De Pere Common Council Regular Meeting - March 3, 2026

The De Pere Common Council met on March 3, 2026 at 7:30 PM in Council Chambers and virtually. The meeting was called to order by Mayor James Boyd and adjourned at 8:29 PM. All items on the agenda were approved unanimously, including consent items, new business, resolutions, and old business. The council also received an annual update from the Police Department.

Consent Calendar

• Approved the minutes of the February 18, 2026 Common Council meeting.
• Appointed Jeremy Beck to the Board of Park Commissioners, term expiring April 30, 2029.
• Accepted a $1,500 donation from Durr CTS Inc. for sponsorship of the Beer Gardens on June 16 and August 4, 2026.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Annie Ranft (134A South Washington Street) expressed concern about the lack of regular bus routes in De Pere since 2019, noting that the on-demand ride program has wait times of up to 1.5 hours. She stated that the city pays $180,000 annually for bus service and requested either a refund or restoration of regular routes. City Manager Kim Flom will follow up.
• Tom Gallenberger (1919 Snowy Owl Court) reported a deer problem on the west side of De Pere, describing damage to his yard and requesting city assistance. Parks Director Marty Kosobucki will follow up.

Discussion Items

• 7A – Arboriculture Specifications Manual Revision: Approved a revision to give the city more authority to recommend the right tree for the right place, allowing staff to reject small stature trees where larger trees are appropriate. Alderperson Hansen clarified that residents could choose not to plant a tree if they disagree.
• 7B – Pop-up Beer Garden Fundraiser: Approved a pop-up beer garden fundraiser with Stubborn Brothers, with proceeds to benefit the De Pere Dog Park. Approved by roll call vote (9-0).
• 7C – Beer Vendor Contract: Approved Kay Distributing as the beer vendor for the Beer Gardens for 2026-2028. Approved by roll call vote (9-0).
• 7D – Beer Garden Revenue Policy: Adopted a policy formalizing how revenue from beer gardens is allocated. Parks Director Kosobucki explained the policy allows the Park Board to recommend projects (preferably 100% funded) and the city manager to incorporate them into the budget. Approved unanimously.
• 7E – Fox Point Boat Launch Repair: Authorized up to $10,000 from Unassigned Reserves to repair the Fox Point Boat Launch. Parks Director confirmed the city is drafting an ordinance to prohibit power loading and that the boat launch is 100% under city jurisdiction. Approved by roll call vote (9-0).
• 7F – Development Agreement Amendment (Shopko Site – Building F): Approved the First Amendment to transfer 20 feet of city-owned land north of the parking garage to William Street Investment Partners for an expanded plaza space. Development Services Director Dan Lindstrom provided summary. Approved unanimously.
• 8A – VFW Community Service Grant Redirection: Approved redirecting $250 in Community Service Grant funds originally awarded to VFW Post 2113 to another project. Approved by roll call vote (9-0).
• Resolutions 9A-9E: Council suspended the rules and approved all five resolutions (26-14 through 26-18) by a single roll call vote (9-0). These include agreements with GRAEF-USA (Wilson Park design), partial release of utility easement (Parcel ED-875), release of utility easement (Lebrun Street), vacation of a portion of a public thoroughfare (referred for public hearing), and agreement with SmithGroup (Downtown Master Plan Update).
• Informational – Police Department Annual Update: Chief Jeremy Muraski reported on 2025 statistics: 12,900 calls for service, 2,004 police reports, 515 DA referrals, 220 potentially lethal doses of fentanyl seized (440 mg). Use of force incidents: 62 out of 12,900 (0.48%), with 159 total reportable events. Key challenges include mental health (20% of calls involve mental health/substance crisis), recruitment/retention, and new types of crime. Council discussed fentanyl prevalence, officer training (CIT), wellness initiatives, reckless driving, CSO workload, and the potential need for a second social worker.

Key Outcomes

• All agenda items were approved unanimously. No votes or decisions were contested.
• Future agenda items requested: Alderperson Nelson asked staff to investigate whether a new deer survey is needed; Alderperson Hansen requested an update on the flagpole monument project at Bicentennial Park for possible inclusion in the 2027 budget.
• City Manager to follow up with resident Annie Ranft on transit concerns; Parks Director to follow up with resident Tom Gallenberger on deer issue.