Common Council - Regular Meeting

Good evening. I now call to order the Wednesday, 04/01/2026 meeting of the Appleton Common Council. Please rise for the invocation, which will be delivered by Elder Hartzheim.

Thank you, Chair. As we gather here this evening, let us take a moment to recognize the changing of the seasons. Last week, through all of our digging out from our fun little record breaking winter storm Elsa, we actually passed the vernal equinox. Yes, spring officially began, at least according to the calendar. Now the days are beginning to grow longer, the air softening, and signs of life are returning in ways both quiet and certain.

Mark Twain must have been in Wisconsin when he wrote, In the spring, I have counted 136 different kinds of weather inside of twenty four hours. But there is a practical truth in that observation. Change is constant and conditions shift quickly in Midwest Marches and Aprils and in life. And steady leadership requires adaptability and patience. Let this new season guide us in the work before us.

May we approach our responsibilities with focus, fairness and clear purpose despite any quickly shifting conditions. May we listen carefully, speak thoughtfully and act with integrity in every decision we make so that we can lead well through all of the changes we are bound to continually face. We ask God, or whoever might be your higher power, for steady judgment, patience, and respect for one another as we carry out our duties entrusted to us. Amen.

Please join me in the Pledge of Allegiance. Roll call of Alders.

All are represented with the exceptions of Alderpersons Van Zeeland, Jones, and Dougherty who are excused.

Okay. Roll call of officers and department heads.

All are represented.

Alright. Need a motion to approve the minutes of the previous meeting? We have a motion and a second to approve. Is there any discussion of the minutes? Hearing none, please cast your votes.

Motion passes twelve-zero. The minutes have been approved. All right. Business presented by the mayor. We'll start with a fun one. This is twenty six-three fifteen, presentation of the selected twenty twenty six Sidewalk Poetry Poems. And to tell us about that is Peter Katarba.

Hello everyone. My name's Peter Katarba. I'm the community partnership supervisor at the Appleton Public Library. I'm here to report that we've had another successful submission and selection process for Appleton's sidewalk poetry program. This year, we received 114 poems, which our selection committee very carefully narrowed down to a list of 15 poems that were then presented to the community for community input.

And from those 15 poems, our community spoke, and we've selected five to be stamped into our sidewalks. Our poets are here tonight, or most of the poets. If you want, you're welcome to come up now, and we can line up to read the poems in a moment. But before we do I want to say a few thank yous. First of course a thank you to the community of Appleton for reading the words that are beneath their feet and for inviting those words to prompt thoughts and discussions.

I thank you to our selection committee this year for their sincere stewardship of this program. Their thoughtful discussion around those 114 poems narrowed to 15 was really beautiful. And then also thank you to all those who submitted poems this year. And with that, we'll present our selections.

Hi, my name is Lana Thiel. I'm a school counselor at Appleton East and an Appleton resident for my whole life. This is my poem. Time does not bow to anyone. She's an escaped convict, a runaway who swims toward the ever rising sun. She rebels against her unraveling, bathing in the shadows of the fading moonlight, bound to a cemetery of stars.

Hi. My name is Amanda Gaid. I'm a luthier at the String Instrument Workshop in Green Bay, Wisconsin, but I reside here in Appleton. My poem that I submitted is titled The Nature Walk Haiku Pair. Nature carves through rock, thousands of years on this earth, my black skipping stone. Felled trees dance in us. Our eyes capture every growth. They say keep walking.

Thank you. Thank you.

Hi. I'm Crystal. The poem that I submitted is titled Laughter Lines, and it goes like this. Glance at the mirror in dismay, but keep those thoughts at bay. Those laughter lines only accent evidence of a life well spent.

And then I've got two to read for folks that couldn't be here. First, Eric is not here, right? Okay, perfect. Alright. First, this is by Eric Neville, Hemlocks.

In the cool, misty presence of these native ancient friends, witnessing the cares and concerns, the jubilation and joy of those who enter the silence of resting giants to become like them. And then finally, for, Francis Free. Wouldn't it be funny if you loved me too, and you've been waiting to tell me like I've been waiting to tell you? Those are your poems.

Well, I'd like to first congratulate all of our poets and thank everybody who submitted poems for this project. We're very pleased to have this program in the city of Appleton, and I'm proud to continue it for another year. And I also want to thank Peter for his leadership of the program. We very much appreciate it. It's a lot to pull together. So thank you very much for helping make it happen. And of course, to our colleagues in public works who will see to it that your words get stamped into the concrete. So again, thank you all very much. And we're glad to have you with us. Feel free to stick around.

We've got a great meeting ahead. But thank you again for being here. All right, moving right along. A number of proclamations to make you aware of hemophilia Awareness Day in the month of April, public health week, library week, Earth Day, Arbor Day, and Golden Rule Day. April is, after all, proclamation month.

So we will recognize those days with various celebrations and presentations out and about in the community. All right. Coming up now, a number of reappointments. And if there are no objections from the council, I would ask that we consolidate 20 six-four 10, four eleven, four fifteen, four thirteen, and zero four one four under a single motion for approval if there are no objections. All right. We have a motion and a second. And we'll just do you want us to use the tablets for this one? Otherwise, can handle on a voice vote. All right. We'll handle on a voice vote and we'll get it cleaned up.

And we'll fix it in post. So all right. So we have a motion and a second to approve. Is there any discussion? Hearing none, all those in favor, please signify by saying aye. Aye. Any opposed? Alright, the ayes have it. These have been approved. Thank you very much. And thank you to all of our friends and neighbors who are continuing in their volunteer service to the city of Appleton on these various commissions and boards. We appreciate their ongoing commitment. All right. On to public participation. We have no members of the public who signed up to speak.

Is there anyone who'd like to speak on an item that appears on the agenda? Right. Hearing none, we will close public participation. We have no public hearings and no special resolutions, so we will establish the order of the day. Alder Hartzheim.

Thank you, Chair. From the Historic Preservation Commission, 32.

Okay. Any others? Okay. Well, Alder Hartzine, let's get to it. This is from the minutes of the Historic Preservation Commission.

This is item 20 six-three 32, request to review and approve the proposed state historic marker text or request revisions as needed for the proposed state historic marker sign honoring Harry Houdini located at Houdini Plaza at 121 West College Avenue. Alright. And need a motion. Good. We have a motion and a second to approve. And discussion? Alder Hartzheim.

Thank you, chair. If you'll indulge me a moment, I just have to get the text that was there. I just can't find it on my tablet. Y'all are probably going to laugh because I would like to amend the text to remove one comma. The approved text was amended by the Historic Preservation Committee or Commission, and it states, quote, In 1897, comma, he and his wife, comma, Bess, performed at the Appleton Opera House.

I approve of the first, comma, but I would like the second, comma, removed, please. And again, this we shouldn't really laugh at it, but we kind of have to laugh at it. I just want to make it correct because it's going to stand on a plaque in Houdini Plaza, and I would like it to be correct. Thank you.

All right. We have a motion and a second to do some copy editing. Any discussion on commas, Oxford or otherwise?

There's no Oxford involved.

All right. Alder Schulz wants to get in on the grammar.

Well, not on the grammar.

Well, that's what we're talking about now. If

we We're about the revised copy. I just this is just a point of clarification more than anything. I was looking through the attachments to this item on the agenda. I don't see the revised copy that was approved by the preservation commission in this list. I just want to make sure that it's there. Maybe I'm missing it. As I look through the attachments to the agenda, I didn't see the revised copy which recently

mentioned. It's on the printed version.

It's on

the printed version. Correct.

It's not on the digital. Understood. So that's fine. As long as that copy is understood, I'm good with the extra comma.

All right. Or rather getting rid of one. All right. Is there any further discussion on the motion to amend? We have one speaker in the queue. It's Alder Woolf.

Thank you, Chair. I just want to say how fitting of a day it is for this amendment. I will wholeheartedly be supporting this amendment. I think that it's a great amendment, and it couldn't come at a better place or time. Thank you.

We'll note your comments for posterity. Thank you. All right. Any further discussion? All right. We have a motion and a second to amend, striking a comma. Please cast your votes. All right. The motion passes 12 to zero. The comma has been stricken. We are back to the item as amended. Any further discussion? Alder Schulz.

Just maybe another point of clarification. The historical marker map and the proposed location on the attached map visual shows it like dead center on the Houdini bus. Is there could I get some clarification from staff where the intended location specifically will be in relationship to the Houdini bus?

Do we have the coordinates? Tom? Which one? Okay. Go ahead.

Thank you, mayor. The map that's in there, I would just say that's an area. So we're looking at that landscaping bed to place the signage. So the bust is going to stay in its current location, but we'll be placing the sign within that landscaping bed.

All right. Thank you. Any further discussion? All right. We have a motion and a second to approve. Please cast your votes. That motion passes 12 to zero. The item has been approved as amended. With that, we need a motion on the balance of the agenda. We have a motion and a second to approve.

Any discussion on the balance? Please cast your votes. Motion passes 12 to zero. The balance of the agenda has been approved. We have no consolidated action items and no items held. We need a motion on the ordinances. We have a motion and a second to approve the ordinances. Is there any discussion? Hearing none, please cast your votes. That motion passes 12 to zero.

The ordinances have been approved. License applications and communications referred to committees of jurisdiction. All right. And resolutions submitted by alder persons referred to committees of jurisdiction. Have there been any resolutions submitted?

You bet there have. We've got two tonight. Both of them do have summaries, but the full text of the resolutions will be included in the minutes. The first is Resolution 2R26, a resolution supporting vegetation analysis

is The

next is is and invasive species analysis as a critical foundation open. For future land management decisions. It requests that Appleton Sustainability Advisory Panel develop data informed recommendations for mowing reduction, native planting, and invasive species control upon completion of the analysis. It also encourages incorporation of this work into the city's forthcoming Sustainability Master Plan.

All right. That'll be referred to the Parks and Recreation Committee.

All right. And then we have Resolution 3R26 expressing the City of Appleton's support for ranked choice voting in municipal elections. This was submitted by Aldersons Stansel Martin, Meltzer, and Wolff. The summary reads, this resolution supports the usage of ranked choice voting and municipal elections held within the state of Wisconsin. It underscores the benefits of ranked choice voting as well as urges state lawmakers to amend state law to authorize municipalities to adopt ranked choice voting at their discretion.

Okay. I'll refer this to the Safety and Licensing Committee. The clerk is engaged in those committee meetings. It would be that or finance. But I think in this case, we'll send it to the Safety and Licensing Committee for discussion. And given our proximity to an election, I just want to make very clear for the public, this has no bearing on the upcoming election. This is an item that will be discussed at committee but has no bearing on the upcoming election one way or another. So just want to make that very clear as I make that referral to the Safety and Licensing Committee. All right. That's it?

That's all.

All right.

Other business, 20 six-four zero one, discuss moving the second common council meeting in April to 04/22/2026 at 7PM. Maybe Attorney Barron, would you mind just giving a little bit of context about the situation with the month of April we have this year? Sure. Well, as you're aware, today

is April Fools' Day or April 1. Typically, council meets on the first and third Wednesday. The April is April 15. The following week, on April 21, we will have a swearing in of the newly elected half of the council and then an informal organizational meeting. And then Wednesday, Wednesday the twenty second, will be the organizational meeting.

This only happens about roughly once every six years. I did look back in time and found the past three times that this has happened going back to 2015, 2009. I don't recall specifically. Counsel has always moved that second Wednesday meeting to the same night as the organizational meeting. What's interesting is I didn't find any past record of counsel taking action on that, but I think you need to because that's based on rule number one of counsel rules.

You determine if there's gonna be a change to the meeting dates. So historically, at least for the past three times, that meeting's been moved. It's really the prerogative of the council. If you don't move it, we'll have a meeting on

the

fifteenth, and then a good chunk of you will be back here the following week, or we can move it move the council meeting to the twenty second.

There's the context. And the swearing in has to be the twenty first based on state statute. So that has to be the twenty first. So let's open the floor for discussion. Alder Hartzheim.

Thank you, Chair. I am just interested in the logistics of what would normally then have been a committee meeting this week.

Next week.

So we will have a fifth week that will have actual meeting committee meetings. Okay. Thank you.

Oh, go ahead. Attorney Barron.

Yeah. I think right now most committees, if the chairs decide to meet, will be next week. But I know that there are some other committees throughout April, just based on notices that have already gone out. There may be some other meetings scheduled that are a bit off cycle. So I would just say, just pay close attention. Stay if you're a chair, stay in touch with your folks on your committee just to make sure people know when they need to be there?

Alder

Heffernan. Just thinking that there are a couple of us elders who have, you know, people running against us and looking at this schedule this way, that would mean this would be our last council meeting, would it not? Am I incorrect about that? This would be our last council meeting if either one of us were to lose our elections. Is that correct? Yes. Okay. Thank you. Yep.

Alder Wolf.

Thank you, chair. The fifteenth would be, like, this group. But because we'd still have the one on the fifteenth. Just clarifying that. My question about the fifth week

is Just to be clear, the idea here would be to take that meeting on the fifteenth, move it to the following week. That would be the twenty second.

Okay. So then all right. Thank you. So the fifth week, do we also need to vote to meet for the committee meetings like we do for the fourth? No. No. Just clarifying. Yeah.

Just the council meeting. Yeah. Thank you.

One thing. Sorry, Chair.

That's Okay.

Because you appoint the committee chairs, right? So are you going to have those appointed for the new chairs to know about the fifth week?

Yeah, that would be at the org meeting.

That could be a problem.

It will not. I'll make it happen. I know, it's weird.

You will have your recommendations for me.

Mayor, can I close by for everybody?

Alder Fenton, please.

So

swearing in on the twenty first

Yes.

For the new and returning alders. I would assume informal reorganization meeting after that swearing in. Formal reorg meeting where we do get committee assignments and elect officers, etcetera, early on the twenty second, then normal council meeting at seven on the twenty second, committee meetings the next week. So third week becomes off week instead of fifth week.

Yes. Yes. Yes. How's that? That's precisely what we're saying. Okay. Thank you for the clarity. Okay. Now, we would need a motion if you'd like to do this.

Move to

secondate. Move to propose change. Move the council meeting to the twenty second.

Okay. We have a motion and a second. All right. We'll continue discussion. I don't want to cut anybody off, but I just want to get a motion in front of us so we know what we're talking about. All right. The queue is open, so if you want to talk about it. Anything. Okay. We have a motion oh, Alder Krotte, you're sneaking under the wire. You were waiting. All right, all right. Go ahead.

I just I've been thinking about this, And I'm like, Okay, is the only reason we're going to move it to consolidate it so we have one basically, one meeting night instead of two? Yes. Because I might advocate for keeping it on the fifteenth because we have normal committee work next week with the current committee makeup. That work would then go to the council on the fifteenth and be taken care of. Then on the twenty second, new committee assignments would happen.

And then basically, new committees would take up current and new business. I don't mind keeping it on the fifteenth. To me, it keeps the schedule consistent. And sometimes the org meeting might go a little long, and we wouldn't that scheduled council meeting impacting the org meeting at all. I might advocate for just leaving it on the fifteenth myself.

Discussion? Alder Meltzer?

I like the idea of keeping it on the fifteenth as well.

Alder Wolf.

Historically speaking, it is nice for the outgoing alters to be able to, have a send off after the results of the election. So it does kind of make sense to keep it on the fifteenth in that regard in the event that someone is leaving so that they have that opportunity. So I suppose I'm also advocating to keep it on the fifteenth.

Alder Hartzheim.

Who could have known that a comma would have been an easier thing to discuss? I understand both sides of the story, but I do a part of me really does think that moving it to the twenty second is a better idea because we're going to then impede process on all of those committee meetings unless we have that. So there won't be an off week, essentially, if we stay on the fifteenth because we'll miss utilities is on a Tuesday, so that would be the twenty first. We'll miss all of our Wednesday

No, because you would not have committee meetings

have every them the next week. So what I'm saying is we won't have an off week. Either way, it doesn't bother me. I'm here more often than I should be anyway. But that was one thought, was if we don't do the fifteenth, we at least have that week off. Thank you.

Alder Hayden.

Thank you, chair. After Alder Croats mentioned this, there was something almost appealing about having three council meetings in one month. While it does seem like I would rather not come here three times, it's kind of nice to wrap up this term's business and start fresh with a new council. So I kind of find that a little appealing.

Okay. Any further discussion? All right. So we do have a motion and a second to change the council meeting date to April 22. We'll just leave that be, and we'll vote on that. So we have a motion and a second to move the council meeting to April 22 or from April 20 yeah, to April 22. Oh, my gosh. All right. You all got me spinning circles. All right.

Go ahead and cast your votes. All right. The motion fails. So we're going to meet on the fifteenth. And we'll then have our informal org meeting and the formal org meeting.

So informal org meeting after swearing in on the twenty first. And then we will have an organizational meeting on the twenty second. I would ask that as we prepare for that organizational meeting I'll say this again when we get together on the fifteenth if you're thinking about rule changes or particularly anything that's going to relate to staff, I'd appreciate having a heads up about that. Because what I'd like to do, if we can, is really make that optional for our department heads to come to that org meeting then, given that it's another week. So we'll be here with you.

But if I can free up some time for some of our department heads, I know that would be appreciated. So just as you're thinking about rule changes, if it's to touch committees of jurisdiction or roles, we can certainly make sure we have the right folks here. But otherwise, I'll try and get folks freed up so they're not they can be home with family. Yeah, Alder Fenton.

Are we still planning then on moving all committee meetings to the week of the twenty first? No, I'm sorry, the twentieth. No, I'm sorry, the twenty seventh. Twenty seventh, twenty seventh.

After the org meeting.

So because we have a bunch of public hearings for DPW projects that we've been going that we've been having some discussion about when that meeting would be

Yeah, I think those have been noticed. Yeah.

Well, I mean, even as of today, we had talked about whether that meeting would be on the twentieth or the twenty seventh.

Yeah. Well, based on the action you all just took, we'll have to back into those schedules based on kind of where we end up. So just

wanted to make certain where we are on that. Because I know a bunch of I mean, it's like half a dozen different projects and notice. And you know we've had some issues before about the length of the notice.

Yes. Yes. So we'll have to make sure that we give timely notice now that we have clarity about the schedule. Okay. I think we can be done talking about that now, unless there's really anything No, no. Okay. Okay. Good. We're going to see enough of each other this month, as it turns out. Okay. Is there any other business? Alright. Need a motion to adjourn. And a motion and a second to adjourn. All those in favor please signify by saying aye. Aye. Alright. The ayes have it. We are adjourned. Thank you.