Greetings District 6 Neighbors,
Shana Tova to all who celebrate and happy first official day of autumn to everyone.
...and Happy NL Central Championship to Brewers fans!
I’m writing this while watching the rain fall outside my “office” window and being grateful that the weather (mostly) held off for all of the events happening in and around the city this past weekend – opening night for the Fox Valley Symphony season, Irish Fest, Rhythms of the World and the Fox Cities Marathon races just to name a few. After recent years’ weather-related cancellations, I know the organizers and thousands of volunteers were holding their breath as race weekend approached. The entire area is involved – the full marathon course runs through seven different communities. I volunteered at a water station for the 10k race on Saturday and participated in the half marathon competitive walk on Sunday. It was humid, but not brutally hot as it has been in past years. It’s honestly one of my favorite weekends of the year.
At the Common Council meeting last Wednesday, the council voted 12-1 with two members excused from the meeting to increase the alderperson annual salary by $168.75 (2.5%) to $6918.75 starting with the April 2027 term. Alder Hartzheim, after voting to recommend the increase during the HR/IT Committee meeting, made a motion to amend the item to recommend no salary increase, citing the fact that the meeting was delayed because of a very long Safety and Licensing Committee meeting that preceded it. She felt that the item was not discussed as thoroughly as it should have been. The amendment failed 12-1 and the council voted to approve the initial recommendation. Alder Firkus expressed concern over the number of uncontested council races and hoped that a small pay increase might encourage more people to run. I agree with the concern about the small number of people willing to run and serve the community, but I’m not sure that it’s the pay that is preventing people from running. This increase works out to about $3.25 per week – I joked to a colleague that it would buy a cup of coffee – but not a fancy coffee. I do want to point out that in the Post-Crescent article about the salary increase, they listed the salaries of some other municipalities elected representatives, but limited the list to communities in east central Wisconsin, leaving out other cities similar in size to Appleton:
- Eau Claire – 2027 salary $8000, population 71,230, 11 members ($10 per month cell phone allowance, $88.43 auto allowance)
- La Crosse – salary $8400, population 52,680, 13 members
- Kenosha – salary $6000, population 96,079, 17 members (per diem plus $100 per month expense allowance)
Of the communities listed in the P-C article, De Pere has already voted to make the salary for 2026 $8186, plus each member gets a device stipend of $750 at election or re-election.
The council also referred the park renaming policy back to the Parks and Recreation Committee after a vote to reconsider the amendment approved at the last council meeting that would have essentially left the park naming process wide open.
Back to work for a committee week which will have all but two committees, the Community Development Committee and the Human Resources and Information Technology Committee, holding their scheduled meetings.
Municipal Services Committee – Monday, September 22, 4:30 p.m.
The committee will vote on the design for the Badger Ave (College Ave to Memorial Dr), Sixth St (Memorial Dr to State St), Eighth St (Pierce Ave to Badger Ave), Rankin St (Commercial St to Wisconsin Ave) projects. We held the design hearing at the last meeting and heard from a few residents who I believe mostly had their questions answered by the project engineer, the City Traffic Engineer and the consultants who worked on the design project. In the past week, I have heard from some residents outside the project area who have concerns that the 10-foot side paths planned for Badger Avenue and Sixth Street from Memorial Drive to State Street would be extended for the rest of Sixth Street and Prospect Avenue. Per the Traffic Engineer:
“…The decision to show dual sidepaths on this block of Sixth St (State to Memorial) is the result of several factors, as outlined below. We do NOT expect this cross section to be extended east of State St in the future.
Sixth St is identified as a bike priority route due to its functional classification as a collector street.
- Due to physical constraints, dedicated on-street bike-only lanes are not feasible in the area west of the Badger/Sixth/Memorial intersection. The solution to this was to propose dual side paths west of the intersection. That said, the need to provide safe, convenient connectivity across Memorial Dr meant that dual sidepaths on the first block east of the intersection made a lot of sense, especially since space exists to do this.
- The proposed dual sidepath design on this block of Sixth St gives us flexibility in the future to transition to a less onerous design east of State St.
Again, since all the comments I’ve heard seem to revolve around the concern that we’re planning to have extend the dual sidepath design east of State St in the future, I want to be super clear; our proposed design provides safety and convenience in the area of this very busy intersection, but it does not dictate what happens east of State St in the future.”
We will also be voting on some updates to the Signs in the Street Right of Way Policy – mostly clarifications to language and committee of jurisdiction.
Finance Committee – Monday, September 22, 5:30 p.m.
The committee will be voting on a budget amendment for the purchase of decorations by the Appleton Northside Business Association. The ANBA is funding the purchase, but because the funds are held by the Community Foundation for the Fox Cities, a qualified government entity or 501 (c)(3) organization must make the purchase, so the city will act as the agent for this $38,000 expenditure.
The wastewater treatment plant is asking the committee to approve a sole source contract for the purchase of Netzsch progressive cavity pumps (Crane Engineering - $49,953.00). Crane Engineering is the local authorized distributor of these pumps, which would maintain continuity with existing pumps for maintenance and operational consistency. The pumps are used in the primary clarification treatment process and hauled waste receiving station process.
We’ll be voting on approval for the city to apply for two Transportation Alternative Program (TAP) grants from the Wisconsin Department of Transportation. From the memo provided:
“The first TAP application will be for the development of a City-wide Bike and Pedestrian Plan in 2026. Currently has an on-street bicycle plan that was adopted in 2010 and trails master plan from 2017. A consolidated bike and pedestrian plan will provide city staff, elected officials, developers, residents, and stakeholders a clear direction on planning bike and pedestrian facilities throughout the City and further implement the complete street design guide and complete street policy. As part of the bike and pedestrian planning efforts, the City will acquire a demonstration kit to perform safety and accessibility audits at high-risk intersections and corridors during the bike and pedestrian plan as a field-based extension of the planning activities, enabling us to test context-sensitive strategies and gather real time data on road user behavior and safety. The estimated project cost to develop a bike and pedestrian plan and purchase a demonstration kit is $200,000. A similar resolution was before you in June, and approved by Common Council, to apply for SS4A grant for the creation of a City-wide bike and pedestrian plan. Currently, we have not heard back regarding the SS4A grant. The second TAP application will be for developing the Southpoint Powerline Trail. The City intends to apply for funding to assist with the construction of the trail project in 2029. The Southpoint Powerline Trail would begin at Coop Road and extend to the west towards E. Plank Road. Over the past several years, the City has created 30-foot outlots to reserve the land for the future trail. Once constructed, the trail will connect to existing bicycle and pedestrian facilities on East Plank Road and South Lake Park Road, as well as the planned City Conservancy on Eisenhower Drive. The City submitted a TAP grant application for 2024-2028 solicitation cycle for Southpoint Powerline Trail but was not awarded. The estimated construction cost is $934,022. The TAP program funds up to 80% of the cost, requiring a local match of at least 20%, which may be higher if the awarded amount is less than 80%. The City of Appleton will be responsible for the local match of $40,000 for the Citywide Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan and demonstration kit, and $186,805 for the Southpoint Powerline Trail construction.”
Parks and Recreation Committee – Monday, September 22, 6:00 p.m.
The committee’s sole action item is the reconsideration of the park naming policy for Veteran’s Park as discussed above.
Information items include the Reid Golf Course Revenue and Expense Report for August. Total rounds are a bit below last year, but total revenue is up.
There is also an information item concerning the grant applications discussed above.
Fox Cities Transit Commission – Tuesday, September 23, 2:50 p.m.
The commission will vote on approving the July and August payments. Information items include the 2024 audit presentation, the ridership report for July 2025 and a report on the new WisGo fare system implementation. Valley Transit notes that integration of the fare system has presented issues in reporting August ridership – that report will be presented at a later date.
Utilities Committee – Tuesday, September 23, 4:30 p.m.
The committee has no action items for this week. They will be hearing a presentation on the Providence Trails drainage study that was initiated after the flooding events of July 4, 2024. The study included:
· Review of flooding reports provided by Providence Trails neighbors
· Computer analysis of existing conditions under a simulated 100-year rainfall event
· Computer analysis of potential alternative system improvements focused on potentially reduced risk of flooding
· Development of maps and cost estimates for the above scenarios
The committee will also review the water main break report for July and August.
Joint Review Board – Wednesday, September 24, 11:00 a.m.
This is the Joint Review Board for Calumet and Winnebago counties. (The JRB for Outagamie County me last week). They will review the Tax Increment District annual reports for TID 7 and TID 13.
City Plan Commission – Wednesday, September 24, 3:30 p.m.
The Plan Commission will hold public hearings and votes on amendments to three chapters of the municipal code:
Temporary structures – removes the requirement and fee for a permit for temporary uses and structures. The other language about the type of temporary uses and structures generally remains the same.
Shoreland-Wetland/Shoreland Zoning Text/Shoreland District Map Amendments – required when the Department of Natural Resources determines that there are wetlands that are five acres or larger within the city corporate limits. The regulations define the allowed uses within those areas.
Signs – these changes were primarily made to remain content neutral and to remove duplication of standards found elsewhere in the municipal code or policies (Public Art Policy and Signs in the Right-of-Way as discussed under the Municipal Services Committee agenda).
The commission will also consider adopting a resolution of a shared vision for West College Avenue between Richmond Street and Mall Drive with the Town of Grand Chute and Outagamie County. The vision document created through community engagement and data analysis sets a framework for redevelopment and investment centered on:
• Redeveloping the transportation network for safety and multimodal access
• Building a distinct district identity to foster community pride
• Integrating green spaces to enhance livability and sustainability
• Transforming underutilized areas to unlock long-term economic potential
Safety and Licensing Committee – Wednesday, September 24, 5:30 p.m.
Before the committee gets to the continuing discussion of a reinstatement of a truancy ordinance for the city, there are five hearings for alcohol license violations. Four of the violations (Richmond Citgo, Camelot, Antojitos Mexicanos, Appleton Axe) are for selling alcohol to minors, and the fifth (Lumberjack Johnny’s) is for both selling to a minor and having no licensed operator on the premises.
We have a couple of recommendations for denial of licenses, one for an alcohol license for BB Sports Cards since our municipal code does not allow an alcohol license for an establishment conducting other business except for listed exceptions such as restaurants, hotels, bowling or recreation centers, etc.
The other recommendation for denial is for a mechanical amusement device license for The Mad Elephant. The police department has determined that the machines in question are gambling devices prohibited by state and city law.
Then, back to the truancy resolution. When we left it at the last meeting, Alder Hartzheim had introduced a resolution that would adopt the state truancy statute for a trial period and impose some requirements on the Appleton Area School District. Alder Firkus proposed an amendment to that amendment that would limit the dispositions (punishments) that could be imposed to those that the district had noted that it supported. The amendment would also specify reporting requirements for the district.
I honestly do not know if we will take a vote this week or not; it seems that some alders have concerns about both the city’s ability to impose conditions on the school district. As I’ve noted, I still have concerns about the effectiveness of truancy ordinances based on my research of other districts/municipalities in the state.
I want to take the opportunity to let you know about a presentation – Trees and Our Community by Appleton City Forester Mike Stanonik that will be held at the Appleton Public Library this Thursday, September 25 at 6:00 p.m. in the Mary Beth Neinhaus Community Meeting Room on the second floor. We’ve talked a lot about trees during recent discussions about street reconstruction and the horrible losses caused by the emerald ash borer. Mike will share his insight on tree management in Appleton and how trees contribute to our community life.
Have a great week!
Denise
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