De Pere Common Council Regular Meeting - December 16, 2025

The Common Council of the City of De Pere held its regular meeting on December 16, 2025, at 7:30 PM in the Council Chambers. Mayor James Boyd presided, and all nine alderpersons were present (Dan Carpenter, Mike Eserkaln, Pamela Gantz, Jonathon Hansen, Amy Kundinger, Shana Ledvina, Casey Nelson, Devin Perock). The meeting included a public hearing on a zoning amendment, a presentation on the future of the De Pere Ice Arena, unanimous approval of several resolutions, and a closed session for property acquisition.

Public Hearing and Comments

• Zoning Map Amendment (815 Fox River Drive): Development Services Director Dan Lindstrom presented a Plan Commission recommendation to rezone the parcel from R2-60 (Two-Unit District) to RM-1 (Multi-Unit [3-6 Units] District) to allow for a three-unit residential development. During the review process, one neighboring property owner expressed opposition, but no one spoke during the public hearing. The Council unanimously adopted Ordinance #25-20 approving the zoning map amendment.
• Public Comment (Item 5): No members of the public offered comments on matters not on the agenda.

Community Service Grants

• The Council considered four applications for $1,000 in remaining annual grant funds. Alderperson James Boyd moved, and Alderperson Dan Carpenter seconded, to suspend the rules and award $250 to each applicant in a single roll call vote, which passed unanimously.
• Applicants included: St. Norbert College Campus Safety (Stop the Bleed initiative), Sleep in Heavenly Peace (De Pere Chapter), Lovin the Skin I'm In (Trauma Summit for Black youth), and De Pere VFW Post 2113 (Bicentennial Park Flagpole Monument Rebuild).
• VFW Project Detail: Randy Hansen of VFW Post 2113 addressed the Council, describing the $24,622 project to rebuild the aging monument ahead of the nation's 250th anniversary. The Nelson Family Fund has pledged $20,000 toward the privately funded project. Parks Director Marty Kosobucki noted a time capsule will be removed from the current monument and given to the De Pere Historical Society, with discussion on creating a new one.
• Discussion on Guidelines: Several alderpersons noted that some organizations (e.g., Lovin the Skin I'm In) serve a broader area than De Pere and that certain applicants have received grants multiple times. Alderperson Dan Carpenter requested a future agenda item to establish formal application guidelines and criteria for the community service grant program, particularly regarding geographic focus.

Discussion Items

• De Pere Ice Arena Presentation (Item 10): Parks Director Marty Kosobucki gave a detailed presentation on the condition of the 50-year-old facility (built 1974).
  • Background: The city owns the land and building but leases operations to Brown County Ice Management (BCIM). The facility operates as an enterprise fund with no general tax levy support, funded by a $35/hour surcharge and a profit-share management fee. The facility fund holds roughly $104,284, which is dwarfed by the $260,000 in Priority 1 repairs identified in the 2024 Facility Condition Assessment.
  • Usage: The arena hosts De Pere Youth Hockey, Greater Green Bay Figure Skating Club, De Pere Voyagers, and De Pere Deacons. It draws over 64,000 visitors annually from 393 zip codes. Only 27% of user-group participants are from De Pere. BCIM estimates that even with their new rink, 70% of the current ice time would have no home without the De Pere facility.
  • Renovation Options: 1) "Stay the Course +1" – maintain current operations and repair as break; 2) "Provide the Stepladder" ($2M) – renovate and address ADA compliance, requiring significant fundraising and $750k in city bonding (~$60k/year debt service); 3) "Be the Heavy" ($4M) – replace front half of building for year-round use, requiring $1.5M fundraising and $2.5M in city bonding (~$196k/year debt service). A new build ($10-15M) was dismissed as infeasible without a major donor.
  • Discussion Points: Council members discussed potential hybrid renovation options, increasing the surcharge, fundraising roles of user groups, and the need for community input. Mayor Boyd highlighted the city's existing capital queue of approximately $100 million for projects like the South Bridge Connector, Main Avenue, and the Municipal Service Center. Staff recommended extending the BCIM contract for one year to allow for thorough deliberation without rushing a decision. No formal vote was taken on the future of the arena. Mayor Boyd emphasized the Council's intent to preserve and improve the facility in partnership with user groups.

Key Outcomes

• Minutes Approved: Minutes of the December 2, 2025 meeting were approved unanimously.
• Ordinances & Resolutions Adopted Unanimously:
  • Ordinance #25-20 (Zoning Map Amendment for 815 Fox River Drive).
  • Resolution #25-128 (Fees for 2026 Services).
  • Resolution #25-129 (Designating Public Depositories).
  • Resolution #25-130 (State Debt Collection Agreement).
  • Resolution #25-131 (DHS Grant Modification).
  • Resolution #25-132 (Amerilux Lease for Municipal Service Center relocation).
  • Resolution #25-133 (Parking Ramp Contracts: PARCS $108,844 and Caulking $52,667).
• Other Unanimous Approvals:
  • Board of Public Works recommendations on parking/traffic.
  • 2026 private sanitary sewer lateral reimbursement rates (Alderperson Carpenter urged residents to apply).
  • Updates to the Tax Refund Intercept Program (TRIP) agreements.
  • Appointment of election officials for 2026-2027.
  • Appointment of Julie Massey to the Board of Health (term expiring December 2026).
  • Community Service Grants ($250 each to four applicants).
  • Staff directed to proceed as directed on the acquisition of Parcel WD-387-1 (following closed session).
• Closed Session (Item 19): The Council met in closed session from 8:55 PM to 9:12 PM to deliberate on the acquisition of Parcel WD-387-1. Upon returning to open session, they voted unanimously to proceed as directed.
• Future Agenda Items: Alderperson Carpenter requested two future agenda items for the Finance/Personnel Committee: establishing guidelines for the Community Service Grant program and considering the Brown County Ice Management contract. The meeting was adjourned at 9:15 PM.