Green Bay Common Council Meeting Summary - October 22, 2025

The Green Bay Common Council convened on Tuesday, October 21, 2025 (transcript dated October 22, 2025), to approve the minutes, recognize community achievements, and deliberate on major planning initiatives. The meeting featured significant public testimony regarding the "Go Big Green Bay 2050" Comprehensive Plan and zoning reforms, culminating in the unanimous adoption of the Comprehensive Plan after multiple amendments. However, a vote to approve the first reading of the associated zoning code updates was held to allow for further review and discussion.

Consent Calendar

• Minutes and Agenda: Approved unanimously via motion and second.
• Recognitions and Awards:
  • The Green Bay Fire Department received the "First Responder of the Year" award from the Wisconsin State Assembly for their work during the 2025 NFL Draft.
  • Officer Salzman and K9 Pyro were honored by Representative Amad Rivera Wagner for their service, bravery, and dedication, particularly in recognition of Pyro's imminent retirement.
  • The Badger Tracks Neighborhood Association was formally recognized as the city's 50th neighborhood association.
• Reappointments: One council reappointment approved unanimously.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Noel Halverson (President and CEO, NeighborWorks Green Bay): Expressed full support for the comprehensive plan, citing its value as a guide for future growth and its approach to affordable housing.
• Greg Kirschling (Brown County Planning Commission Representative, West Side Resident): Expressed support for the plan's biking ambition but highlighted a critical oversight regarding connectivity on the city's west side. He specifically advocated for connecting trails from the South Bridge to the Mountain Bay Trail along Packerland Drive to create a complete cycling network and boost the city's reputation as a biking destination.
• Jennifer Sunstrom (Northeast Realtors Association): Expressed full support for the comprehensive plan and its associated zoning amendments, emphasizing the urgent need to address the housing crisis and creating diverse housing options to prevent economic futures from unraveling for residents.

Discussion Items

• Go Big Green Bay 2050 Comprehensive Plan:
  • Mayor's Position: Expressed strong support for the plan and associated zoning reforms, emphasizing the necessity of keeping housing costs in check and noting validation from external experts and nonprofits.
  • Amendments Adopted:
    • Active Transportation: Alder Profit moved to amend pages 45, 46, and 67 to explicitly include language about connecting the city's bike network to other municipalities and adding Packerland Drive as an active transportation corridor. Alder Johnson supported this, noting the economic implications of Green Bay becoming a biking destination.
    • Housing Incentives: Alder Grant moved to amend the plan to review incentives and potential city funding sources for infrastructure for new housing projects to promote homeownership and mixed housing. The amendment was adopted.
    • Design Standards: Alder Johnson moved to add language emphasizing design aesthetics and a design review process for public infrastructure projects. The amendment was adopted.
    • Veterans Park: Alder Johnson proposed an amendment to investigate a "park swap" to better activate the Veterans Park area and free up land, while elevating veteran recognition. After debate, the motion was amended to direct staff to "investigate" and "consider" a park swap rather than mandating a land use change from "parks" to "downtown". The final amendment received a 6-6 vote tie (likely requiring further procedural clarification or was carried by the chair's vote, though the transcript notes the vote count; the discussion proceeded to adoption of the plan with the investigation language included). Note: The transcript indicates a 6-6 split on the specific land use change, but the final vote on the amended plan was unanimous.
    • Green Stormwater Infrastructure: Alder Presley moved to add a paragraph explaining the integration of green stormwater infrastructure with complete streets. The amendment was adopted.
• Zoning Code Amendments (First Reading):
  • Alder Presley's Amendment: Proposed an increase in impervious surface coverage to 60% for R1 lots 7,500 sq. feet or less and 50% for larger lots to balance development with green space. This amendment was adopted.
  • Motion to Hold: Alder Johnson made a motion to hold the adoption of the amended zoning code until the next council meeting. He argued that the 93 changes were too significant to approve without more time for resident feedback, especially given the city website was down and residents lacked access to details. Alders Eck, Galvin, Grant, and Presley supported the hold.
  • Opposition to Hold: Alders Prophet, Proffit (implied by context of flow), and the Mayor argued against holding, stating the Plan Commission had already reviewed the items, residents had access to the Plan Commission presentation, and delaying would slow necessary housing reforms. The mayor suggested amendments could be made at the second reading instead of holding the entire item.
• Other Committee Reports:
  • Improvement in Services: The report was approved, with an amendment to include an alternate bid item for traffic signal repair in a contract with Voour Electric Service for $416,620.
  • Protection and Policy: The report was approved, with a condition added to a license amendment approval requiring the applicant to correct a dated signature to the current date (October 21, 2025) before finalization.
• Held Items: Related ordinances (Items 2-10) were held over to the next meeting due to the hold on the primary housing zoning code.

Key Outcomes

• Go Big Green Bay 2050 Plan: Adopted unanimously. The plan now includes specific references to connecting with municipal bike networks, green stormwater infrastructure integration, design review for public infrastructure, and a directive to investigate a potential Veterans Park land swap or activation strategy.
• Veterans Park Specifics: The council voted to direct staff to investigate ways to better activate the park and free up land, rather than immediately changing the future land use designation from "park" to "downtown".
• Zoning Code Updates (Housing): The first reading of the zoning code amendments (93 changes) was held until the next council meeting (approximately six weeks later) to allow for further public discourse and staff review. This prevented the immediate advancement of the first reading.
• Contract Award: The contract for traffic signal repair (2025) was approved with the alternate bid included.
• License Approvals: A license amendment was approved subject to the correction of the document date to the actual signing date.
• Ordinances 2-10: Suspending rules to take up these items, they were held over to the next meeting alongside the main zoning code.