Green Bay Common Council Meeting Summary - December 2, 2025

The Green Bay Common Council convened on December 2, 2025, to address routine administrative items, zoning code amendments, and significant discussions regarding pet limits and short-term rental regulations. Key debates focused on balancing developer incentives with neighborhood preservation in zoning, the feasibility of an over-limit dog permit appeal involving aggressive neighbors, and the city's approach to regulating short-term rentals (STRs) amid rising housing costs and nuisance complaints.

Consent Calendar

• Minutes Approval: Minutes from the November 11th and November 18th meetings were approved unanimously.
• Agenda Approval: The meeting agenda was approved unanimously.
• Appointments: New council committee appointments were approved unanimously.
• Reappointments: Committee reappointments were approved unanimously.
• Ordinance Adoptions: Ordinances on second reading (Items One, Three, and Four) were adopted unanimously.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Raven Waleen & Kyle Bledvina (Over-Limit Permit Appeal): Kyle Bledvina, a resident and partner of the applicant, presented testimony supporting Raven Waleen's request to keep four dogs in a two-bedroom apartment complex. They described the dogs as elderly, well-behaved family members who are not responsible for the noise complaints; those complaints allegedly originated from other, unidentifiable dogs in the complex. Bledvina argued that punishing the owner for issues caused by unknown actors at the same location was unjust.
• Lori Waleen (Over-Limit Permit Appeal): Lori Waleen testified in support of keeping four dogs in her townhouse, citing them as emotional support animals. She stated she was misled regarding the pet policy upon leasing and had no history of complaints regarding her specific animals.
• Short-Term Rental (STR) Advocates: Multiple speakers, including representatives from the Short-Term Rental Alliance (Rick Scog, Mark Danan, Tyler LeRoy, Brooke Tassel) and individual owners (John Shelby, Benjamin Baker, Amber Edwards), testified that STRs contribute to the local economy, provide affordable lodging for travelers, and assist homeowners with mortgages. They opposed strict caps or bans, citing data (specifically from Ashley's research) claiming a 93% reduction in police calls compared to previous long-term tenancies. They requested collaboration on enforcement and best practices rather than punitive measures.
• STR Opponents & Residents: Several residents (Jeannie Beeble, Samantha Lang, Tarl Knight, Ryan Spoughty representing the Assembly) and landlords (Cinnamon Harvey) expressed strong opposition to STRs. Arguments included the displacement of long-term affordable housing, rising rents for local residents, safety concerns regarding unpermitted units, and the impact of absentee landlords. One speaker cited the Minneapolis and Vancouver examples as proof of successful rent stabilization through regulation. Representative Ryan Spoughty emphasized that local tools are limited by state law but urged the council to maximize available regulations.

Discussion Items

• Single Property Dwellings (Zoning Amendment): Alder Grant proposed amending the code to increase the threshold for requiring a Conditional Use Permit (CUP) from 50 feet to 60 feet for single-family dwellings, arguing that smaller lots (under 60 feet) needed site plan review to protect neighborhood character, particularly in existing neighborhoods. Staff and the Planning Commission recommended maintaining the 50-foot requirement. Support was expressed by Alder Hinkless and Alder Galvin regarding neighborhood oversight, while Alder Presley, Alder Johnson, and Director Benner-Wig opposed the amendment, citing the need to avoid discouraging development and noting that a 50-foot lot is feasible with modern designs. The amendment passed 7-5.
• Single Family Dwellings (Final Vote): With the amendment adopted, the zoning change for single property dwellings was approved by a vote of 8-4.
• Reconsideration and Adjacency: A motion to reconsider Item One was passed, allowing for further clarification on specific code sections regarding duplex density (quarter of block frontage). The item was subsequently approved unanimously after administrative corrections.
• Pet Limits (Raven Waleen Appeal): The council held the appeal regarding Raven Waleen's four dogs pending testimony from Animal Control Officer Mavis, who was unable to attend. Alder Morgan moved to hold the item until the December 16th meeting to allow Officer Mavis to provide her professional opinion on the nuisance complaints and the feasibility of the four-dog scenario. The motion to delay passed unanimously.
• Pet Limits (Lori Waleen Appeal): The council voted on Lori Waleen's appeal to keep four dogs in a townhouse. Despite Officer Mavis's stated preference against granting the permit for this specific building type, the council approved the appeal unanimously.
• Short-Term Rental Ordinance Amendments: The council engaged in extensive debate regarding amendments to the STR ordinance, specifically the removal of a 180-day rental cap and a 7-day minimum stay, and the potential introduction of a "three strikes" policy.
  • Alder Grant's Motion: Proposed referring the matter to staff to create three new structures: a neighbor notification letter template, mandatory posted house rules aligned with city code on listing platforms, and a review of the noise ordinance for better enforcement.
  • Alder Johnson's Amendment: Opposed the rejection of the 7-day minimum and 180-day cap. Proposed amending the motion to reject those caps and refer the matter back to staff for broader policy development involving Alders, the Equal Rights Commission, and community members.
  • Consensus: The council prioritized developing an enforceable "nuisance" framework over strict caps for this legislative cycle. The motion to refer to staff was refined to allow for collaborative policy development.
• Alley Closure (409 West Walnut Street): Alder Johnson moved to hold this item until December 16th to allow for further review regarding traffic, loading zones, and parking impacts. The motion included a referral to the Traffic, Bike and Pedestrian Commission to explore loading zone possibilities. The motion to hold passed.

Key Outcomes

• Zoning Changes: Single property dwellings ordinance amended to require CUP review for lots under 60 feet (previously 50 feet) and approved as amended.
• Pet Permits: Lori Waleen's permit appeal approved unanimously; Raven Waleen's permit appeal held until December 16th pending Officer Mavis testimony.
• STR Policy: The ordinance on Section 44-1580 (Short-Term Rentals) was referred to staff for a comprehensive redraft. Key directives include:
  • Rejecting the immediate implementation of a 7-day minimum stay and 180-day maximum rental cap for this session.
  • Removing the "three strikes" policy provisions from the current draft for further study with stakeholders.
  • Tasking staff to collaborate with Alders, the Short-Term Rental Alliance, the Equal Rights Commission, and community members to develop best practices for enforcement, neighbor notification, and noise ordinance integration.
• Traffic/Term Planning Item: The partial alley closure on 409 West Walnut Street was held over to December 16th with a referral to the Traffic, Bike and Pedestrian Commission to study loading zone needs.
• General Ordinances: Multiple zoning code amendments regarding smaller plots and landscaping buffer setbacks in mixed-use districts were advanced to final reading and adopted unanimously.

Note: The transcript lists the meeting date as December 2nd, though the prompt header indicates December 3rd. The summary reflects the December 2nd date mentioned in the speaker's opening.