Appleton Common Council District 6 Update for the Week of May 18, 2025
Greetings District 6 Neighbors,
I’m pretty sure that just last Wednesday I was complaining that Mother Nature skipped spring and went directly to summer. I guess she heard me – seems more like EARLY spring out there right now.
After a mostly full committee week, we head into full council week with just a couple of other meetings on the city calendar.
The Board of Zoning Appeals met on Monday at 7:00 p.m. Their one action item is a variance request from a homeowner on S. Memorial Drive to maintain the location of a six-foot high fence in the front yard. Front yard fences are restricted to three feet. This will likely be rejected because the homeowner has not met the criteria for a variance.
The Library Board is meeting on Tuesday, May 20 at 5:00 p.m. Their action items include the April bill register and cash flow statement and budget amendments to record contributions.
They will also approve the nominating committee to select officers to be elected at the August board meeting and will review the new City of Appleton Social Media Policy.
On Thursday, the Board of Review will meet again. At the last meeting, the objection to the assessment of the Festival Foods property at 1200 W. Northland was withdrawn, but another objection to the assessment of parcels on Purdy Parkway was filed and a hearing was set for Thursday at 2:00.
At Wednesday’s Common Council meeting, the mayor will start off by issuing two proclamations:
- Hmong American Day, where we recognize the history, culture and contributions of Hmong Americans in Appleton and honor the legacy of the over 40,000 Hmong people who worked with American soldiers during the Viet Nam War, forcing them to flee their country to avoid persecution. Appleton was the first city in Wisconsin to formally commemorate this day, starting in 2015.
- Drinking Water Week
I expect that a few items will be separated from the agenda for individual discussion and votes.
First, the rezoning of the Dorn annexation to single family housing brought some neighbors to the City Plan Commission meeting. We are only voting on the rezoning at this time – no site plan has been presented, but we could hear again from people who have concerns based on their feeling about the lot sizes, etc. in the proposed development. The Plan Commission also recommended approval of the annexation of about 72 acres in the 6000 block of N. French Road, also from the Town of Grand Chute. We can expect to see a rezoning request for this area in the next couple of meetings if the annexation is approved.
There has also been a lot of discussion in the media and in the “socials” about changes to the policy regarding alcoholic beverages in city parks. The request for the change comes as a result of increasing problems with people congregating and drinking around park pavilions and playgrounds, near restrooms and other areas used by children. There has also been a problem of people failing to dispose of containers properly, which can create a hazard. There is an existing requirement to obtain a permit to consume alcoholic beverages in city parks, but the process is time-consuming for police staff, and basically unenforceable. I suspect the hope here is that the new rule against drinking near pavilions and playgrounds will give the police a reason to prevent some of the congregating in the pavilions – it’s not against park rules to be there, but if it’s against park rules to drink there, groups can be moved. The item was amended to exclude pavilion rentals and special events. If you rent a park pavilion, you will still be able to consume alcoholic beverages there, but not withing 20 feet of a playground, and no permit for alcoholic beverages will be required.
Finally, we will once again take up the request to use carryover funds (up to $107,625) to fund consulting services to prepare a sustainability master plan for the city. This has been in the works since the original request back in March, and I can honestly say that I would have preferred that city staff had included the full proposal that I received yesterday (and that is now attached to the meeting agenda) at the time we received the request to carry over these funds. The proposal, which would be used as the basis for a request for proposals if the funding is available, is a clear and robust statement of the work that is to be undertaken. Frankly, I’m disappointed in the colleague who called it “a travesty of buzzwords and needless bullet points.” It calls for an assessment and evaluation of projects and policies across all city departments, and for measurable milestones and public reporting for each executed project/policy change. To get an idea of the types of projects the city has ALREADY undertaken, take a look at the sustainability page of the city website. Each proposed project or policy change would still be subject to committee/council approval and cost justification.
There is an attempt by many to use the word “consultant” as a synonym for wasteful spending, and consultants can certainly be overused. However, in a situation where we don’t have the expertise in a particular area, and don’t need a permanent position, it makes sense to bring on temporary help. Over a long career in information technology, I have worked with, managed, hired and worked as a consultant on a number of projects.
The City of Appleton is not an outlier in wanting to develop a sustainability master plan. Our neighbors in Green Bay and cities like La Crosse and Eau Claire have prepared climate action plans for their communities, and have noted the use of professional consulting in the preparation of those plans.
While the carryover from a capital project to consulting might be unusual, it is not unprecedented. In 2024, we approved a carryover request of $30,000 from Facilities capital projects to fund an update to the Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Park Plan. In 2022, we approved a carryover request of $25,000 from HVAC projects for consulting for Lundgaard Park for a “…marketing plan and website for the City and Friends of the Fire Department to collaboratively seek donations for the new park.” In 2021 we approved a $45,000 carryover from the Water Utility capital project fund to fund consulting to develop a plan for lead and copper service line replacement and complete the grant application.
If you agree with me that this expenditure is warranted for the future of our city, I urge you to contact my colleagues by using this link to email all alderpersons.
I’ll close with a reminder that the spring meeting of the neighborhood program is scheduled for 6:00 tonight (Tuesday). If you are involved in a neighborhood group or just want to find out what the program is all about, stop by.
The City Celebration will be held Thursday, May 22 from 4:00 to 7:00 in Memorial Park with the popular “Touch-a-Truck” event where the kiddos can see the specialized vehicles that serve out community close, learn about their functions, and meet the professionals who operate them. The event will also feature food trucks, activities, and entertainment for all attendees.
Have a great week – and someone hand Mother Nature a calendar, would you?
Denise
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