Parks and Recreation Committee - Regular Meeting

Call to order this meeting of the Parks and Rec Committee, and we will start with the Pledge of Allegiance. I pledge allegiance to the flag of The United States Of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. We'll call a membership. Let the minutes show that all are present except for Alder Dougherty who was excused. The next item on that we have is the approval of the previous meeting minutes, number 2038.

Motion to approve. All right. We have a motion and a second. All those in favor, signify by saying aye. Aye. Opposed? Abstations? That passes unanimously. We have no public hearings or appearances. Our first action item is 20 six-four 32, Resolution two R-twenty six, Supporting Vegetation Analysis and Advancing a Data and Forward Mowing Reduction Strategy. Is there a motion?

Motion to approve.

I'll second for this.

All right. We have a motion and a second. Alder Schulz, since you wrote the resolution, would you like to kick us off? Sure. Thank you, chair.

I brought this resolution forward with some of my counterparts as a natural sort of progression or extension of the work that the Appleton Sustainability Advisory Panel has been doing for the last couple of years. Essentially, they have been busy establishing a baseline or groundwork for looking at doing projects for the city to increase our resiliency and adaptation. And we've done some carbon modeling measurements. We've got to a point where at least we have some baseline data for that. They've also been working on an inventory of vegetative cover, which includes all the public green spaces and trying to understand or at least map what those ground covers are, whether they're native, invasive, how much of those are of the invasives, what that area coverage looks like, and what might need to be addressed.

So once that data is collected in there, I would just say generally halfway through that process, the panel is essentially looking for direction what to do with that data. And over the last couple of years, the city has taken up a couple of pollinator projects in an attempt to lean into the slow mo reduced mowing sort of ideology, particularly in places where typical lawn cover on a steep slope might not make sense and native ground cover or pollen or cover that is no mow or little mow makes more sense. And the initial reaction to those two projects has been very positive both in the community and from the city. And so this is sort of pushing that notion forward. And the idea here is to take that data, assess where in the city's green space mapping and mowing map essentially we could do a little work to reduce the amount of mowing, the frequency of mowing, or perhaps no mowing at all in some places where it wouldn't make sense to.

So the goal is not there's no number assigned to it. Initially, was going to be sort of looking at a 10% reduction goal, but essentially it's open to, I think, interpretation of that data when it arrives. If staff determines that 1% is all we can handle, then that's where we start. If it's more than that, we sort of look at our opportunities to reduce mowing on a larger scale. This was driven primarily from the feedback from ASAP and Director Sharagi, who basically suggested they were looking for direction from town council.

They've been waiting for a couple of years now to get an imperative or a directive from this body to move forward on a project now that they've got some data coming. So it's a little bit out of the or cart ahead of the horse because that analysis isn't complete. But I have heard nothing but positive and encouraging remarks from both ASAP and some staff members about moving this initiative forward.

Audra Van Zieglin.

Thank you, Chair. Am wondering, it's my understanding that we're starting this sustainability and resiliency master plan this week. And so perhaps Director Flick could talk about where something like this would fall in that process. It feels weird to be taking this up when we're going to be going through a very intensive process. So if you could just maybe talk a little bit about that.

Thank you, chair. It'll actually be like a chapter in the book throughout the process of the master plan. So we've been talking about this internally to include this in the master plan. This is kind of like what Alder Schulz is saying, memorializing some direction for the advisory panel to do so. So they've been working on an audit already for the entire green space, a public space for the city since last fall.

And hopefully, they'll be completing that by early summer as kind of a rough estimate for the audit of available green space. They will then work closely with the parks and grounds divisions within our department to work on selection of locations that would make sense for a no mow and to be determined what the no mow material is, but to work with us closely to make sure that we're not, you know, taking away green space that's needed for just, you know, unorganized play or events, and that it makes sense also like Alder Schulz mentioned, you know, areas that

are

steep mowing or areas that we can't grow grass due to heavy shade and it needs a different mix to grow some turf. So this would fall in line, in my opinion, with the master plan and the process. Right now, it's in a survey mode through the community for the master plan. That'll close once they're in I think it's second meeting of the advisory master plan. So it's going be a few months yet that we can hear from the public on this.

If I could just follow-up. So would we need it doesn't sound to me like we would need to pass something like this for your folks and the folks doing this plan to be looking at this being included. Correct? Do you need the council to pass a resolution to look at this type of work?

No. I wouldn't say that we need it. It definitely gives the advisory panel some solid direction that it's supported by the council if it's approved. But no, we do not need this to complete our audit. And I guess what the response would be for turning some turf into no mole.

Okay. Maybe if it would be acceptable at some point to hear from the authors and the folks involved what they're hoping that the resolution would accomplish that isn't going to be accomplished in the master plan, I would appreciate that.

I don't want to get into a back and forth, but I would like to hear that addressed, if you could, Alder Schulz.

Absolutely. So we've been at this climate action or taking action on climate now since 2019, I think it was when that first resolution was passed. We're seven years past that initial date of doing things and showing the public that this city is embracing climate change and trying to address it. And we've done a lot of excellent work to date. But we haven't done anything that is really sort of public facing as a city or council beyond establishing these committees and doing the laying the groundwork.

So the vision for this is to say, Okay, as community, we have this is our first sort of test of the direction of ASAP that council would like them to start with this sort of project as it relates to the sustainability master plan, but give that committee some direction because they're looking for it, essentially, the feedback I got. They've been waiting for counsel to give them something to sort of sink their teeth into beyond what is being done to prepare for the master plan to work with the city on these projects. And so that was the impetus of this resolution is to sort of public face the work of that committee and say, okay, common council recognizes all the great work the city is doing and its committee is doing, and here's one thing that we would love them to sort of dive deeper into or make a priority as they work this into the master plan. So they're sort of their first project, more or less, rather than sort of generally moving ahead that the city is doing work and the committee is doing its work, but the public isn't seeing any of that.

So essentially this is what that is. It's showing the public that council's working towards it, the city's working toward it, and the sustainability committee is also working towards this goal.

Auditor Meltzer, what number are you?

Thank you. I cosigned on this partly as a result of many conversations with people on the advisory panel, staff members, community members, colleagues. But it's my understanding that this is the perfect timing for such a resolution, given the phase that we're at with the master plan that's going on. I also feel that there is a sense from the sustainability advisory panel that they need to feel that they are not siloed. They need to feel that the work they are doing is being done hand in hand with counsel.

So think that's one of the things that my personal impetus for signing on to this is that that panel, those volunteers are doing very, very important work but they are at the end of the day just an advisory panel. So resolutions like this help to memorialize, to use Director Flick's words, the work that they've done and kind of make official the direction that we're going to go. So there are various directions the city could go based on the work that these volunteers have been doing. We need to pick one in order to continue to work hand in hand. Thank you.

Alderman Smith.

Thank you, Chair. You know, my first reading of this, it feels like we're being asked to vote on something that is about halfway complete. And so we're about halfway done with this. And the audit would be complete in early summer. But it seems like it would be more natural to vote on something where we actually have the results and then a proposal as far as what that's going to look like.

And so I guess I have two questions. And then in addition, we get from Director Flick about that we already this is already in the works as far as fitting into the master plan, that these ideas are already being considered. So I guess kind of my conclusion is I don't see the need for this. And the main thing that's been presented is that it's going to be a public statement. And I do.

I wholeheartedly agree. And I can imagine that when this is done, it will be some direction that we want to go in as a city. But it just right now, it feels hard to vote for something before we kind of get the get the results for that. So I that would lead to two questions. First for Director Flick, is this my sense from what you just said is this isn't something you're necessarily asking for. It goes along with what you're doing as far as putting together the plan. But it's not something that is is something that you're asking for or needed in putting that together. Is that correct?

Correct in your statement. Yes. I would just add that the sustainability committee that they just recently met last week and they they do support this resolution as a as a committee. But from our department, no. We don't need a resolution for us to to include this because we like you said, we are moving in that direction right now with the audit of available land with the intent of including in the master plan to have areas that can be changed to no mow, pollenabler, etcetera.

Okay. And then kind of a follow-up question maybe to Alder Schulz. So in the summer when this is completed, will this vote will we get a second vote at that point to agree with the audit or with the findings? So we like we vote for it now to say yes, go ahead and then when it's done, we're going to have another vote at that point to say we agree with your findings?

I don't think we're voting for an outcome or asking committee to or ASAP to generate an outcome. I think what we're doing is trying to support their work and give them some direction. And I was at that meeting. And some of the feedback from those members were, number one, they're volunteer. And they've been working on the vegetative analysis for since last fall.

And they're kind of going at it when they can. And what I got out of the conversation when this was brought up is that they would love to have this direction because then they would refocus their efforts on completing that analysis probably sooner than they would have without this. So it gives them some direction. It gives them some focus is what I got out of the committee. They're going to complete it no matter what, but it may take them twice as long if there isn't some directive.

At least that's the sense that I've got that they appreciated the directive and that that would allow them to focus in on this differently than they would have previously. So yes, the work will get done, but we're asking them what we're doing here is giving them some directive, I guess, more or less, to focus in on this as one of the primary goal of the committee as we move towards developing that master plan. Now, I can't say how long it's going to take for them to complete it otherwise, but I'm just reiterating what the committee shared and that they were all very supportive of this because it gave them that direction. And then they liked the idea of getting some direction from counsel to move on something where they wouldn't otherwise have that. So if I had got something different, committee, I wouldn't have brought this to counsel.

So I'm basically bouncing off of what the committee told me that they would like to see.

If I could continue.

That's okay. Thank you.

Sorry. In the be it further resolved, the second to last, that the Common Council encourages incorporation of this work, including the resulting data framework and recommendations, into the city's forthcoming sustainability master plan. So it feels like we're voting on the actual incorporation of the results that we don't have yet in hand into the master plan. And that seems like that strikes me as a step too far in and I would hate for that to be taken by the committee as like a no or a discouragement for the work that's going on. It just feels like that isn't just a general please keep doing what you're doing, but we're voting to incorporate what we haven't yet seen.

I would just say Let me come

back to you, Alder Schulz. I've had Alder Van Zeeland wait him for And a I do want to avoid the back and forth.

I appreciate it. I actually agree with Alder Smith, but I'm wondering if there's a different way to come at this. It sounds to me like there is some issue with disconnect with the committee and with the council, and I think perhaps we could hold this until we maybe the council they could address the committee or provide us exactly what it is they're looking for. We can figure out what the issue is with communication. It doesn't seem to me I I don't want it to to seem like I am dismissing what this resolution is about.

I'm just very confused about what it is the committee would like, and and and if the committee is seeking something from the council, I would like to hear from the committee.

And I know you had something to add, Alder Schulz, and I've got you Alder Meltzer.

I just wanted to sort of clarify. The key word in that second, be it further resolved, is encourages incorporation. Essentially it. The rest of the work that's being done, that's all going to be forwarded to the staff, and it's all going become part of the master plan regardless. But this thing is, we are encouraging incorporation of that work. We're not going to vote on the work or the data that's collected. It's just we're essentially asking them to move forward with just maybe more haste than they initially would have. Audra Meltzer.

Thank you. The Appleton Sustainability Advisory Panel does a lot of unseen work. It's my understanding that this resolution takes a piece of their work, highlights it, says, among all the work that you're doing, we are officially saying that we're folding some of your work, that we support putting some of your work into the master plan. So in this way, it's validating the work that they do. It's choosing something that's relevant and that already has city staff buy in as far as what piece of their work we're going to highlight and roll in.

So I see the function of this resolution as they're not not it's it's it's not to solve a communication problem. It's not because there is some distance or misunderstanding. It's more that literally this type of resolution coming from counsel after so many hours of work that they're done is the routine procedure by which they don't get stuck in a silo. So this is the perfect timing, perfect opportunity to make sure that they are officially not in a silo while the master plan goes into effect.

Auditor Finan, are you? Thank

you, Chair. First, in the spirit of removing superfluous commas, I want to clarify that when we're speaking about the sustainability advisory panel as opposed to a committee, because my tiny brain gets confused when I am talking about panels and committees. And then we're also going to have and let me make sure I've got the right name of it we're going to have a sustainability master plan advisory panel. So we're gonna we've got two groups going on there. Okay.

In that spirit, when I was asked to sign on to this resolution, while I absolutely and I agree with everything that's a goal in this resolution and all the work and I know the work is happening. And my response to Alder Schulz at the time was, well, we need to just put this in the sustainability master plan. We need to do this. And now I have kind of an understanding that the SNAP, the advisory panel, is already doing some of this work. So chair, if you could you indulge me to ask a question of Director Go ahead.

So we are just now forming the sustainability master plan advisory Panel, which leads me to believe and I know I was part of

the

evaluation committee for the pale blue dot what's our timeline for creating the master plan? I didn't mean to put you on the spot, but I think there's how far down the road?

Completion definitely would be by the end of the year to have the master plan completed and brought forth for presentation and hopeful adoption by the end of the year, because we have the consultant under contract. Doesn't mean it can't carry over, but that would be, I feel, the goal Okay. To complete that master plan before the the end of the year. The the process for the master plan committee right now, they are the consultant and mister Schrage are narrowing it down to 15 applicants that applied.

Mhmm.

And then those applicants will be presented to the mayor for a review, And then they will start the process of developing the master plan with that group.

Okay. Okay. So and meanwhile, SNAP is doing their is going along and doing their work. So honest, I don't think this resolution is I don't think work will stop without it. But I am today convinced that and I agree with some of the committee members here that we'd like to hear directly from SNAP on this.

But if it would encourage them in their work, then I wouldn't necessarily have an objection to passing this. Again, I'd like to really see this as part of the master plan and not necessarily separate thing. But I do not want the fact that the master plan won't be completed till the end of the year to stop some of this important work from going on. And if SNAP feels like they need the support of counsel in terms of resolution, then I could get behind that. Thank you.

I just have two questions for you, Interim Director Flick. So if you view this as the first chapter of the Master Sustainability Plan, does passing this help establish that in any sort of way? And if it doesn't, does this resolution help you move forward with work since it sounds like this is work that you already have in flight? Or how would passing this help your department, I guess, is what my question is.

I would agree with what Alder Schulz initially said about it brings identity and exposure to the community. So it'll I just feel that if it were passed, it would just bring a little extra punch, a little more power to the master plan and a chapter in that plan. You know, do we need this to complete the plan? No. But it could, you know, give it some momentum and actually, you know, maybe get some more community involvement.

You. Audra Van Zeeland.

Thank you, Chair. So a couple things. I think that if something like this was typically presented to the committee and the council for approval, you know, we would typically have input from from city staff in a in a memo or a form of of employees here to talk about how they're going to implement these things, I think I would like that information. I don't fee I I don't feel like anything in here is really jumping out to me like there's gonna be a problem, but I don't feel like I can do my due diligence at this point. I I would like to hear more about what staff thinks, and I also would like to really think more about how we can encourage who we'll call SNAP in ways other than this resolution if if if they're feeling frustration the way that I hear that they are.

And I'd also like to maybe look at opportunities on how they could work with the master plan committee. So if I know that we have a motion and a second to approve. I I would actually hope that we could hold this item to really do more work on, but I don't know if anyone would be open to withdrawing. I I had the second. I would withdraw the second.

That would be up to Alder Schultz, But I I I think that's I just feel like there's a lot going on here that I'm not grasping for some reason, and I I don't want it to look like I'm not supportive. I I I think that there's clearly something going on here that I'm not grasping that I think that I can't be the only one who's confused.

I am willing to withdraw the motion to approve if I was the one that made it. I think I was.

Yeah. I think that you were.

All right. So we're rolling to withdraw the motions to approve this. Is there that removes the motion. And then, Alder Van Zeeland, would you like to make a motion to move forward?

Yes, I would, Chair. Just to hold this item until the next Parks and Recreation Committee meeting.

Is there a second? Second. All right. We have a motion and a second to hold this item until the next committee meeting. Yes, Alders.

On the motion then, I think we could ask of ASAP or SNAP, however you want to refer to it, for some additional feedback or a letter of either recommendation or encouragement to move this forward.

Yes, Auditor Vans England.

I just I don't want to force them to do extra work. That was not my intention in in my questions about it. It sounds to me like it it sounds to me like there's some communication issues going through them to us, but I don't want them to feel they have to present a memo or anything like that. I just I'd like to hear some feedback that I think could probably be be provided by by staff first. I I don't want I don't want them to feel like they have to do a presentation or something. But if they would like to offer that, I I would be glad to take it. But I don't want that to be an imperative to move this forward.

Yes. Interim Director Fulik.

It would be no issue to have Steve Schroggi, our project manager from our department, who manages and oversees the ASAP committee, to bring them to bring him in here at the next meeting and answer any questions and present what they've been working on.

Thank you, chair. And if we could also talk about how we're going to incorporate the communication between the master plan committee and staff, I think that's a very important piece.

Yes, Alder Smith. Thank you, Alder Van Zeeland. I like the idea of the hold and the reasoning, and I second what you're saying. And another thing with Director Flick is if Schrage comes in to talk to us about the plan kind of moving forward, will we have a second vote when the audit is done or how exactly this will play out in do we need more resolutions, or when will there be a further vote? Right now, my hesitance on this isn't about again, it's not about discouraging at all their work.

And I find myself in agreement with the ideas here. But I just feel like I'm voting on a press release more than on an actual thing that is going to be done. And to the extent that he could explain to us that this is why this is important to pass, And, you know, that would be that would be what I would love to hear from from him.

Yes, senator McFord. On our end, approval processes would probably follow, we would do a presentation at one park and rec committee and then get feedback and then come back at another park and rec committee for hopeful approval of the master plan and then move on to council for final approval. So those would be our formal steps from our department with the master plan.

Go ahead. And that would include the one chapter which is related to this. So those findings would be done in early summer. They'd be incorporated into a chapter of the master plan. And the next time we hear from this about this will be when it's presented to us as a part of the master plan.

Correct.

Yeah. I would like to thank Alder Schulz, Alder Van Zeeland for withdrawing that to get the hold because I think that's important. I think when we started discussing the sustainability plan, there were some issues with the larger council around that it didn't do any action. We promised that we would follow through in the future with resolutions that had real teeth and real action to take sustainable actions. And while I support everything in this, I would like us to have something before the committee that actually says, these are the steps that we're willing to take and have the director of Parks and Rec be able to identify what we're looking for.

So my hope is that when this comes back before the next parks in our committee, that we'll be able to tangibly say, these are the actions that we're taking. And we'll be able to really say that we're really moving the ball forward on the sustainability front with passing this resolution in the future. Any other discussion around this? All right. Then we will vote. All those in favor of holding this motion signify by saying aye. Aye. All those opposed and abstaining? Ayes have it. We have one information item, number 2039, Parks and Recreational Project updates.

Thank you, chair. Just take a couple minutes to let you know what we've been up to. We've had lot going on this winter and now that we're in the spring. So I just thought I'd give you a quick update. The Mead Pool painting project and ADA improvements is moving along really well, and we will be on schedule to open up the pool in time. Currently, the building on the inside is being completed, and that's new ADA changing facilities, family restrooms, etcetera. So we're working on heating the building right now. Mother nature hasn't been working with us the best, but we need that building to get a little warmer to finish off painting and and get that opened up for the season. It's going really well. We've been tentatively selected and told that we are gonna receive a TAP grant.

So that's a transportation alternatives grant, federal money, to build a new trail on, I'll call it, like, underneath the power lines in South Point Commerce Park. So this would be from Coupe Road all the way to Lake Park underneath the power lines. So we're a ways away from construction. It's probably gonna be a design engineer in '28 or '29. Construction could possibly in 2030, depending upon how the state issues out the grant award.

But we scored really high and we should be awarded the funding to make that trail happen. So that's really good news. We have some ADA improvements going on in some other parks and restrooms. So Lions Park, Peabody Park, Lynnwood Park are all getting renovated restrooms as we speak right now. We're crossing our fingers that we're done by May 1 when restrooms open up to the public.

We'll see how this project finishes. So we're optimistic but you just don't know if we'll if we'll quite get there in time on May 1 but we're hoping to do so. The Lundgard Pavilion that opens up to the public in early June We have a plethora of rentals already for 2026, which is fantastic. And the Lundgard Love Association or organizers will be having an event out there in mid May. I think they got a five k.

And so they're going to be dedicating some plaques that'll be at the pavilion in memory of the four fallen firemen in the history of the Appleton Fire Department. So be a pretty special special time for for that group. Alicia Park, the playground has been removed as we speak. That gets a new playground this year. We're a little bit of water in the hole that we made from removing equipment, but we're optimistic that everything will be installed, wood chips, everything back there before early June.

So before our summer playground program starts, that'll all be back in place. There'll be some nice ADA improvements with concrete walks around that that site to improve there. JC Park, we're working on a design right now for new sport courts. So a new basketball court and a couple of pickleball courts, relocation of the existing volleyball courts, some ADA accessible walkways throughout the park, etcetera. That's going really well.

We'll be asking for money for that project in '27 and to construct it. Houdini Plaza, we're working on a design for that right now to improve some safety with landscaping features. So just with heavy use of that plaza, a lot of people gathering there and just everything that's happening around the world with cars and gatherings that we're trying to design a way to keep everybody safe within that plaza no matter what the event is. So we're working on that design. Again, hopefully asking for money in '27 to make those improvements.

Veterans Memorial Park, we have a committee working on a Veterans Memorial master plan. This is gonna be an effort to consolidate a lot of our existing war or event statues and monuments to bring them to one location. And right now, we're in a concept level. We have a preferred concept that we will be bringing back to our advisory group that's helping us select the concept. That'll become in the park and rec, hopefully, in the next month to review that plan and hopefully move to move towards adoption of that.

And then renaming of Veterans Memorial Park. We're getting there. We're getting close to bringing this to committee. We had 171 submittals for the park. We've been working right now to narrow down the proposals or whatever that were a joke, let's just say that, that they didn't quite didn't quite make it for what we bring forward.

So we've been whittling that down. And then, of course, there's a lot of duplicate and same similar ideas and names. So we've been bringing those all together, and we have it down to 68 right now. So, we have a group of people that represents a lot of the departments throughout the city, along with the parks department. So, the next step then is to take those 68, and we have about, I think it's seven or eight people throughout the city.

We're going to whittle those down and hopefully get them to that, I think it's five or six, that we'll bring to this committee for review and to see if we can select name. So we're getting there. Again, hopefully, maybe in the next month and a half, maybe we can have something to bring forward to this committee to start discussing for a new name for Veterans Park. That's all I had. If there's any questions? Any questions?

Alright. Seeing none, we I'll entertain number eight.

Oh, motion to adjourn.

Second. All All those in favor?

Aye.