Appleton Common Council Meeting: Budget Update, Proclamations, Clearwater Creek Rezoning Referred Back (Sept. 6, 2023)
Appleton Common Council Meeting: Budget Update, Proclamations, Clearwater Creek Rezoning Referred Back (Sept. 6, 2023)
The Appleton Common Council met on Wednesday, September 6, 2023, at 7:00 PM in the Council Chambers with 14 alderpersons present, one excused (Croatt), and one absent (Alfheim). Mayor Woodford led the meeting, which included multiple proclamations, a budget update, two public hearings, and votes on numerous agenda items. The most contentious item, the rezoning and preliminary plat for the Fourth Addition to Clearwater Creek, was referred back to the City Plan Commission after a divided vote.
Consent Calendar
- Approval of Minutes: The minutes of the August 16, 2023 Common Council meeting were approved unanimously (13-0, with Mayor abstaining).
- Proclamations: Issued for Day of Peace, Constitution Week, Diaper Need Awareness Week, Rail Safety Week, Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, Hispanic Heritage Month, Recovery Month, and Senior Center Month. Representatives from the Thompson Center on Lourdes and the Daughters of the American Revolution received proclamations.
- Appointment: Laura was appointed to the Appleton Public Art Committee (13-0).
- Street Vacation Final Resolution: The vacation of E. Circle Street from N. Durkee Street to N. Drew Street was approved (13-0).
- Streetlight Installation: A new streetlight at 1617/1625 W. Weiland Lane was approved at a cost of $4,673.49 (13-0).
- Sole Source Contract: A $406,000 sole source contract with Gulf Coast Green Energy for two Electratherm PowerModule PM75 Organic Rankine Cycle generators was approved (13-0).
- WisDOT Grant Application: Approval to apply for a $220,750 Wisconsin Department of Transportation Signals and ITS Standalone Program Grant (13-0).
- Balance of Agenda (approved en bloc, 13-0): Included:
- Appleton Police Department request for Community Service Van parking on S. Elm Street.
- Fire Department request to purchase radio equipment.
- Reserve Class B liquor license for Dairyland Brew Pub.
- Prospera Credit Union annexation (0.98 acre from Town of Grand Chute).
- Certified Survey Map #10-23 reconfiguring five parcels into two.
- Resolution to apply for a DOT grant (Parks and Recreation).
- AWWTP Grit System & Raw Sludge Pump Replacement Project award to August Winter and Sons Inc. ($630,691).
- Memorial Park Miracle League Field Resurfacing Project contract to Kiefer U.S.A. ($292,950).
- Acceptance of 2022 PSC Energy Innovation Grant ($498,000) and Focus on Energy Grant ($57,736) for AWWTP Waste Heat to Power Project.
- Budget amendments and balance transfers for AWWTP projects.
- AWWTP Waste Heat to Power Engineering Services Amendment #1 ($94,185).
- Memorial Park ADA Upgrades Project contract to Northeast Asphalt ($77,000).
- Denial: St. Joseph's Cemetery reimbursement request for veteran grave maintenance was denied as recommended by Finance Committee.
- Ordinances: Ordinances #87-23 (annexation) and #88-23 were approved; Ordinance #86-23 (rezoning #5-23) was excluded due to referral back.
Public Comments & Testimony
- General Public Participation: No one signed up to speak.
- Public Hearing – Street Vacation of E. Circle Street: No speakers.
- Public Hearing – Rezoning #5-23 (Clearwater Creek Fourth Addition): Seven residents spoke, all expressing opposition or requesting delays until concerns were addressed:
- Patrick Dedoyard (5667 N Summerland Dr) – Raised issues of single access road, lack of emergency secondary access, increased congestion from 30% more dwellings, and a blocked emergency route by heavy equipment. Asked for access resolution before approval.
- Michelle Mader (275 E Spartan Dr) – Highlighted unfulfilled promises of a park for over 20 years, safety concerns for children, and the need to address prior commitments before further development.
- Kate Alberts (249 E Spartan Dr) – Detailed environmental impacts on wetlands, including flood risks, basement flooding, and loss of biodiversity. Noted that the developer’s plat encroaches on delineated wetlands, unlike previous phases.
- Sonu Pareek (5655 N Summerland Dr) – Recounted a personal tragedy involving delayed emergency response due to single entry, and reiterated the unfulfilled park promise.
- Ara Rumao (5500 N Summerland Dr) – A young resident requested a park for safe play, noting lack of green space and busy streets.
- Elaine Morgan (5667 N Summerland Dr) – Presented a petition from community members addressing access, emergency access, park, and wildlife preservation.
- Charlotte Morse (5633 N Summerland Dr) – Moved (informally) to table the vote to allow more time for research on raised concerns.
Discussion Items
- Mayor’s Budget Development Process Update: Mayor Woodford provided an update on the 2024 budget, highlighting inflationary pressures (e.g., fire apparatus from $640,000 in 2019 to $1.1 million; concrete per square yard from $33 to $41; water main per linear foot from $95 to $134). He announced provisional allocation of the new $1.926 million in shared revenue: 50% ($963,000) for infrastructure projects and 50% for public safety technology, equipment, and compensation/benefits. Priorities: maintain service levels, retain workforce, accelerate infrastructure replacement, minimize taxpayer impact. The executive budget will be presented at the first October meeting.
- Referral of Clearwater Creek Items: Alder Hayden moved to refer items 23-0934 (rezoning) and 23-0935 (preliminary plat) back to the City Plan Commission, citing the need to review recent plat adjustments and community concerns. Alder Van Zeeland objected, arguing staff could answer questions. After debate, the objection failed on a voice vote (8 ayes, needing 10 for two-thirds), so the referral back was approved. The items will be reconsidered at the next Plan Commission meeting.
- Sole Source Contract Discussion: Alder Fenton praised staff for securing over $500,000 in grants for the Waste Heat to Power Project, noting the project will generate 504,000 kWh annually (powering 46.8 average Wisconsin homes) and reduce CO2 emissions from 12.4 tons to 0.8 tons. She addressed concerns about the sole source contract, noting the technology is evolving and staff saw no issues.
Key Outcomes
- Referral Back: Rezoning #5-23 (Fourth Addition to Clearwater Creek) and the associated preliminary plat were referred back to the City Plan Commission for further review (8-5? voice vote; motion to refer back succeeded).
- Approvals: All other action items were approved, including major contracts, grants, budget amendments, and licenses.
- Denial: St. Joseph’s Cemetery reimbursement request was denied.
- Next Steps: The executive budget will be presented to the Council in October. The Clearwater Creek items will be revisited by the Plan Commission.
Meeting Transcript
If I may have your attention, please. Your attention, please. Just an announcement before we get underway. Just an announcement before we get underway for members of the public who are here for public participation related to the uh the item for Clearwater Creek. We have the rezoning on Clearwater Creek. We have a public hearing scheduled this evening as a part of the council meeting for that. So public comment for that item will be made under the public hearing. We'll have public participation that's separate from that. So those of you who signed up on the purple sheet, uh, we we will make note of your name and address. We'll we'll invite you up in the order you signed in. If you didn't sign in, but you're here to speak on that item, totally okay. You'll you'll do that under the public hearing. We'll just need you to state your name and address for the record. Uh, but just wanted to make sure that folks are clear about that before we get underway with the meeting, uh, that there's a separate public hearing from public participation uh related to that item. Okay. And with that, we'll uh we'll get going here. Yeah, I didn't have a note otherwise. Yeah. Good evening. I now call to order the Wednesday, September 6th, 2023 meeting of the Appleton Common Council. Tonight's invocation will be delivered by Alder Hartzheim. We gather together to listen and share, learn and educate, and to be granted wisdom and grace as we move Appleton forward in the best interest of our community. Please join me in the Pledge of Allegiance. Roll call of Alders. All are represented with the exception of Alderperson Croat, who is excused, and we are expecting Alderperson Alheim to join us shortly. Thank you. Roll call of officers and department heads. And all are represented. Right. We have a motion and a second to approve. Is there any discussion of the minutes? Hearing none, please cast your votes. That motion passes 13 to zero, and the minutes have been approved. On a business presented by the mayor, as you'll see, a number of proclamations uh issued this month. And uh I'm I will share a couple with you here this evening. We have representatives from from two groups uh here to receive proclamations. Uh the others will be presented at events uh and out in the community over the course of the coming month. Uh but this evening, I believe we have some folks here from uh the Thompson Center on Lourdes here to receive a proclamation. If you're here, yeah, come on up. So this first proclamation is in recognition of Senior Center Month. And uh so all right. Whereas senior centers are a vital resource for healthy aging and for communities to properly support older adults, and whereas over the past three and a half years, senior centers across the country adapted and transformed into spaces that provided continued social engagement activities, support, encouragement, and countless meals to our aging community members. And whereas the Fox Cities Thompson Center on Lords is a senior center organization dedicated to the mental, physical, and emotional well-being for those over 50, focusing on fighting the effects of loneliness, isolation, and depression by offering opportunities for education, socialization, and wellness. Whereas the Thompson Center on Lords provides relevant and important programs to change the perception of aging and enhance the social, physical, emotional, and intellectual well-being in our community. Now, therefore, be it resolved that I Jacob A. Woodford, mayor of the city of Appleton, Wisconsin, do hereby proclaim September as Senior Center Month. And I encourage all citizens to recognize the important contributions that senior centers in the Fox Cities make and to support the efforts of senior centers through philanthropy and volunteerism. Thank you, Duana. All right, and now I think we may have some folks from the DAR here to receive a proclamation. Right.
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