The Appleton Common Council met on Wednesday, October 15, 2025, at 7:00 PM in the Council Chambers, adjourning at 8:05 PM. The meeting included proclamations, updates on the Poet Laureate program and vehicle noise/traffic safety, public comments, and a series of votes on ordinances and committee reports. Notable actions included the approval of truancy ordinances (9-5) and shoreland-wetland zoning amendments (14-0).
Good evening. I now call to order the Wednesday, October 15, 2025 meeting of the Appleton Common Council. Tonight's invocation will be delivered by Alder Fenton. Please rise. Good evening. Flexibility. It calls to mind gymnasts and dancers who can move their bodies in ways that most of us can only marvel at. But we know that maintaining flexibility is important to all of us and has even been linked to greater longevity and seniors flocking to yoga classes. I know I have to get to the why 10 minutes early to make sure I get a spot. Flexibility isn't just about the body, though. Psychologists study cognitive flexibility, which they define as the ability to adapt one's thinking and behavior in response to new situations, information, or challenges. Albert Einstein said it before psychology had advented terms to describe it. The measure of measure of intelligence is the ability to change. Being flexible mentally and emotionally means to be willing to consider a different perspective or point of view and to allow our understanding of a situation to change based on new information we may not have previously considered. Rigid views of science and history have fractured the public discourse recently. On the surface, the two seem like opposites. Science is a process of discovery, and history is a chronological record of events. However, the disciplines are alike in requiring adaptation to new information and consideration of diverse perspectives. Many scientific discoveries resulted from being able to see things that have always existed. Bacteria or germs have always existed. We just discovered them when microscopes made them visible. Technological advances in the study of the human brain have shown that sex and gender are linked to specific brain functions, challenging the simplistic view that sex chromosomes solely determine identity. In history, flexibility is necessary to revise traditional narratives based on new evidence or perspectives. It cannot be said be said that an explorer discovered a continent when we find it was already home to a flourishing civilization. Professor Heather Cox Richardson points out that historians are not denigrating historical actors or the nation when they uncover sordid parts of our past. Historians study how and why societies change. If we are going to get an accurate picture of how a society works, historians must examine it honestly, seeing the bad as well as the good. Let's all exercise our mental flexibility by challenging our assumptions, seeking out different perspectives, and learning to shift our understanding. Please join me in the Pledge of Allegiance. Roll call of Alders. All are represented. Roll call of officers and department heads. All are represented with the exception of Parks and Recreation. Director Gaza is excused. Thank you. We have a motion and a second to approve the minutes. Is there any discussion of the minutes? Hearing none, please cast your votes. The motion passes 15 to zero. The minutes have been approved. All right, on to business presented by the mayor. A number of proclamations to bring to your attention. We're recognizing National Teen Driver's Safety Week coming up, coming out day in the city of Appleton. White Cane Awareness Day, Mental Health Day, and Domestic Violence Awareness Month. And tonight I'll be presenting a proclamation recognizing this month as Disautonomia Awareness Month, and I'll invite folks to come on up and join me. Welcome. Whereas dysautonomia is a group of medical conditions that cause malfunction of the autonomic nervous system, which controls automatic bodily functions such as heart rate, blood pressure, digestion, respiration, and temperature regulation. And whereas dysautonomia affects more than 70 million people globally, including conditions such as diabetic auto autonomic neuropathy, vasovagal syncope, pure autonomic failure, and postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome, and whereas dysautonomia affects individuals of all ages, genders, races, and backgrounds, including many residents of the city of Appleton. And whereas dsaautonomia can significantly impair daily life, leading to social isolation, emotional stress on families, financial hardship, and in some cases can be life-threatening, causing pain and suffering for patients and their loved ones. And whereas increased awareness of dsautonomia can lead to earlier diagnoses, improved treatment outcomes, and enhance support for affected individuals and their families within our community.