Green Bay Common Council Meeting - May 5, 2026
Green Bay Common Council Meeting
Date: May 5, 2026
Time: Approximately 6:00 PM – 10:00 PM (based on agenda items)
Location: Green Bay City Hall
Presiding: Mayor
Clerk: Present
Attendance: 12 members in the room, 12 voting members
The meeting covered a range of legislative actions including ordinance adoptions, a public hearing on a comprehensive plan amendment, a PUD amendment for the Brown County Library project, several community development items, and a lengthy debate on a resolution regarding the Neville Public Museum. The meeting concluded with the tabling of the museum resolution.
Consent Calendar
- Minutes Approved: Motion to approve minutes from April 21, 2026 meeting carried unanimously.
- Agenda Approved: Motion to approve the agenda carried unanimously.
- Appointments: New appointments and reappointments were approved unanimously.
- Operator Licenses: Report of the Green Bay Police Department granting operator licenses was approved unanimously.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Comprehensive Plan Amendment (CPA 26-02): No members of the public spoke on the request to rezone 1696 Janice Avenue from multifamily to low density residential.
- Conditional Use Permit – Rooming House: Kevin Platt (resident of 117 N. Van Buren Street) expressed concerns about occupancy limit, on-site management, and privacy fencing. David Nelson (applicant, 1230 Spartan Road, New Franken) confirmed a maximum of 20 residents, 24-hour on-site management (house manager and co-manager), and a commitment to a privacy fence.
- Neville Public Museum Resolution: Multiple speakers testified in support of the resolution affirming the museum's importance:
- Supervisor Patrick Evans (Brown County, 1692 Nancy Avenue) urged collaboration and clarified that there are no proposals to move or privatize the museum, and that the county is actively seeking an executive director.
- Mary Pappas (1947 Lakeside Place) supported the resolution, emphasizing the urgency of addressing the leadership vacuum and urging transparent community engagement.
- David Corey (1917 Lakeside Place) spoke as director of the Green Bay Film Society, highlighting the museum's role as a cultural and economic anchor for downtown.
- Dr. Lisa Rose Lampson (2475 Wooddale Avenue) spoke as a public history professional, warning that privatizing or repurposing the museum would cause irreversible loss of community history.
- Dr. Rebecca Nisbet (118 S. Washington St.) opposed turning the museum into a "play space," arguing that the Neville's role as a full-fledged museum is irreplaceable.
- Carl Knight (owner of the Charlton Theater, 711 S. Broadway) advocated for a public negotiation to transfer full stewardship back to the city or joint city-county control.
Discussion Items
- Third on the Square PUD (Ordinance 03-26): Dan Teters (Brown County) expressed concern that the PUD language ties surface parking to the Job Center (a state entity) and Grounded Cafe (a program of the ADRC). He requested that parking not be conditionally linked to those tenants, as their continuation is outside the county's control. An amendment by Alder Prophet to replace "Job Center" with "public or semi-public users" passed unanimously. An amendment by Alder Eck to replace "Grounded Cafe" with "cafe" failed on a voice vote. The PUD as amended passed 11-1.
- Personnel Committee Item – Open Position Roster: A motion to refer this item back to staff failed on a voice vote. The item then passed 9-3 after a roll call vote.
- Neville Public Museum Resolution: A motion to "lay on the table" (postpone indefinitely without a return date) made by Alder Prophet was seconded and approved by voice vote.
Key Outcomes
- Comprehensive Plan Amendment (CPA 26-02): No action taken; no public testimony.
- Zoning Ordinance 03-26 (Third on the Square PUD): Passed 11-1 as amended.
- Conditional Use Permit (828 Cherry Street – Rooming House): Approved on voice vote.
- Personnel Committee Item: Passed 9-3 (roll call) after referral motion failed.
- Neville Public Museum Resolution: Tabled (postponed indefinitely).
- Ward 48 Creation: Resolution to create Ward 48 approved unanimously via roll call on resolutions 1–13.
- Fire Truck Antitrust Litigation: Committee of the Whole report approving involvement approved unanimously.
- Ordinances First Reading: Ordinary ordinance items 1 and 2 were advanced to second reading.
Meeting Transcript
I called order the meeting of our common council for Tuesday, May 5th, 2026. Clerk. Yes, thank you, Your Honor. We have 12 members in the room and 12 members voting in civic clerk. All right. Thank you, Clerk. Now please rise for the Pledge of Allegiance and remain standing for an invocation offered by Alder Debaker. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America. And to the Republic for which it stands. One nation under God, invisible with liberty and justice for all. All right. So some words to guide us tonight as we go through the meeting. Let us approach each decision with clear thinking and openness to different perspectives, especially when they challenge us. Let us practice patience and respect, even when the discussions are difficult. May we keep in mind that every item before us affects real people, neighbors, families, and businesses who depend on a steady, thoughtful leadership. Let our decisions reflect not short-term pressures, but long-term well-being of the community. And let us leave this, leave this community knowing. We have acted with accountability, professionalism, and a genuine commitment to public service. Thanks, Alder. Appreciate that. Next we have approval of the minutes. Motion to approve made by Alder Delee to approve the minutes from our April 21st meeting, seconded by Alder Ritterbush. Any discussion? Seeing none. All in paper say aye. Oppose nay. The ayes have it. The minutes are approved. Approval of the agenda. Motion to approve made by Elder Presley. Seconded by Elder Orlowski. Any changes here? Seeing none, all in paper say aye. Oppose nay. The ayes have it. And the agenda has been approved. Uh report by the mayor. Um, just a couple quick comments. Um, we have two items on tonight's agenda that uh I think are related to city county collaboration. And so um just wanted to thank the county for moving forward with the um the library and ADRC and job center consolidation uh project. We're gonna be hopefully moving forward with the second reading of a PUD on that project. Um have also worked, you know, pretty extensively with uh with the county on the coal pile relocation effort. Uh that seems to be moving forward well. Um we have the Renard Island easement that um our parks committee and and council approved within probably the last few months to allow for a permanent easement and access to Renard Island. Um, and then we've got the museum resolution uh on the agenda tonight, and just wanted to to make the point that all of this has been done in the spirit of of collaboration. And I know we have got some county board supervisors in the audience who who might want to weigh in on on a couple of those questions. Um, but from my perspective, you know, just wanted to appreciate what's been done jointly between the city and the county in recent times and um and not to speak for the author of the the Nebel uh resolution, but I think that's uh the spirit under which this resolution was offered too is just to sort of recognize the community asset that we have in the Neville Museum and and really just make the point that the city's here uh to assist wherever possible um to make sure that it's uh it's a treasured institution now and into the future. So with that, we'll move along to announcements from our council. Any announcements? Oh, Alder Delete.
openpublica.com