was right, but I had the wrong item. I was certain that the most controversial item would be Resolution #2-R-25, which would update the city’s goal of achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, to the more achievable goal of reducing the city’s emissions by half in the next decade, while keeping the aspirational net-zero goal, which is more dependent on our energy suppliers. This resolution was recommended for approval unanimously in committee. I expect that the vote of the full council will not be unanimous, with objections ranging from it being a “feel good” resolution which doesn’t propose specific action, to full climate denial. As I noted last week, I believe Appleton has a good record on sustainability, with the initiatives we pursue being both environmentally and fiscally sound. Think of projects like solar panels on city buildings, which reduce greenhouse gas emissions and save money by consuming less fossil fuel sourced electricity. The biodigesters at the wastewater treatment plant allow us to use methane that would otherwise be burned off into the atmosphere to heat the buildings. The geothermal system at the library will essentially mean that their operating budget won’t include a heating bill. “We’re already doing all these things – why do we need a resolution?” one might ask. One reason is that we passed Resolution #13-R-19 six years ago that created the 2050 net-zero goal and also created the climate task force (my shortened version of the actual name). Part of the work we did in that group was to establish the baseline emissions inventory for the city and to create a climate action plan which led to the formation of the advisory panel that created resolution #2-R-25, which Alder Hayden submitted at their request. As we moved forward with the city’s sustainability initiatives, focusing on reducing the city’s emissions, which we can measure and have more control over, made sense. While the city has no influence on national climate policy, it is also clear that with the mission of the EPA being radically redefined, other governmental entities are going to have to focus on what they can do in their own spaces. I intend to vote in favor of this resolution.
On to the item that did generate a massive response from the public – the request from Creative Appleton Downtown, Inc. to install a “selfie sculpture” in Houdini Plaza. I’m not going to re-hash my whole thought process here, except to reiterate that I do not believe it is the job of the members of the Common Council to judge the artistic merits of a proposed installation. I will note that the sculptor commissioned for the piece is Rob Neilson, the Frederick R. Layton Professor of Studio Art and Professor of Art at Lawrence University.
In response to some of the comments I’ve seen in my email and on social media, I’ll note that Appleton Downtown, Inc. is required to provide a certificate of insurance if there is not one already on file. I understand this to mean that ADI/their insurer would be responsible for damage to the work or injury claims, but I will confirm this with the city’s legal department. There will be no cost to the city for either the construction, installation or maintenance of the “selfie sculpture” other than snow removal which the city takes care of in Houdini Plaza already.
(small rant coming – please skip over if you’d like) I appreciate the passion for the looks of the downtown and Houdini Plaza and the concerns that folks have for the safety of citizens. I would love to see some of those folks tomorrow at one of the open house sessions for Plan Appleton, where the team will be sharing what they heard about the community’s vision for the future of our city, dive deeper into some of the opportunities and test recommendations. There will be a presentation at 4:00, 5:00 and 6:00, followed by activities where the team can learn more from our community.
And speaking of passion about the community, we have an election on April 1 where 8 of the 15 council seats are on the ballot. There is a single contested race – in one of the three open seats.
I saw some comments that indicated that there was a belief that the city was paying for the “selfie sculpture” and suggested better uses for the money. However, I believe that there were three members of the public who attended the budget listening session last fall before we voted on our almost $200 million budget for 2025 and the capital improvement plan for the next five years. (thus endeth the rant)
There is one other meeting this week – the Library Board will be meeting tomorrow. They are introducing a new board trustee and the new APL building supervisor before heading into the action items which include the bill register for February, a budget amendment to record Friends of APL contributions for various program, a breakdown of the 2025 materials budget, updates to the City of Appleton Fringe Benefits Policy, and the Space Use Policy and Library Rental Fee Schedule. Note that only the large Mary Beth Neinhaus Community Meeting Room will charge a fee, but per the meeting room reservation system, the room is free during library hours for meetings that are free and open to the public.
As I mentioned above, don’t forget the comprehensive plan update community workshops at 4:00, 5:00 and 6:00 tomorrow, March 18, at the Mary Beth Neinhaus Community Meeting Room in the Appleton Public Library. Each one will start with a presentation and then move on to other activities – these are family-friendly events. This is a chance to share your thoughts on the future of our community.
Enjoy the week!
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