All right.

I call the order of the meeting of our common council for Tuesday, July 21st, 2026.

Clerk.

Thank you, Mayor.

All 12 are signed in and present.

All right, very good.

Thanks, Clerk.

Now please stand for the Pledge of Allegiance and remain standing for an invocation offered by Alder Grant.

I pledge allegiance.

And to revolve for which it stands.

One nation, under God, indivisible with liberties and justice for all.

Thank you.

Dear Lord, as we gather to serve our community, grant us wisdom to listen with open hearts, understanding to appreciate different perspectives and compassion to seek what is best for all.

May we work together in the spirit of unity, creating one or treating one another with kindness and grace, and may our efforts strengthen our community today and in the days ahead.

Amen.

Well said.

Thanks, Alder Grant.

Next we'll move to approval of the minutes.

Motion to approvement by Elder Delee.

Seconded by Elder Ritterbush.

Any changes?

Seeing none, all in favor say aye.

Aye.

Oppose nay.

The ayes have it.

The minutes are approved.

Approval of the agenda.

Motion to approved by Elder Presley, seconded by Elder Delee.

Changes here amendments.

See none.

All in favor say aye.

Aye.

Oppose nay.

The ayes have it, and the agenda has been approved.

Um couple items, but first I want to uh yield the floor to Laura Schlei and the DGBI team.

I don't know if it's just Jenny or J or both Jenny and Jen who'd like to come up.

Um but uh we are very appreciative for the We the People quilt that hangs behind staff in our council here uh in our council chambers, and to tell us a little bit more about that project and how everything came together for our 250th celebration.

I will kick it over to the lectern.

So the floor is yours.

All right.

Thank you very much.

Um yes, we're very happy today to um see the the quilt hanging in its final home here um at City Hall.

So this was a project that started several months ago, and um downtown Green Bay Inc.

Um worked with the city to help make this happen and also with the Wisconsin Arts Board.

And um, we hired Laura Schlei to be the artist in charge.

And then we also put the call out to the communities.

So we had um over 250 participants in the community of all ages, and um, they didn't have to be artists.

Um you can see there's a varying levels of of complication on those um um squares, but there are all individual squares um that really represent what America means to you and um things from our history, things we look forward to in the next 250 years.

Um, some are Green Bay related, some are um nationally related.

So um it's it's pretty great.

Um take a few minutes to look at it.

Um every square is different, and it really represents how we are all unique, and we all come from different perspectives, but we're all um you know, we're all tied together and united together.

Um, one more thing I'd like to point out is um there will be a permanent plaque place there as well, but temporarily I have this, and we do have a QR code that you can scan um that goes to our website and it you can really read the stories behind each of them, and some of them are really interesting, so um definitely worth checking out.

Um, and one more thing, we have uh replica of the quilt um uh out on the streets.

So on the corner of um Washington Street and Cherry Street at the Black Saddle Building, we have a vinyl mural that was placed there.

So that is a little more accessible to the community um for them to go take a look at it out there.

So make sure you check that out as well.

We hope to keep that up for a few years so that this project lives on.

And Laura, do you want to say anything?

Um thank you for for entrusting me with this project.

It was uh uh effort of love and a whole lot of other emotions.

Um we started back in December and through many months of planning and community input and support.

It's here.

Um you reached out initially about it.

I was a little torn because I had a lot of a lot of mixed feelings about our nation lately.

Um but I'm I'm happy to say that after reading through the submissions and holding each person's voice essentially uh in their squares, it filled me with hope because overall what I saw was a call for unity, a call for um love and embracing one another, and we are stronger in our diversity.

Um so it was a very uplifting project, and I hope that you all will enjoy it in this council.

And thank you to DBI, thank you to the city for helping support art and projects like this.

Um it's exactly stuff like this that can help us kind of overcome tough conversations and and difficult things that might not as easily be bridged.

So thank you.

Absolutely, thank you.

Really appreciate it.

Um just a couple of other items.

Like I said, um, we've got an appointment here, of course, for interim city clerk, uh, Stacey Menke, and uh just wanted to thank her for stepping up.

Um just wanted the council to know that she has my full faith and and support.

She's been doing a great job in our clerk's office for uh for a couple years now, and I think is is ready and more than willing to step into this role as her interim leader in the clerk's office, and um she has a ton of support from city staff, uh myself included, but city staff across the board as well as her team in the clerk's office, and uh so just hoping that you will uh support the appointment that is before you tonight.

Um and I think I'll leave it there.

So, along two announcements from our council, Alder Grant, then Alder Ritterbush.

Thank you, Mayor.

Um, I know we have a meeting in August, but I wanted to recognize Schmidt Park Neighborhood Association in August will be their 20th year of establishment of this association, and they're very active, they give a lot back to their community, and I truly believe that their neighborhood is a better place because of all their hard work and time.

So just wanted to recognize them.

Thank you.

Thanks, Alder.

Alder Ritterbush.

Um, I want to recognize the uh economic development department.

We had a little bus tour, I believe it was uh last Wednesday.

It was uh very informative.

It was great to see all the economic uh stuff that we go on around Green Bay, uh the JBS development was very impressive for me because that's my members that uh work at the plant that are really looking forward to you know moving into those facilities.

So thank you to the economic development for for the little tour.

It was awesome.

Thank you.

Yeah, appreciate that.

Yeah, there's a lot going on.

So thanks to the economic development team for leading the tour and also the work uh that's demonstrated there.

Other announcements, Alder Delee.

We have another grooves on grooves on the green event this Friday at uh Three Sisters Park on the west side of Green Bay, uh, one that's not normally recognized.

So come out, catch some live music and uh eat some food off of uh a really good food truck.

Very good.

Thanks, Alder.

Any others Alder Profit?

I have three, so I'll try and go fast.

Um so typically in years past, as long as I've been on council, we've had a council meeting on national night out.

I'm pleased to say that is not the case this year.

Um so on August 4th, make sure you go out and you're supporting your local national night out.

I know for sure Mather Heights Association, Navarino, and Oneida Nation always hosts a good one as well.

Um, but if I'm leaving anyone out, please forgive me.

Um second thing, uh transit commission doesn't always report out to council, but I am pleased to say last week at Transit Commission we did pass free transit on election days moving forward.

Um so I brought that forward with co-sponsorship from Alder Presley, Elder Delee, Elder Shelton, and Alder Ritterbush.

So very excited to see that implemented in the city moving forward, not only for the August election, but all elections moving forward.

Um and then finally, uh, we had some storms last night.

Uh unfortunately, a large tree fell into a neighbor's house, and I just wanted to shout out forestry who was there taking it down.

It was a very large tree.

Um, very quick.

PD was out there or fire was out there last night.

It was one thirty in the morning.

It was we were without power on our block for six hours.

The response was just very swift and very appreciated by the neighborhood.

So just want to shout out um everyone from the city level who responded to that very very swiftly.

Thank you.

That's good to hear.

Thanks, Alder.

Uh anything else?

All right, we'll move along to appointments.

First, the reappointment.

Motion approved.

Motion to approved me by Elder Prophet, seconded by Elder Delee.

Any discussion?

Seeing none, all in favor say aye.

Aye.

Oppose nay.

The eyes have it, and the reappointment is made on to the appointment.

Motion approved.

Motion to approve, maybe Elder Profit.

Second by Elder Delee.

Uh discussion on that.

Seeing none, all in favor say aye.

Aye.

Oppose nay.

The ayes have it, and that appointment is made.

On to ordinances, second reading for adoption.

Entertain a motion.

Alder Hinckfus.

I'm gonna poll number one.

All right.

Um we'll just go right to that then.

So this is an ordinance amending section 423 relating to the responsible bidder approval threshold from 25,000 to 50,000 to let contracts to the lowest responsible bidder.

Yes, I'd like to prefer refer it back to staff, even though it's a second reading.

There's uh piece in the state statutes that we need to add in there.

So if we can refer it back to staff and now send it back to Congress.

Sounds good.

So there's a motion to refer that item back to staff.

Second.

Seconded by Elder Eck.

Any discussion on that?

Seeing none, all in paper say aye.

The ayes have it.

And that uh ordinance has been referred back to staff.

We have two remaining.

Alder Presley.

I'd like to poll number two.

All right, an ordinance rezoning the properties located at 703, 707, and 713 Roy Avenue from neighborhood commercial to low density residential.

Um, I'd like to amend this um to clear up what looks to be an error in uh the lots matching up with the parcel numbers.

So right now it says lot 16, lot 16, and lot 16.

I believe that should say lot 18, lot 17, and then lot 16.

If I can get confirmation from economic development or law on that.

Yeah, Shirley Roy.

Uh yeah, so for 703, that should be with six, should we place 16 with 18 707, 16 parentheses, 17 with 17 parentheses 17 and 713 Roy Evan replaced with 16 parentheses, 18 with 16 parentheses 16.

Okay.

Zero.

Second for that, seconded by Alder Prophet.

Uh, any discussion?

Seeing none, all in favor say aye.

Aye.

Plose nay.

The ayes have it.

Entertain uh entertain a motion to approve is amended.

Motion to adopt as a motion to adopt is amended offered by Alder Prophet.

Second by Elder Delee.

Any discussion?

We'll use the board.

And that is approved unanimously.

Um general ordinance number 1126.

Motion to adopt made by Elder Prophet.

Seconded by Elder Presley.

Any discussion here?

Seeing none, we'll use the board there.

And that is adopted unanimously as well.

Report of the redevelopment authority.

Motion to approve made by Elder Prophet.

Seconded by Elder Presley.

Items here to be handled separately.

Hearing none.

All in favor of the report was signified by saying aye.

Aye.

Oppose nay.

The ayes have it.

That report has been approved.

Improvement and services committee.

Motion to approve and by Elder Delee.

Second.

Seconded by Elder Ritterbush.

Items here to be handled separately.

None.

All in favor say aye.

Aye.

Oppose nay.

The ayes have it.

And that report has been approved.

Protection and policy committee.

Motion approved.

Motion to approvement of Elder Prophet.

Second by Elder Presley.

Items here to be handled separately.

Six.

Number five.

Five and six.

Any others?

Hearing none others.

All in favor of approving the remainder of that report.

We'll signify by saying aye.

Aye.

Oppose nay.

The ayes have it.

The report has been approved with the exception of items five and six on item five, Alder Shelton.

Yeah.

So uh thanks everybody.

Um just wanted to uh kind of pick up where we left off actually with this uh you know quote back here.

Um this is the 250th year anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, which was uh promise of world historical importance.

Um, you know, uh our the the founders of this nation put forward a promise that all people would be treated equally and that you know our kind of creed would be life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness for everybody.

Now, obviously, you know, the the world that they lived in back then was very different than the world that we live in.

There were all kinds of tragic contradictions back then, including slavery and a lot of people excluded from the political process.

But one of the reasons I wanted to bring this forward and wanted to bring it forward now during the month of July is for us to lay claim um to that promise in our city.

And obviously, this is a this is a resolution, it's not a binding document, but what it does is it sets a path for us.

It lets us as a council say these are the things that we're gonna foreground when we make decisions moving forward.

Uh, you know, so whether it's thinking about how we approach housing and making sure that everybody in this city enjoys the right to housing, or whether it's dealing with mitigation against climate change and the right to having a sustainable infrastructure, which I'm sure many of you on this council like me have um you know dealt with a lot of complaints related to flooding right now.

Uh this is the kind of thing we can use to chart our path over the next couple of years.

Um, and I'm really proud that uh got uh four folks on the council already to sponsor this, and you know, we move this through the committee.

I think there's widespread support for it.

Um I know there's a number of people here who want to speak to this as well, so I'll motion to open the floor in a moment, um, unless there are other elders that want to speak to this now.

But um just you know, thank you all for entertaining this.

Thanks, Alder.

Thank you.

Um motion open the floor.

Motion to open the floor.

Motion open for maybe open the floor.

Can I ask some questions to the sponsors?

Absolutely.

Uh sure, Alder Grant.

Thank you.

Um just a couple of questions on this.

Can you clarify?

I know you clearly stated your intentions on here, but can you tell me, you know, the need to do this versus what we have been doing as a council?

You know, I don't, you know, there's a lot of generic statements in here, but how are we gonna do that?

How are we gonna create the right to recreation through public parts and parks and arts?

What are the actionable steps in here that you would like to see?

Yeah, that's a great question.

And again, I I would I would compare this to the Declaration of Independence, right?

Which outlined a vision.

Um, I don't think everything was spelled out paint by numbers.

Um, but I think there's a lot of actionable steps that we can take.

You know, I I don't know what all those are with every single uh one of these.

But when we think about the rights of recreation through arts, which I think you mentioned, um parks, sorry.

Parks.

I guess it's all in there.

Yes, uh recreation through parks.

I mean, I think, you know, obviously we've taken some really good steps toward that.

I mean, you heard Alder DeLee talk about uh grooves on the green, which is a great program.

Um, but making sure that when we prioritize decisions moving forward around parks, for instance, that we're thinking about how they're accessible to everybody, right?

I'm not saying that we don't do some of these things already or that we don't have some of these commitments.

Um so what this really does is it it makes real those commitments that we have.

It it puts them into a resolution that can guide us.

And then when we move forward, we can think about you know how it is that when issues come up related to the parks that we think about access for everybody and the idea of this being a right that everybody deserves.

Okay.

I just was kind of curious because right now there are parks that aren't accessible due to some of the homeless population.

So how do we what measurable things are we?

So who are we gonna make that park accessible to?

How are we focusing on whose advantage that is going to be?

Because right now children can't play at certain parks.

Um, you know, even something like the right to clean drinking water, do we have an issue in Green Bay with that right now?

Um, and someone's perspective, you know, there's there's all different studies out there of what is clean water.

And, you know, some people we can't agree on what's healthy and what's not, depending on what studies you're looking at.

I guess what I'm nervous about with this is the measurables.

What what are you claiming, you know, what do you count as affordable housing?

What's that number?

What a what are you seeing as the a right, a good wage?

And again, that's not I know that's not something the city can do.

So I'm very confused on this because there's a lack of numbers, uh, measurable aspects.

Where's our goals?

Where are we going to, and where are we now?

Where are the issues right now?

Yeah, well, so this again, this is I appreciate the question.

This is a vision statement.

This isn't a you know, complete stock taking of everything we do in the city, right?

That that's that those are conversations that are gonna come.

Um, this is getting us on record in terms of the things that we all value.

Um, so you know, there are obviously again things that can guide our decisions if we think about these.

But one of the things that makes America America is the idea that we engage in democratic deliberation.

And so this gives us again a set of principles.

And you and I may disagree what it means for everybody to access, you know, parks or what it means to have a living wage, right?

There's all kinds of metrics that we can use to think about that.

Um, but what this does again is it it grounds us in something and gives us a vision to move toward, right?

So I'm not gonna get into the particulars of what you know, how we measure each of these things now, because that's not really the intention of this document.

Okay, so you would agree that a lot of these things are subjective.

I think, yeah, there are things that we're gonna have to deliberate on, right?

Like, yeah, there's we're these are things that are going to involve democratic deliberation.

That's the whole point of having a common council.

Okay, all right, thank you.

Yeah.

Um yeah.

Before we open the floor.

Yeah.

Okay.

Alder Hutchison.

Okay.

Um I will claim that first one the right to clean drinking water.

That wasn't on the list when I got it and looked at it.

I'm a civil engineer.

That's what I did for 40 plus years.

And people take drinking water as a matter of fact.

They just, we got it.

Well, why do we have to think about it?

We have to think about it.

In this day and age, there are a lot of threats to drinking water.

We get our water from Lake Michigan.

I can envision the intake pipe that we had to protect from the mussels.

We're constantly fighting to protect that water.

We have a great water industry here.

Uh, people formed to protect that water, we take it for granted.

They're reading information every time they meet to protect that water.

And I think it's absolutely right to be here because there's going to be stuff coming in us, and as alders and the elders in the future, we want them to know we were thinking about this.

You got to protect that.

Okay.

It doesn't necessarily mean we got to do something right now.

But we have it, should have it in our mind to protect that water.

And then as far as the specifics on how to get this done, uh, life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

There are no specifics given then.

How do you do that?

You have your idea, I have mine, but we know what that means generally in our mind, what that means.

This is what this is supposed to do.

Just generally get it in your head.

We can discuss the specifics as we go forward, but these are here to highlight what we want to protect as a city.

And I think it makes a ton of sense.

Thank you.

Hold the brother.

Um, I know it was posed of the uh co-sponsors, and I know I was one of the co-sponsors.

So for me, I view this document too as one thing I've heard in the past two and a half years now that I've been on council is it can be hard to follow city business.

Um, for someone who's not really familiar with the inner workings of how we do policy and procedure here.

Um, this document kind of combines um into one resolution, some some really tangible things that we can speak on and and respond to our neighbors when they ask of us.

Eight out of these ten, I can see a committee or commission that would touch these, the two that they wouldn't, public education and health infrastructure, perhaps.

Um, but this document, as I mentioned, that committee level is something that will frame how I advocate at the state level, how I advocate at the federal level for policy shifts.

We need to help our everyday neighbors here in Green Bay.

So I I think it's it's just a guiding document we can point to, and I would hope um as a co-sponsor, my neighbors would ask of me, you know, some tangibles that we see in relation to these.

I'm more than happy to answer that of them, but I think this is a good document to be able to point and say our body supports these 10 items.

Alder Morgan was in the queue, and then I think Alder Hinkfit's being uh member of the Water Commission, I can let you know of it.

We don't have a water issue here.

We have the best water in the state of Wisconsin.

As far as the intakes, there's two of them in on Lake Michigan, and one did have zebra mussels that were blocking a portion of it.

The other one intake was capable of handling all of our water supply.

And we have actually the commission, I should say, actually went and they have all those zebra mussels removed.

So they have two large intakes coming out of Lake Mission that are providing the best water.

Our water is so good, we sell it.

Plaskies are ready to hook up in August.

Ashwabin's hooked up.

There's so many people want our water.

It's a great asset to us.

And then going into some of the other things, I've always been one that doesn't want to over-govern, and I think these resolutions do that.

They tell people things that they're gonna get.

The right to a living job.

Well, Wisconsin Statute 104.001.

A city cannot set its own minimum wage.

So we can't do anything about it anyway.

The statute about uh affordable housing, 66.1015 says the city cannot regulate rents or mandate affordable units.

So that's something we can't handle.

I just think we don't need more laws.

I think we need to enforce the good ones we have, and I agree, all these are things that we all want to have, but why do we need to keep putting more laws on the book to do it?

I think it's being handled.

Our constitution takes care of most of our other laws.

Thank you.

Alder Hinkless.

Thank you, Mayor.

You know, when I read this the first time, I read it one way, and then I read it a second way, as if I was sitting, whether I was at Humano or any other organization I work for.

And I look at this as a set of core values or a set of principles.

Um, a vision, how we want to govern and things that we want to take into consideration.

Now Alderck might view the clean water differently than I view, but it is something that we need to preserve.

I mean, you go back to us putting back in the 50s, maybe we put the water or the pipe all the way to Lake Michigan.

We say, I mean, we want to continue to preserve those things.

And I think for each one of us, we may interpret each one of these things differently and how we act as different, but it is a set of values or core principles that we, if you think about when we campaign, we want clean drinking water.

We want people to have a living wage.

That goes into economic development and the businesses that we bring in, safe housing.

I don't think any of this is rocket science.

I think it's what guides our campaigns, and I think it should be something that guides the decisions we make here as an uh a council.

So thank you.

Thanks, Hulder.

Any other comments before we open the floor?

Alder Presley.

Thank you, Mr.

Mayor.

Um, yeah, I just want to speak um as well.

Uh well, let's start with water.

It's like we we do have good water.

It's excellent.

Um, but we don't have a right to good water.

We don't have a right to clean water right now.

If we found a cheaper source of water that was maybe not as excellent, uh, we could, as a council, decide we're gonna switch over to this.

Um, obviously that's not likely, but because we don't have anything enshrining that right, um, we can do whatever we want with the water.

Uh we won't because there's public pressure, but I want there to be a document giving the public that pressure.

I want people to hold us accountable.

Um, I want the public to be able to say, you said we would have clean water, and now you're proposing this, this, and this that might harm our water.

You promised us that.

And I want to be able to uphold those promises.

I also want to be able to say that the government does something for someone.

I don't like um uh some of my fellow elders saying, well, the state won't allow us to do this.

We can't do this.

We shouldn't even pretend uh that we're we're aiming for this because we can't do it.

Uh I don't like saying that we can't.

We can.

Um, if the state doesn't allow us to do something, we can find out carve-outs.

Uh, we have been pushing towards more affordable housing despite what the state has limited us on.

Um, and we can lobby the state for changes.

Uh I think that we are asked to represent our constituency at the level that we represent them at.

Um, if we're we're not state legislators, we're not federal legislators, but we can do right now something that guides us uh towards the goals that we want to see.

Um, even if we can't enact them perfectly specifically right now.

I don't want us to ever say to our constituents you can't have affordable housing, you can't have clean water just because of those preemptions that exist um at other levels of government.

So pushing forward, I want us to look at what we can do and not what we can't do.

Thanks, Alder.

Anything else?

Motional floor was made by Alder Shelton, seconded by Elder Prophet.

All in favor say aye.

Guys have it, the floor's open.

Um, so we just have one registration in advance, but then everyone should feel free to approach the electron and speak um if you would like to.

Sarah Bashi.

And then just to remind everyone, uh, we allow for three minutes for public testimony.

Um you can just state your name and address, and then you've got three minutes to go.

My name is Sarah Bashi, 1770 Burgoyne Court, apartment 80 in here.

Often in Green Bay for many, many reasons.

I just wanted to come here tonight and say that I am in favor of this municipal bill of rights because I believe that these are all human rights and that we are all people and deserving of them.

Thank you.

Thanks for your testimony.

Hi, I'm Harvey Kay.

I live 523 Larshead Street here in Green Bay, and just for the record, I taught for 42 years at UWGB.

I was I'm now professor emeritus of democracy and justice.

And I have for the past 20 years been involved, as some of you may know, in a campaign, a national campaign to pursue an economic bill of rights.

That question of an economic bill of rights goes back to the time of the founding.

It was indicated clearly life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

And I would also add fundamental equality, which is right there.

Additionally, even before the declaration, the hero of the revolution in my mind is Thomas Payne, who called for the revolution to not only create an independent United States, but also to create a democratic republic.

And it was Thomas Paine, who not too many years after the revolution was the first person to call for social security.

Okay, which was which would have gone beyond social security as we have it because it called for making sure that people when they reach a certain age did not have to work, but it also said it would give grants to young people to prevent them ever falling into poverty, or at least try to prevent them.

But the real question of economic bill of rights doesn't really appear until Franklin Roosevelt, one of the three greatest presidents in American history.

And when he presented it in 1944, he didn't do it as a thought that popped out of it into his head.

It's that he had been working from 1932, right through the war to make an economic bill of rights happen in this country.

And at the heart of the New Deal and the war effort was that aspiration.

Now, throughout, he pushed the idea of rights over and over again.

And then in 1943, he asked Americans in polls, and this is a serious polling firm out of Princeton University that ran it.

They said, What would you like to see after the war?

And they laid out things that seemed like common sense, perhaps.

They wanted a right to a job at a living wage.

They wanted guarantee of education as far as they could go.

Okay.

They wanted health care for all.

They wanted housing of a decent sort, and others similar to that.

Now, he presented that in the State of the Union message in 1944.

And though Congress wouldn't go near it, in part because business had its grip on certain members of Congress, and the Southern Democrats had no intention of pursuing an economic bill of rights because it might mean they'd have to integrate hospitals.

Boom.

But you know what?

The idea never died.

And in 1960, the Democratic Party national platform, the National Party, the platform included a whole array of aspirations, promises that they would pursue, laid out exactly, and they made it clear.

This is written in the spirit of the economic bill of rights.

Presents the freedom budget in that spirit.

Martin Luther King Jr., not long before his death founded the Poor People's Campaign, which was basically advancing an economic bill of rights.

Now all I can say is I looked at this this morning and I thought, well, maybe I'll present I'll come up with a speech to give.

That that is not, I didn't plan this, okay.

But I can tell you that when you look at American history, there is something about that life liberty and the pursuit of happiness that propels just this kind of thinking.

And the more I thought about it, the more jealous I felt of all of you.

Because you get to talk about this and possibly pass it as a resolution.

And by the way, don't think that this is only going to affect Green Bay.

Hopefully, it would affect Green Bay.

This will send a message that this city of Green Bay, which owns which has the only socialist football team in America, let me make that clear, has also come out in favor of an economic bill of rights.

I hope that every municipality in this state, maybe beyond the state, talks about this kind of thing because we desperately need an economic bill of rights.

It would keep people from believing government doesn't matter.

Why bother to vote?

They'll figure out why bother to vote, okay?

Because there are possibilities.

Okay.

All right.

Thanks so much for your best one, sir.

Anyone else who would like to speak.

Good evening.

Amber Edwards, 2434 Sycamore Drive, Green Bay.

My name is Commissioner Amber Edwards from the City of Green Bay's Equal Rights Commission.

And I'm here tonight to officially support Alder Shelton's resolution in that capacity.

I am the community organizer for Joshua and represent the public support of our board of directors here tonight as well.

And I serve on the executive team for Rooted in Inc.

I reside and vote in Alder Morgan's district.

And I share these various roles with you to demonstrate the variety of ways I choose to use my time.

Each of these roles is entirely nonpartisan.

And each works towards the belief.

The Green Bay holds the power to become a community of belonging, a truly beloved community of belonging without othering.

A community where resources aren't just made available as a task, but invested in because of their ability to build a better Green Bay.

Wisconsin forward, right?

This resolution asks the city council to publicly commit to a standard of care for the residents of the city that we all love to recognize that in a climate where nearly every human rights and social justice issue takes on a political lens.

At the end of the day, the duty and the privilege of each and every elected official is to hear what your community needs from you and to find a way to uphold the dignity of every human being in your charge.

Further, is my expectation as a voter with a voice that this council works together with integrity and bipartisan conversation to reach a level of accountability and compromise that is proved elusive in prior local and state conversations.

It is my hope that this resident resolution will become a guide, a beacon of night, excuse me, a beacon in the night of sorts to pull conversation back to the core of the commitment each of you made in exchange for the title of Alder to serve your district in fairness and with the best interest of your people in mind.

By voting by voting yes, you agree to a framework that will help guide future conversations into useful tension that bears resolution and growth and serves as a reminder that first and foremost, the power of government is nothing if not for the people that vote that power into being.

Please consider the words that you spoke when each of you accepted your seat when you vote tonight.

Thank you all for your dedication to building Green Bay into a truly beloved community.

Thanks for your testimony.

Sorry.

Thanks for your testimony.

Thank you.

Um Steve Campbell, 1207 North Dance Avenue District 6.

And I sat where you guys were there for a couple years.

And I listened to the constituents of my area.

Um that I'm sure you all did your own surveys and talked to hundreds of people.

Maybe this was even a campaign thing when you did it, but I doubt it.

You know, I look at this little minor nucleus of what you're trying to do, and I compare it to Governor Evers, disobeying the federal government to turn over our voter roles.

Because I don't believe they should have to.

I see this as a small divide of that.

I didn't hear anything about equal and fair elections in there.

We can't even do that.

That wasn't even in there.

When you took your can I finish?

When you took your oath and you said the Pledge of Allegiance, you took that oath to the Constitution.

You also were sworn to uphold the Constitution.

I don't see any of this in here that isn't covered in the Constitution.

That covers everybody's rights.

And that's the way it should stay.

We don't need to rewrite the rules and resolutions.

If you do, you do it by the way of Alder Grant and Alder, my fellow Alders.

And you go through the correct process to vote on it, deliberate on it.

This is two weeks, two weeks of meeting here and talking about it.

We're just going to vote on it.

I don't, I don't support that at all.

And I've been telling everybody, including my customers.

We don't need to ignore the state government, just as Evers doesn't have to ignore the federal government.

Not voting our term.

Where's our equal rights in voting?

We can't even.

We have an issue here in Green Bay.

Not going to point fingers, but it's been there for a long time.

And I hope it gets resolved.

Because it's resting on everybody.

And I'm a victim to it.

And a lot of voters, half the voters in district sick are victims of it.

I have video testimony.

I sat through 15 hours of recount by a former clerk.

Incompetent.

Sir, if you could just stick to the resolution, please.

I'm just saying that was equal rights.

I got billed three times what it should have been.

It took 15 and a half hours to do it.

Where's my rights?

That's taxpayer money that people got paid.

One person collected $900 an hour for 15 minutes.

Where's the right in that?

I do not support this resolution.

I support the hard work from everybody that listens to their constituents without going out and putting their head on the line.

And this is creating it's gonna create a windfall.

Thank you.

Oh, a question from Walder Presley and then Shelton.

Thank you, Mr.

Campbell, for your testimony.

Um, number 10, the right and ability to participate in free and fair elections.

Would you say that covers what you would hope?

I didn't uh hear him say that, but oh the right and ability to participate in free and fair elections.

I'd have to look at it again.

Did you read this before you came up and talked about it?

I've read it a couple times.

Oh, so you just read it today.

No, I didn't read it today.

Thanks for bringing my attention though.

Okay, excellent.

Um, and then uh again though, I will say to comment on that.

What are we doing to fix it then?

This is sort of a well, I won't I get it.

It's a it's a vision.

It's a rainbow of ideas.

Um okay.

Uh and then I also want to ask, so you've run for office in the past, um, and lost once, um, and won once.

Um, so you've talked to a number of you know what I won every single time that I went forward and got to sit out and talk to the constituents in the thing, and they still call me.

That's excellent.

Um, so when they talk to you, what do they talk to you about?

How fast is the plug in the city of Green Bay going down the drain?

Okay, what specifically though?

What's it concerned about infrastructure?

Well, it's not flooding the roads, the speeding, you're saying the people under the South Brown Bridge, the police.

I rolled up right down from your street.

You said the person rolled down the window and went like this to me, a little kid.

What are we teaching our kids?

Where's Green Bay gone?

You're asking me, I'm telling you.

So one of the things that you mentioned was people living under a bridge.

The right to safe quality housing through either affordable rental units or owned homes.

Does that speak to something that your constituents, past constituents have talked to you about?

He lived there for over a month last year till he had a confrontation.

And when I said, I could get you help.

I know people that can help you.

Then he graffited the wall.

Now he's defacing property, and he said he had a job.

Guess what it was?

He's a paid protester, and he was proud of it.

Okay.

Um a little bit confused.

Uh, but I guess what I'm getting at.

Uh the guy living under the bridge, I-43 South.

He's there right now, other than he got delivered a 72-hour notice to evacuate.

So it seems like you're having a conversation that I'm not a part of.

Uh you should.

It's your district.

I know I just don't understand where this is coming from.

People call you all the time, you don't respond.

Okay.

They call me them.

I wanted to ask though, because one of the things that you have mentioned, uh, is that these rights are not something that people care about.

And so my question to you was rights?

The rights listed again.

Did you read this?

I read it.

Okay.

I listened to it.

So there are 10 things here that are listed.

Yeah.

Um, and you're saying that people don't care about these.

So I'm asking, is that true?

Have you talked about it?

People are saying we don't need them.

I explained to them, what's this all about?

So I explained exactly what I'm here to explain.

This is no different than our governor ignoring federal rules, saying we don't have to.

Is that what's gonna happen to Green Bay?

Because I think that is what's gonna happen.

And we're gonna form a commission, I heard it said, and I heard when that's a for now, and I heard commission.

So just like I was in on the Equal Rights Commission.

Now we got a whole commission to bring forth all kinds of things that everyone already has.

Is there a right to clean drinking water in the constitution?

We haven't got a drinking water problem.

I would say when we did the whole test, okay.

No, we don't have a drinking water problem.

Is there a right to clean drinking water in the constitution?

You've read it.

If I live in the country, I'm going to dig it damn well.

Is that all right?

Okay.

Then everyone should have a right to dig a hole in their backyard and get their own water.

All right.

Thank you for your time.

That that'd be my right.

All right, I'll just shelt them with a question.

I said you're gonna go that way with all this.

All right, thanks for your testimony, sir.

Hi.

Um I'm Mike Gazulpe, um, 1430 Day Street.

Um at my normal job, I'm an ICU nurse.

Um, so I deal with um people dying all the time, and you get the highest of high emotion when you can save people's life and the um anger and sadness um when you can't.

Um I try and get my patients and their families in these um trying times is um hope.

Um they did a qualitative study in healthcare, one of the biggest.

Um, and they found most patients and their families are lacking one thing, and that's hope.

Um I just want to say support this motion, um, just because it seems to inspire that.

I know someone mentioned that making that quilt, they kind of felt like they lost that at some point, and doing that project kind of brought it together.

Um, and I think this is a good thing to bring everybody together and try and inspire some of that hope, even if there is some conflicting points.

Um, it's for us to come together just like the quilt and um provide that hope to the community.

So appreciate it.

I have to go to work.

But thank you for your work.

Thanks for your testimony.

Hi, my name is Christy Kaiser.

I live on my address.

Yeah.

2645 Bambique Road in Green Bay, Wisconsin.

Um I just want to say that uh life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness are super important to me.

Um, I grew up with both my mother and my father in the military.

Um, so I am an army brat.

I grew up that way the longest I've ever lived anywhere is Wisconsin.

That's eight years.

Um, so I remember my parents deploying uh to Iraq, going to Bosnia, um, and as a young child, wondering, you know, are my parents going to come back?

What are they fighting for?

Um, and that's our rights.

Um Green Bay is super meaningful to me.

It's the first place that I consider home.

Um, it's more home than anywhere else I've ever been.

Uh yeah, so I serve my community a lot.

I've been um a hospice volunteer for two and a half years.

I've been um a homeless shelter volunteer for about two years as well.

I am honored to serve on the Equal Rights Commission.

Um, and I plan on being a very good steward of equal rights.

Um, when I look at this bill of rights here, uh I don't see anything that's not super obvious to agree on.

Um, I do believe that there are things that are subjective when you look at data and the way that you interpret them, but that seems to be government um because we are humans, uh, so we have to look at it through the lens of humanity, so like the humanities.

Um, so there are going to be subjective discussions and values, and I think that this just brings that conversation forward so that we can start that dialogue.

Um, so it's just the beginning.

Thank you.

Thanks for your testimony.

Hey everyone.

Uh, how are you?

Uh Amad Vera Wagner, uh 617 South Quincy, have the distinct pleasure of being the state representative for this community.

Um, I also love Rainbow, so I'm obviously in favor of this resolution, but I wanted to start with an anecdote because of the basic nature of what you all are doing, which is exciting, which is that if you remember some people that worked in our community called Vince Lombardi and Norman Miller, uh, they were the first to help integrate the uh football team, the Packers, and they were the only second team in the entire country to do so.

When the Packers were integrated here in Green Bay, Norman Miller and Vince Lombardi figured out that we could openly discriminate against people of color for living in the city of Green Bay.

And so despite the fact that our sports team that was publicly funded, players could not live actually in the city of Green Bay.

In fact, the first people that rented to folks that violated the law were some of our Jewish neighbors in Green Bay that opened their doors to black players.

But guess what?

The Packers decided to do.

Vince Lombardi and Norman Miller got together and actually lobbied their state legislature, and the first ever anti-discrimination laws around housing came from the publicly owned team, a local business person, and a white coach who happened to love football to make sure that people in Green Bay, regardless of their background, could live in this wonderful community.

There's a reason why we are the number one place to live in the United States because we take care of one another.

We are at a time nationally where people feel whether their skin color, how they worship, who they love, how they show up, or their gender is going to decide what kind of rights they have.

What I love about Green Bay is regardless of who you vote for or whether you vote at all, who you love, how you show up, we take care of one another.

This resolution is taking those values and putting those to paper.

This is not hard.

This is not complicated.

You get to have good drinking water, whether you're a Republican or a Democrat.

You deserve housing, whether you are Muslim or Christian.

You should be able to be get a good job, whether you are male or female.

These are things that we all can agree on.

We can make this a culture war fight, or we can do what we've been doing forever, which is putting into words that we care for one another and we support one another.

I encourage you to do so.

And as your state representative, I plan on taking when you pass this and turning this into public policy, what we've already done.

And many of you have worked on this with me.

But it does matter that our local government echoes simple basic values that no matter who you are, no matter how you show up, if you work hard, you can thrive in Green Bay, and government will take care of you.

I'm very excited for you all to pass this.

I'm very excited to work for you to implement it.

And I look forward to having as many yeses as possible on this resolution.

Thank you.

Thanks for your testimony.

The United States recently commemorated the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, which is really history's ultimate mission statement.

Guaranteed unalienable rights among them life, liberty, the pursuit of happiness.

You know it.

You love it.

In 2023, the U.S.

News and World Report ranked the city of Green Bay, the number one city in their annual best places to live in the United States, citing affordability and uh our quality of life.

Our city is great.

Green Bay is great because we value improving the quality of life, liberty and pursuit of happiness for our community members.

If our city has affordable housing, if our city has affordable transportation, if our city has affordable and accessible recreation, arts, history, and culture, if our city has free and fair elections, then let's continue to offer it.

Let's continue to promise it.

But it's possible we still have a way to come.

And the Bill of Rights will keep us grounded in our progress and pursuit of our values and principles.

So thanks to all the Shelton, Hutchison, Presley, and Prophet for introducing the resolution.

I really commend the stance of proactive governance rather than a stance of only reactive governance.

The same way the Declaration of Independence is a mission statement for the promise of the United States and for all of us.

It's invaluable for any organization to have a mission statement which codifies its values and principles.

As a full-time volunteer who serves with a dozen nonprofit organizations in our city, business associations, neighborhood associations, civic organizations.

I welcome our city sharing the same opportunity of a mission statement with our economic and social bill of rights.

The purpose of local government is to improve and protect the lives of the people.

It serves in celebration of 250 years, it's incumbent of us to act patriotically by supporting true American values and principles.

Because patriotism isn't only about celebrating our history, it's also about creating a tomorrow worth celebrating for all of us.

Alders, please support the resolution proclaiming our city's commitment to economic and social bill of rights.

Let's be proud to support a common vision for our community.

It's patriotic, it's common sense leadership.

Let's continue creating a Green Bay which works for all of us.

Thank you.

Thanks for testimony.

Hello, good evening, mayor, members of the common council and community members.

My name is Tara, and I serve as the chair for the City of Green Bay's Equal Rights Commission.

I'm speaking tonight in support of this resolution that affirms economic and social bill of rights for the people of Green Bay.

This should not be a partisan issue.

These are not polarized political concerns.

These are community concerns.

We may disagree on the best practices or the role of the government that the government should play, but we should be able to agree that a strong city is one where every person residing in that city has fair and equal opportunities, has opportunities to work, can contribute, feel safe, and can succeed.

This resolution gives us a common ground to move forward on.

To me, equal rights must mean more than protection written on a piece of paper.

They are also meant to to give fair opportunities and a safe space for people to live and to participate in our democracy and to build a stable future.

Green Bay's history begins with indigenous nations who lived, gathered, and traded and built communities here long before European sediment and other um immigrants and re refugees came to the city.

So some came here seeking land, work and opportunities, others fled war, persecution, political violence, and instability.

He came here as a home refugee in the 70s.

He actually held guns and learned how to use guns at age seven because of American American soldiers who had taught him.

So he came here seeking refuge after we lost the Vietnam War.

But I digress.

Across all of these generations, these communities worked in our industries, oped it opened businesses, raised families, shared their cultures, and strengthened the city we call home.

That history reminds us that belonging and opportunity should be should not only be reserved for only a select few.

A person cannot fully participate in her community if they work hard but still cannot afford housing, if health care is out of reach for them, if transportation limits their opportunities, or if they feel their voice does not matter.

This resolution recognizes the shared values that a living wage, safe housing, clean neighborhoods, reliable transportation, quality education, accessible health care, fair elections, and freedom from oppression are all connected to human dignity and equal opportunity.

The city, of course, cannot solve every challenge alone or a guarantee outcome, but we can clearly state our values, use the authority and resources available to us, and make reasonable efforts to move Green Bay toward greater fairness, stability, and opportunity.

Why is this resolution necessary?

It brings these real issues into one clear framework that helps guide future city decisions.

It gives the city a public standard to measure policies against and strengthens accountability.

The resolution does not promise immediate results.

It commits the city to making reasonable progress within its authority and resources.

For example, wages don't matter to the city because income affects the issues that city directly manages.

Housing instability, homelessness, demand for emergency services, transportation access, neighborhood stability, and whether employers can attract workers.

The city's role is not necessarily to mandate wages, but to understand whether residents can afford to live locally and then use those tools that it does control, such as economic development incentives, workforce partnerships, affordable housing, transportation, job training, and support for businesses that create stronger paying jobs.

A great development that shows this in real time is the JBS development that was mentioned earlier.

The city could also further measure progress using clear publicly available indicators for living wages.

It could track the percentage of cities, city contracted and local jobs paying at or above the annually updated Brown County living wage estimate, accounting for different household sizes.

It's still very long, but I will cut to the chain.

These measurable outcomes give the city a practical way to turn shared values into accountability and meaningful progress.

Supporting this resolution affirms that every resident, regardless of where you were born, what you earn, what circumstances brought you here, deserves not only to live in Green Bay, but to have a fair chance to live and thrive here.

Thank you.

Thanks for your testimony.

Hi, I'm Cynthia Narrat from 1676 Langlade Avenue.

And um I'm I'm thinking don't um more um areas of the community deserve to have some input like employers, housing providers, hospitals, utilities, taxpayers, finance staff, legal counsel.

Um wouldn't they like to have input in such an all-encompassing proclamation?

I just feel like they would deserve that.

And so would a proclamation like this.

Thanks for testimony.

That's it.

Thank you.

Anyone else?

Hello, my name is Octavia Simpson.

I live at 365 LeBern Drive, apartment six.

Green Bay is not my hometown.

Uh, I originally came from Racine.

Came here for UWGB, and like my father, uh, who came from Peoria, Illinois and wanted to go to Washington State, ran out of money in Racine.

That's how I came to be here.

Um Green Bay, I did not have a plan initially.

I did want to move out of state.

Um, but since having lived here now for uh about 15 years, I have come to see the community.

Uh many members of local government, and I've been impressed by them, and I want to continue to stay.

Um I want to speak in support of this resolution.

Um, and I want to recognize and repeat that it's not necessarily policy that we're setting today, but it is a groundwork for discussion, which I do appreciate the time to come up here and speak and to allow others.

Um I strongly believe that that's the importance of our local government to share our opinions, discuss it, and come to a decision.

Um I would also like to share that having grown up in Racine, my father was in manufacturing his entire life.

Um, and then NAFTA came through and wiped out a good portion of the manufacturing jobs.

And for anyone who does not get to see the rest of our state on a regular basis, Green Bay is very special.

I am surprised by the amount of manufacturing jobs that are still here.

I'm surprised by the fact that they haven't gone anywhere, and I find that incredibly impressive.

My father is about seven years old.

He's needed a hip and knee replacement for many years, but because he's been jumping from job to job, he has not had that.

And if you can't tell, it does kind of break my heart a little bit to be talking about that.

But I very strongly believe um in the right to a fair and decent job.

And that's why I would like to speak in support of this.

Thank you.

Thanks for your testimony.

Anyone else?

Motion on the floor?

Motion closed the floor, made by elder profit.

Seconded by Alder Shelton.

All in favor say aye.

Aye.

Opposed nay.

The ayes have it.

The floor is closed.

Uh, I think we're still looking for a motion.

Motion to approve my elder profit seconded by Elder Shelton.

Any further discussion?

Uh Alderick.

Thank you, Mayor.

Um, I want to begin where the sponsor begins with the ideals expressed in the Declaration of Independence.

Those ideals remind us that our fundamental rights are freedoms from government interference, the freedoms to speak, worship, work, own property, and pursue our own opportunities.

These rights do not require someone else to provide them or pay for them.

The resolution before us is different.

It declares a series of economic and social outcomes to be rights, including a living wage, affordable housing, and health care.

These are important goals, but calling them sorry.

Um important goals, but calling them rights raises an important question.

Who is responsible for providing them and who pays for them?

When government declares a right that depends on someone else's labor, property, or tax dollars, we should carefully consider the promises that we are making.

Second, this resolution contains no implementation plan.

It identifies no funding source, no budget, no timeline, and no measurable outcomes.

Green Bay operates under levy limits and finite and a finite budget.

We cannot responsibly promise to guarantee services or benefits without explaining how they will be funded or delivered.

Good intentions alone do not create sound policy, public policy.

We should also recognize that the message this sends beyond City Hall.

Employers, developers, healthcare providers, and families all make decisions about where to invest and where to live.

Green Bay should be known as a city that values fiscal responsibility, predictable government, and opportunity.

We should be encouraging investment, not creating uncertainty about future obligations that neither this council nor the city can realistically fulfill.

Third, we must acknowledge the legal realities.

And I know that Elder Morgan mentioned this, but it's under Wisconsin Statute 104.001 and prohibits municipal rent control and mandatory inclusionary zoning under Wisconsin's statute 66.1015.

In fact, the resolution itself recognized these limitations by asking the legislature to restore local authority and acknowledging that the city cannot unilaterally guarantee many of these rights.

If we already know that we lack the legal authority to fulfill several of these promises, we should not present them as commitments the city can make.

Doing so risks creating expectations that cannot be met.

And finally, I believe that this proposal deserves a more thorough public process.

Before adopting a document intended to guide the city's priorities, we should hear from our legal staff, finance department, employers, health care providers, housing developers, and other stakeholders.

I've said this in the past we need to bring stakeholders in more often.

Understanding the legal, financial, and practical implications should come before adopting a broad statement of policy.

Let me also be clear about what I support.

I do support clean drinking water, safe neighborhoods, well-maintained streets, effective police and fire protection, responsible budgeting in a city that attracts businesses, creates jobs, and provides opportunity for every resident.

Those are the responsibilities local government is uniquely positioned to fulfill.

And doing them well improves the quality of life for everyone.

The best way to expand opportunity is not by making promises beyond our authority, but by becoming one of the best run cities in Wisconsin.

Strong infrastructure, sound finances, excellent public services, and a healthy business climate are what attracts employers, encourage investment, and give families confidence to build their future here.

This is not a vote against affordable housing, health care, clean water, or good jobs.

It's a vote for honest government.

Government that makes commitments, that it has a legal authority, financial ability, and practical means to fulfill.

For those reasons, I respectfully urge a no vote on this resolution.

Thank you.

Thanks, Holder.

Anything else?

Alder Sheldon.

In 1776, I want to just remind everybody that when the promise of the declaration was laid out, there would have been a lot of people.

In fact, there were a lot of people who would have said, we can't do things this way.

We've got uh set of we've got a legal framework that says that everything revolves around the king.

Uh we've got laws that preclude us from having democratic deliberation.

Um what those folks did during that time, again, with all their contradictions, was they set forth a powerful vision.

They didn't have budgets set up.

They didn't have everything crossed to the you know nth degree to make sure that they had every detail in place.

What they had was a vision.

And they said these are our commitments, the things that we are going to fight for moving forward because we're building a society that is built on the idea that hereditary monarchs don't get to control our livelihoods, don't get to control our futures.

That's what we're doing here.

And with all due respect, I find it hard to believe that most employers don't believe that every person in the city should have a living wage, that developers don't believe that everybody shouldn't have a right to housing.

So again, this is a this is a this is a vision.

There are things that we'll have to figure out.

Of course, there are laws that we'll have to deal with, right?

We can't set a minimum wage as a city unilaterally.

Uh, we can push our state representatives to allow us that ability.

That happens in lots of different states uh for localities to set minimum wages.

Um, we can push to remove preemptions from our local government so that we can, you know, be better at making some of these commitments.

And we can do things within the framework of what's legally permissible.

No one's asking for anything that's not legally permissible here.

Um I just remind everybody of that and remind everybody that what it truly means to stand on the shoulders of the founders of this nation is to adapt with the times to push for things that we know people need and to set that powerful vision and to be guided by that vision.

So thank you.

Thanks, Holder.

Thank you, Mayor.

After hearing our speakers, it is clear everyone has interpreted this in their own way.

I've heard things like let's not make this partisan or political, we need to have good conversations and discussions, and we need to bring our ideas together.

I have not heard any comments in regards to this resolution by our council that have made it political or partisan.

It is disappointing that the last four years of serving this community, mine and my fellow alders' work aren't being recognized as accomplishing such things without a resolution like this in place already.

We individually represent it our unique districts.

Residents in my district know clearly through my work and campaigns that I have the best interest of my residents in mind, which is why I'm still in the seat today.

We all have our own opportunities and platforms to make value statements of our values such as this.

As alders representing different districts, we are not one idea or framework.

That's what makes a great council, a mix of ideas and priorities.

And as a council, I've always felt we have had no problem having discussions, sometimes too much.

But I've honestly in the past four years have rarely supported resolutions because I believe actions speak louder than words.

And I worry this resolution is misleading and unclear for our residents.

So I do not support it.

Thank you.

It's older.

Anything final.

I'm not super well spoken like Alder Shelton.

I'm not a historian.

Um, but I'm putting myself in the position of the constituents because I was in that position not too very long ago, living in an apartment, paying half of my wages uh in rent.

Um and just feeling like the city's not providing what it could be providing.

And if I was in those seats in the gallery, seeing an alder put something like this forward, saying your government can and should and will work for you.

Uh there are things that we think you deserve that you have a right to, and we aren't gonna guarantee them right now.

It's unless be it resolved.

We're not gonna guarantee them right now, but we are going to work.

We're gonna use the tools at our disposal to get you there.

That would hearten me.

That would make me feel like this is my government, this is the green bay I want to live in.

Um, and hearing people say, Well, no, we can't.

We can't do that.

Here's all the reasons we can't do that.

Here's the reason we would we don't want to promise you anything because we can't do it, because the state says we can't do it, or this or that ordinance says we can't do it.

I I just wonder what people are thinking when they see a council that says, no, no, no, no, no, you can't have this.

You don't deserve this.

This is not what government does.

Um, I would like us to be a council of yes.

I would like us to be a council that doesn't have to deliberate on just the ideas of what we can accomplish.

Let's do them, let's set a framework, let's make things happen.

Um, I think there's a there's a difference in ideology.

Um, and I got a little heated with my predecessor before, but I think there was a representation there.

Um, he was the one person who spoke against this, and the people voted him out.

Um, because he spoke against this on the idea that this is not what people care about.

People do care about this.

People do care about clean water, people do clear about the infrastructure that is making their houses flood.

Um, people do care about these items one through 10 and more.

Um, and I want us to fight for something and not just say no.

So I am way in favor of this.

Thank you.

Thanks, Elder.

Anything else?

Alder Delete.

You know, when this first came up, you know, I looked at it at two different ways.

Um, were we overstepping?

Um I'm I'm not I wasn't on this as one of the supportees of it.

Um kind of because I missed it, but uh it's not it it was I didn't want to overstep with items that we couldn't give.

We couldn't provide for our constituents.

And um, some of the items like a living wage or public education.

I work for the Green Bay Public Schools.

I know that you know, we don't have much say in the Green Bay Public Schools.

We don't we have a we have a school board for that, and we have directors at the school district that take care of that.

But we all need to look at this from a different lens, and we've seen different lenses from everyone on the council tonight and people who stood up and talked.

And I I think what this lens is, and I I don't know if everyone's everyone's not looking at it the same way, but it's it's a framework to um create better for Green Bay.

It's a it's a framework to it, you know.

We have an item like living wage.

No, we can't, we can't change the minimum wage in Green Bay.

We can lobby the state for it, but we can't do it from a city's perspective.

But we can work on bringing new business into Green Bay.

We can bring more manufacturing into Green Bay, which creates better wages for Green Bay and for the people who live here.

Um we may not have bad drinking water, we have amazing drinking water, but we can make sure that we don't pollute that or cause issues with farm runoff in the future or any of that sort of things.

We have amazing drinking water, but we can make sure that we don't pollute that or cause issues with farm runoff in the future or any of that sort of things.

So it's just a framework to create better for Green Bay and everyone who lives here.

And it's not a it's not a political statement.

It's it's really just to continue to provide for everyone here.

What we've we've wanted to, it's just it's putting it on paper, and I think that's an important piece of it.

So I'm in support of it.

All right, thank you, Alder.

Seeing no further comments.

Uh, we have a motion of second.

All in favor will say aye.

Aye.

Oppose nay.

Uh, we do have a resolution on it later on the agenda.

We don't there should be a resolution.

Um if we approve this, it approves the resolution.

Okay.

Yes, so we would need a board vote to approve a resolution.

Um, so we'll do that.

Your vote?

I do.

She heard the vote.

Yes.

Alder Hinkfist votes yes.

Yes.

All right, that passes nine to three.

Um, so we are on to Green Bay Police Department granting operator license.

Oh no, sorry, six.

Um, that was pulled by Elder Hutcherson.

Thank you.

Let me get there.

Okay.

Uh this is from PMP, which I chair.

Oh, sorry.

This is from PMP, which I chair, and number six was uh submitted as a proclamation and then changed at committee by uh Alders Grant and AC to void the amendment uh to avoid the proclamation in its entirety, and so what the committee voted on was communicated verbally, and I think there is some miscommunication, um at least in my part, because the drift of the new communication was uh to direct staff to present a full report at the council meeting on August 18th of the findings that were submitted to WEC regarding duplicate ballot complaints.

Okay, that's what I heard.

Okay, that's what I voted for.

The rest of this agenda item apparently was communicated uh and read by I think Alder Grant.

This shows full transparent and will help to restore trust in our elections.

We also urge the mayor in the HR to review personnel issues pertaining to these issues and take appropriate actions.

We encourage interviews from current and past employees to accomplish this.

Um I did not vote for that language.

Um so I am going to propose the first sentence remain, and everything after the first sentence gets struck.

I have issues with the fact that we're talking about personnel issues and PNP, and I don't think that's appropriate with this text that follows the first sentence.

So that is going to be uh my recommendation on this.

Is that an amendment that you're an amendment to agenda item six to delete everything after the first sentence?

Second, Alder Hutchison uh makes a motion to amend uh everything that follows the first sentence in the communication that's before the council seconded by elder profit.

Uh additional comments on the amendment, Alderick.

I do have someone who's apparently online that wanted to speak.

Okay.

So I'm gonna make a motion to open the floor.

Okay.

Alderick makes a motion to open the floor.

Second by Elder Prophet, all in favor say aye.

Aye, oppose nay.

The ayes have it.

The floor is open.

So if the person online just wants to state their name and address, you have three minutes for testimony.

I think she was having technical difficulties.

You see anybody.

All right.

Seeing that no one appears to be speaking online.

Okay.

All right.

I don't know.

She's trying to do it, but that's fine.

Okay.

Motion to close the floor.

Most to close the floor.

Uh motion to close the floor made by Alderak.

Second.

Second by Elder Hutchison.

All in favor say aye.

Aye.

Oppose nay.

You guys have it?

Floor is closed.

Uh so we have an amendment and a second.

Any further discussion?

Alderek.

Okay.

Um, yeah.

So I just want to reiterate that um we did talk with our attorney Cotart, and this is legal because I know that Alder Hutchison had talked to me ahead of time today, or just today when I got here, uh, concerned about the legality of it.

And so it just wanna rest assured it is a legal thing that we can do, and it was read at least twice.

Um, so I just want to clarify that it was read.

We did reiterate that this is what we were asking for.

Um, and so I just want to clarify that to make it clear that it yeah, I know it got a little confusing because we completely changed our wording after the WEC uh decision, and uh anyway.

So that that's what we were presenting at the PNP committee, and of course I'd like it to stand as is.

So thank you.

Thanks, Elder.

Any other comments?

Alder are uh Grant.

Thank you, Mayor.

Um I think it's being uh misunderstood.

Um the verbiage is saying we urge the mayor and HR, we are not requiring them to ultimately whether this language is in here or not, the mayor and HR has a right to oversee our staff.

So truly, it's we're not making anyone do anything, that's why it's not on the personnel uh agenda.

We are urging them.

Thank you.

Any other comments?

Uh Alder Debaker.

I get a clarification on the amendment.

What is gonna remain in the yeah?

So Alder Hutchison uh moved an amendment that would uh just maintain the first sentence in the communication that's before you and that read to I can read it uh to approve is amended to the communication submitted by Elder Eck and co-sponsorship by Elder Grant to direct staff to present a full report at the council meeting on August 18th of the findings that were submitted to WEC regarding duplicate ballot complaints.

Okay, uh Alder Shelton.

Yeah, I'm gonna support this amendment.

I was at this meeting and it it is possible that I missed something, but I do not remember hearing this language.

I fully if if it was there, I apologize.

I but I don't remember hearing all this language, so I yeah, I but I'm gonna vote for this.

Okay, anything else?

Uh Alder Orlovsky and then Morgan.

Um I'll also agree with uh Alder Hutchinson that at the meeting I was also under the impression that we were just voting on making the for the presentation and making the findings public.

Sam, that's uh yeah, that's what I thought we were voting on, also.

So okay.

Thanks, Alder.

Alder Morgan.

Well, I made the motion to uh accept it as it was amended, removing the resolution and then just adding the parts about having it done in a timely fashion before our next council meeting.

So if we take out everything else, we don't have anything here that says this has to be prevented or presented.

I mean, um, they're keeping is that staying in or it's just taking note okay.

Like I say, I made the motion, it was second by somebody else on the committee.

I don't remember who, but I had no trouble understanding it.

So any other comments?

Seeing none, all in favor of the amendment.

Signify by saying aye.

Or oppose nay, board vote, please uh board vote has been requested.

Um so this is on the amendment to remove everything but that first sentence.

And that passes eight to four.

Offered by Elder Prophet.

Seconded by Elder Hutchison.

Discussion on that.

See none.

All favor say aye.

Oppose nay.

The ayes have it.

And that item has been approved as amended.

Report of the Green Bay Police Department granting operator licenses.

Motion to approved by Elder Profit.

Second by Elder Hutchison.

Any uh abstentions or names to be handled separately?

See none.

All people say aye.

Aye.

Oppose nay.

The eyes have it.

That uh report has been approved.

Plan commission.

Motion to approve mid by Elder Presley.

Seconded by uh Alder Orlovsky.

Um items to be handled separately is item two.

Any others?

None.

All in favor of approving the remainder of that report will signify by saying aye.

Aye.

Oppose nay.

The ayes have it.

The report has been approved with the exception of item two.

Uh Alder Grant.

Thank you, Mayor.

Um, so this item is to amend our Go Big Green Bay comprehensive plan that we just did a year ago.

Um, I have had multiple majority of the residents not in support of this change.

We just did this a year ago.

Um, so I myself and the residents agree that the initial recommendation of low density residential land use is appropriate for this area.

Um, so I am going to motion to deny.

Okay, Alder Grant moves to deny that seconded by Alder Eck.

Uh further discussion, or maybe we'll invite uh economic development to weigh in.

Just maybe to kind of explain the project and what's going on here.

Go ahead.

Okay.

Sorry.

That's okay.

So the comprehensive plan is a policy vision document.

What I kind of like to describe it as something that's a 35,000 foot policy document that looks ahead to 20 years.

And the this comprehensive plan document identifies this area as a future growth area for the city, um, housing opportunity area, and that neighborhood node.

So that in an in those definitions, it's woven in that there's a mix of housing types, increase of densities were appropriate, and incorporating neighborhood supporting retail and commercial uses in that area.

So, as such, a mixed residential future land use designation would be appropriate in this area.

Um it's currently designated low density or low density residential, and the difference is really subtle.

So low density residential also includes a variety of housing types, including uh small format apartment buildings, um, single family detached, single family attached to duplexes, things like that, and low density residential.

The difference between low density and mixed is kind of that incorporation of some of the larger format apartment buildings, possibly woven in with some neighborhood sporting retail.

So the item before the council tonight is really looking at kind of that future policy direction and what's appropriate and if a mixed residential um land use type is appropriate in this future growth area of the city.

Okay, thank you for that description.

Um any comments on from the council on Alder Grant's denial motion.

Um Alder Hutchison then Prophet.

Okay, I sit on the plan commission, and the plan commission reviewed all this information.

Um they heard from Alder Grant.

Um, and she was very articulate in what uh she wanted, and basically the plan commission voted to approve this uh as it is, um, taking all the discussion into account.

So I think um I well I'm not gonna put any words in um Alder Grant's uh mouth, uh, but I think what she was pushing for was recognized and voted against by voting for this um way to go.

Okay, thanks, Alder Prophet.

Um so I just I've pulled out my trustee comp plan um document that we did um just a year ago, and I trying to highlight the area that we're addressing here.

Um, right across the street um on Woodside there is actually designated as multifamily residential, and across the street on Humboldt is already mixed residential.

Um so I think like just as a buffer point, especially when looking at 83 um in our comp plan for future growth framework, which was included um in our plan commission documents really highlights that exact spot that we're discussing tonight as a mixed-use neighborhood development.

So I think I don't I'm not gonna say it was an oversight.

There's certainly a lot of little nodes all included in here, but I do think it just this change is a more natural buffer to go from what potentially across the street will be multifamily residential to a mixed use as a more like gradual buffered back down to low density residential um over by the Arnie Wolf uh sports complex where I've I've spent a lot of time playing soccer this summer.

So um I think given that this is just a comp plan amendment and not an actual zoning change.

I think if an actual plan were to come forward um to change the zoning, I'm more than comfortable um hearing out residents and neighbors at that point.

But just given I I mean across the street is even like twice the the elevation in future land use.

I think this is a more natural buffer.

So I agree with um staff's recommendation and would prefer to just keep it as is.

All right, thanks, Alder.

Any other comments, Alder Grant?

Thank you, Mayor.

Uh thank you, Alder Profit, for pointing that out.

So that actually your point kind of explains why this would remain as a low density.

If you're surrounding it by higher density, why would you stack a more density?

I thought we were trying to mix areas.

And secondly, this growth plan has been used to guide us.

In fact, the growth plan in my district, if you all remember the Kosmoski development was low density, and 150 units was approved for that area.

So you can't tell me that that gets followed.

So the plan that we approved today is something that the plan commission, staff, and council look to when we are approving rezoning and PUDs.

So if we make this decision tonight, we are setting the precedent of what we see for this area.

And I'm telling you, when the letters went out to my residence after the plan commission meeting of what the result was, I got even more uh feedback.

I have gotten everyone in this area saying please do not make this higher density.

There's already projected amount out there.

There's already a lot of apartment units by um here on over by university.

We are we just did Bay City Lofts over there.

There's the Mossio Creek apartments over there.

There's a school right there.

So actually having a lower density put in by the higher density is creating that mix, and we are going to take that away.

Thank you.

Thanks, Elder.

Anything else?

Alder Eck.

So I just want to reiterate that this is uh Elder Grant's district.

She's representing her citizens, uh, her residents that have reached out to her, and I know all of us also got um contacted with emails um from the president of Schmidt Park Neighborhood Association, and he represents a lot of people because he talks to a lot of people.

I know that because I'm a president of my neighborhood, and that's what I do.

I try to also, aside from representing my neighborhood, I'm representing my whole district.

And so I commend her for that.

And I think we should all take that into consideration.

Thank you.

Thanks, Elder.

Anything else?

Alder Debaker.

I echo Elder X uh sentiments there.

Um I think we're we owe the people of that area um their voice and take a second look at this before we try to push it forward.

That's all there.

Anything else?

All right.

So the motion is to deny.

So an I vote is a denial of the staff recommendation.

Uh yes, board vote has been request requested.

So this is a vote on denial of the item.

And that fails five to seven.

Entertain another motion.

Motion to approved by Elder Prophet.

Second by Elder Presley.

All in favor will say aye.

Aye.

Aye.

Oppose nay.

The ayes appear to have it.

And that item is approved.

Report of the finance committee.

Motion to approve made by Elder Profit.

Seconded by Alder Shelton.

Items here to be handled separately.

Hearing none, all in favor say aye.

Aye.

Oppose nay.

The ayes have it.

That report has been approved.

Park committee.

Motion to approve move by Elder Ritterbush, seconded by Elder Eck.

Items here to be handled separately.

Hearing none, all in paper say aye.

Aye.

Oppose nay.

The ayes have it.

That report has been approved.

Personnel committee.

Motion approved.

Motion to approve, made by Alder Profit.

Seconded by Elder Hinkfus.

Items here to be handled separately.

Two.

Yeah.

Four.

Two and four.

Uh any others.

Hearing none others, all in favor of approving the remainder of the report, signify by saying aye.

Aye.

Oppose nay.

The ayes have it.

The report has been approved, the exception of items two and four on item two, Alder Presley.

Thank you, Mr.

Mayor.

Um I'd like to make an amendment uh to include a second paragraph uh that reads an employee who experiences a pregnancy loss, including miscarriage or stillbirth, or whose spouse experiences such a loss is eligible for up to three days of paid bereavement leave.

Additional medical leave for the birth parent will be administered under applicable leave policies.

Um I spoke with Dr.

Director Roloffson about this.

Um I think it was an oversight.

Uh, since we're making these changes, uh, we might as well make it inclusive to some other situations that may require bereavement leave, including miscarriage or stillbirth, which I absolutely think should be included.

Very good.

Uh so that motion was made by Elder, or that amendment was made by Elder Presley, seconded by Elder Selton.

Um, just looking for confirmation from Director Olifson.

Yeah, it's currently something that we provide our employees today.

It's just not really written in the policy, so we thought it'd be a great idea to just lock it in.

Okay.

Sounds great.

Um, so there was uh an amendment and a second.

All in favor will say aye.

Aye.

Oppose nay.

The ayes have it.

The item has been amended.

Motion approve is amended.

Motion to approve is amended by made by Elder Prophet.

All right.

Seconded by Elder Ritterbush.

Further discussion.

Seeing none, all in favor say aye.

Aye.

Oppose nay.

The ayes have it.

That item has been approved as amended uh unto item four, which Alder Prophet pulled.

Um, I'd like to make a motion to table item four.

This was not something that was handled at personnel and then was added as an additional agenda item.

Um, so I think if this was a communication that was brought forward, um, then it should be submitted through our formal communication process so that it can be co-sponsored and added to a personnel committee and addressed as a separate item rather than coming directly to council first.

Um, just on that point, maybe we'll go to attorney co chart just to kind of explain how our process works as far as petitions or communications and how those are routed.

Things can't just originate at committee.

Yes, that's correct.

So our communications process, which was uh recently updated, I think fairly recent in last year or so.

There's a process for elders to submit communications.

Um committee agendas, and then if approved, forwarded to council.

Uh there's not generally a process by which they skip um over those steps.

So they first need to be submitted, and then with the consent of the chair of that committee are added to uh committee agendas to be discussed, and they need to be on the on the agenda prior to the meeting in order to be discussed.

Very good.

Thanks.

Uh Alder Hinkfis.

I was just going to concur with that because I'm not sure how this ended that way.

And we we did send it back and said we would put in a communication.

So totally agree.

Okay.

Sounds good.

So we have a motion to table from Alder Profit, second by Elder Delee.

All in favor will say aye.

Aye.

Oppose nay.

The ayes have it.

Um that item has been tabled.

Report of the public arts commission.

Aye.

Um, Alder Prophet.

Yeah, I have an amendment to offer.

Um, so it would read um instead, it would just strike everything that's in there right now and instead just say to approve five sculptures for the rotating arts program and to direct staff to work with neighborhood associations to determine the specific locations for each sculpture.

Um, that is originally it was just five sculptures that came out of commission.

Um, it was kind of a short turnaround time for the RFB, so I think um, and given the bases aren't all out yet, and I would defer to staff, but I'm pretty sure they're not set up and ready to go yet.

Um, I think we were just gonna go re-go out for a request for different um arts so that we can get more sculptures.

So I think we were just gonna proceed with five.

So that would be my amendment.

Okay.

All right.

That was uh motion to amend made by Elder Prophet uh to replace 10 sculptures with five, and with including the language that she had stated, seconded by Alder Eck.

Um community economic development in favor of that.

Uh any further discussion.

Seeing none, all in favor will say aye.

Oppose nay.

The ayes have it.

That item has been amended.

Motion to approve is amended.

Motion to approve is amended, made by Alder Prophet and seconded by Alder Delee.

Any discussion on that?

Seeing none, all in favor say aye.

Aye.

Oppose nay.

The ayes have it.

And that item has been approved.

Report of the sustainability commission.

Motion to approve, made by Elder Presley.

Second.

Seconded by Alder Orlovsky.

Uh, any discussion.

Seeing none.

Uh all in favor say aye.

Aye.

Oppose nay.

The ayes have it.

That report has been approved.

And then committee of the whole.

So we'll just take these one by one.

Item one is for consideration of possible action on request by the Department of Public Works to approve and grant a sidewalk builder license to NNL concrete construction LLC and Everett's construction or concrete construction LLC subject to approval by the risk manager.

Um, just real quickly on that, Director Justin.

So we didn't have all of the application materials in time for the last INIS agenda, and there is a big gap uh until the next uh meeting.

So we just wanted to put this on here um to request uh approval sooner so that they could get their license sooner.

Okay, very good.

Uh entertain a motion, motion to approved about elder delay, seconded by Elder Ritterbush.

Any further discussion?

Seeing none, all in favor will say aye.

Opposed name.

The eyes have it.

That item has been approved.

Um, before we go to the next one, I would just invite all staff to leave if they don't need to stick around.

And you know, members of the community as well, but especially staff if you don't have any relevant items for the remainder of the council agenda.

Feel free to get on out of here.

Um so the next item committee of the whole consideration with possible action on one, the release of 304 North Adams Green Bay LLC Hotel Northland from financial obligations under the amended and restated mortgage assignment of rent and leases, security agreement and fixture financing statement, outstanding balance of 2.6 million dollars.

Two termination of the development agreement, hotel northland March 4 2014, and for subsequent amendments through November 14, 2018, and three approval of the assignment of Pine Street Ramp Parking Agreement 304 North Adams executed 2018 for payment of a million dollars to the city of Green Bay by Octagon Credit Partners LP Lender in parentheses from the Hotel Northland sale proceeds subject to final legal approval.

Discussion on that, Alder Grant.

Before we do that, I would like to ask some questions.

Oh, I'm sorry.

Before we do that, I'd like to ask some questions of things that can be discussed publicly just so that our residents are aware of some things so that it's not so closed session.

Yes, and well, we do have a motion on the table.

Um, so we need to dispense with that, but before moving to the vote, I would just say we can certainly address those questions after we come out of closed session.

So that's that's an opportunity as well that we would that we would take up.

Um, but we do have a motion and a second.

Um so on that, is there any further discussion?

I just want to say it might save some conversation doubling up our conversation as all.

Yeah, and I I think given that none of us were around when this originated, I think it'd be good to get some background in history, and I don't I am not comfortable talking about financial stuff with a pending sale in right now without getting any background knowledge given that none of us, including the mayor himself were not a part of this original agreement.

I think we we should get some direction from legal staff first before we potentially open up ourselves to litigation if some of those questions I would just like to get directed by legal before we proceed with any questions.

That's just why I motioned right away to move into closed session.

I think we can address whatever we can address after that, but I'd like to get some clear guardrails before we do that personally.

Makes sense.

Any other comments on the motion?

Uh just response to that.

Attorney Cochard is aware of the questions.

I'll be asking her asking her and has given me prior approval that none of this is anything that is closed session worthy.

Sure.

Or if so, she will let me know.

Okay.

Any other comments?

If not, we'll read the language and then we'll take a vote.

The council may convene in close session pursuant to section 19.85 subsection one subsection G Wisconsin statutes for the purchase purpose of conferring with legal counsel for the governmental body who is rendering oral or written advice concerning strategy to be adopted by the body with respect to litigation in which it is or is likely to become involved.

The council may thereafter reconvene an open session pursuant to section 19.85 subsection two Wisconsin statutes to report any actions taken during the closed session and to consider all other matters on the agenda.

All right, thank you, Alder.

So we will use the board for the vote to move into closed session.

Um who seconded the motion to move into closed elder Delee.

We will be back in a bit.

Call the council back to order and entertain a vote to return the regular order of business.

All in favor will say I.

Feel free to state your name and address and then just give us some information on what you're looking forward to doing with uh with the hotel Northland here.

Hi, this is Blake Malica.

Can you guys hear me okay?

Yes.

Uh nice to meet all of you.

Um I don't know if video works or not, but I've got that.

If that works.

Yep, we can see and hear you.

Awesome.

Uh yeah.

So I live in Dubuque, Iowa.

Um myself and my business partner are the co-founders of our firm called Tertium Development.

Um we're very much focused on community-oriented hotels.

Um, also iconic properties such as this one, uh, the other hotel that we recently bought.

Um is a similar style.

It's got the brick facade, just like the Hotel Northland.

It's something that we take pride in.

Um, you know, we're really focused on Midwest cities.

So, you know, this was uh a great opportunity that we saw to come in and you know be involved in an iconic asset and kind of turn things around.

Um, you know, on that point, you know, we're really excited about the property.

You know, we think it has a chance to be kind of put back into its old glory, it's all iconic self.

Um, you know, we know that the current owner and uh group there is kind of you know, maybe not the best group, and so I know you guys came to a deal, but um, we're we're we're really excited because we've got a lot of big plans for the hotel.

You know, as far as things go, or as quickly as we possibly can.

We're gonna pave the gravel parking lot that's adjacent to the hotel.

We're gonna use that for events.

Um where we'll have some live music, food trucks, things like that.

And even uh for you Packer fans that are willing to brave the cold, we're gonna try and do some things during the football season, kind of have some fun tailgating events out there as well.

Um in addition to that, we do plan to start serving dinner um at the walnut room.

Uh so we're excited to have that, have people, you know, really making the downtown area a little bit more lively and kind of doing our part to do that.

In addition to that, you know, right now there's kind of we look at it as an unused space in the basement that has a bowling alley and a bar.

Um we're planning to open that to the public uh during certain weekends throughout the year.

Um we've kind of got fun plans for how we're gonna you know reach out and have groups involved in there um while having it also ultimately open to the public.

Um in addition to that, we will be touching up the rooms, doing a lot of work in the lobby, uh uh redoing a lot of the furniture.

So, you know, we think that it's going to be back to its old self, and you guys will be done with kind of the the problem group that's in there now.

So great.

Uh well, thanks so much for your interest in in the hotel and for presenting your plans to our council here.

I think some of our members might have uh a few questions for you.

Um Alder Eck.

Thank you, Mayor.

Um, yes, sir.

Uh uh I have a question because I know we're gonna be asked this.

And are you planning to maintain the name of North uh Hotel Northland?

Yes, we are.

Okay, thank you.

Did you want to ask about Marriott?

Well, I know it were you is it gonna be what was it called as an autograph?

Autograph, I want to say signature, so autograph Marriott.

Yeah, it will still stay as part of the autograph Marriott family.

Okay, thank you.

Other questions from council?

Elder Ritterbush?

Are you a Packer fan?

I am, yeah, yeah.

I'm a huge football fan.

I went to Ohio State, so I'm a big 10 guy as well.

Okay, awesome.

We won't hold that against you.

Um other questions from council.

All right.

Well, thanks so much for making yourself available.

Um, and thanks for all the all the good plans you have for the hotel.

We appreciate it.

Thank you, everyone.

Thank you.

Motion to close the floor.

Motion to close the floor made by Elder uh Hutchison, seconded by who is that Elder Delee.

All in favor say aye.

Aye.

Pose.

You guys have it, floor is closed.

Because we didn't vote the first time.

Um, so entertain a motion.

Motion to approve.

Motion to approve maybe Elder Prophet, seconded by Alder Delee.

Discussion.

Uh Alder Grant.

Thank you, Mayor.

Uh, just some questions for attorney co chart again.

If there's anything you can't say, just let me know.

Um, can you kind of just cover proposed sale price of what you can or can't disclose of the data, what we can know?

Sure.

So uh a couple of things.

Um, just for I guess just a little bit of background.

The city has um guaranteed a loan uh that was issued.

It's a federal loan uh that was paid out to uh the original or previous owner of the property in 2015.

That amount we have a reserve account.

The reserve account is 550,000.

That money is uh controlled by the city.

We have that uh 4.2 million of that uh 500 approximately uh of the 4 billion 700,000 loan was distributed, 2.6 million is owed to the city.

There was a request to release our loan from the sellers and the lender in this property through a couple of events.

There was a receivership, there's a prioritization of uh the mortgage holders, lenders in this situation.

The city is in fourth position behind certainly the primary lender estate loan and others.

Those loans total uh that total far exceeds the purchase price of this property.

So um this sale is going through as a deed in lieu of foreclosure.

Um, and in the event of a foreclosure, if we don't approve this, the city would likely not receive any of its uh loan funds back because we are a subordinate lender.

Perfect, thank you.

And are there any binding protections that will preserve the continued hotel operations?

Um, other than what the seller has provided, and that they're paying what I what I think could be viewed as a market uh you know, market rate or their sale proceeds are for the property to continue operation, the city doesn't have any additional guarantees.

Okay, thanks.

And whether this um whether the city releases become effective only after the sale closes and payment is received.

Yes, uh this payment is being made as part of the sale.

So if the sale doesn't go through, the city isn't going to receive this fund, uh these the million dollars that's uh they proposed.

It would all happen as part of a closing through an ESCO process.

Okay, and then last one, what all what alternatives, including foreclosure, receivership, restructuring, or further negotiations uh were on the table.

Uh well the property has already been in receivership at some point previously.

Uh Octagon Partners is the lender and has assured us in writing the their intention to foreclose uh if the sale doesn't proceed, and again, as I mentioned, this is a deed in a lieu of foreclosure.

Um and we uh were originally asked to release uh to release our um lien on this property without payment.

So the payment of the million dollars was offered last week, and I believe the closure is imminent, forthcoming in the next uh week or two.

Okay, thank you.

Any other questions?

Elder Prophet.

Yeah, I just again like to reiterate.

I know I mentioned it before we went into closed session, but none of us were here back in 2015 on this body when some of these decisions were made, and certainly this um administration wasn't um as part of this deal.

I'm glad that we don't make deals like this going forward.

I don't like how it was funded personally, um, but we are looking at either zero or the million with part of that purchase price.

So I'm comfortable with that, but I do just want to extend my gratitude to um a city attorney who's worked on it, um, our current administration who's worked extensively on it to secure that one million because I I don't I don't know that I have the confidence that that would have been secured without their hard work on this.

So I just want to extend my gratitude to them for that.

Thanks, Alder.

Anything else from council?

Elder Eck.

Thank you, Mayor.

And I I don't know if um he is still on, but I wanted to offer congratulations on the upcoming baby.

Forgot to say that.

Yes, seconded.

Thank you so much.

You're both on the yeah.

Anything else?

All right, uh, we have a motion and a second.

All in favor will say aye.

Aye, oppose nay.

The ayes have it, and that item has been approved onto resolutions.

Motion to suspend the rules.

Motion to suspend the rules, take up these items with one roll call vote.

Um that was made by Alder Prophet, seconded by Elder Delee.

Any discussion?

Seeing none, all in favor say aye.

Aye.

Oppose nay.

The ayes have it, the rules are suspended.

Motion to adopt motion to adopt, maybe Alder Presley.

Second, seconded by Elder Profit.

Uh any comments.

If not, we will use the board.

All right.

Uh those are approved unanimously.

Ordinances for first reading.

Motion to suspend the rules.

Motion to suspend the rules, take up these items with one roll call vote made by Alder Prophet.

Second by Elder Hinkfis.

All in favor will say aye.

Aye.

Pose nay.

The ayes have it.

The rules are suspended.

Motion to advance.

Motion to advance, made by elder profit.

Seconded by Alder Delee.

Any discussion?

Seeing none.

All in favor say aye.

Aye.

Pose nay.

The ayes have it.

And these ordinances are advanced to second final reading.

Adjournment.

Motion to adjourn made by Alderek.

Seconded by Elder Ritterbush.

All in favor say aye.

Aye.

Pose nay.

The ayes have it.

Or adjourned.

Thanks, everybody.