Green Bay Common Council Meeting July 22, 2026: Quilt, Hotel Northland, Bill of Rights
Green Bay Common Council Meeting July 22, 2026
The Green Bay Common Council met on July 22, 2026, to address a wide range of topics including a municipal bill of rights, a comprehensive plan amendment, the release of financial obligations for Hotel Northland, and several committee reports. The meeting began with a presentation of the "We the People" quilt created for the nation's 250th anniversary, involving over 250 community participants. Key votes included passage of the municipal bill of rights (9-3), approval of a land use change, and acceptance of a $1 million payment related to Hotel Northland.
Consent Calendar
- Approved meeting minutes and agenda unanimously.
- Approved routine reports from the Redevelopment Authority, Improvement and Services Committee, and Protection and Policy Committee (with items 5 and 6 handled separately).
- Approved the Green Bay Police Department operator license report.
- Approved Finance Committee, Park Committee, and Sustainability Commission reports.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Municipal Bill of Rights (Resolution): Numerous residents spoke in favor, including Sarah Bashing, Harvey Kay (Professor Emeritus, UWGB), Amber Edwards (Equal Rights Commission), Mike Bill Zulpi (ICU nurse), Christy Kaiser, State Representative Amad Wagner, Tarl Knight (volunteer), and Octavia Simpson. They argued the resolution provides a guiding vision and reaffirms community values.
- One speaker (Mr. Campbell, a former alder) opposed the resolution, stating it was unnecessary and overreaching, and raised concerns about government promises without implementation plans. Another resident, Cynthia Narratz, questioned whether stakeholders had been adequately consulted.
Discussion Items
- Municipal Bill of Rights (Item 5, Protection & Policy): Alder Shelton introduced a resolution declaring 10 rights including clean water, affordable housing, living wages, and free elections. Supporters (Alders Shelton, Hutchison, Hinkfis, Presley, Delee) emphasized it as a vision statement and framework for future decisions. Opponents (Alder Morgan, Alder Ritterbush) argued it lacked measurable goals, implementation plans, and legal authority due to state preemptions. After extensive debate and public testimony, the resolution passed 9-3.
- Comprehensive Plan Amendment (Item 2, Plan Commission): A proposal to change the land use designation for properties near Roy Avenue from low-density residential to mixed residential. Alder Grant, representing the district, moved to deny, citing resident opposition and recent plan approval. The denial motion failed 5-7, and the amendment was approved.
- Duplicate Ballot Complaint Communication (Item 6, Protection & Policy): An amendment was offered to strike all but the first sentence of the communication, which directed staff to present a full report on WEC findings at the August 18 council meeting. The amendment passed 8-4, and the item was approved as amended.
- Personnel Committee Item 2 (Bereavement Leave): An amendment adding paid bereavement leave for pregnancy loss (miscarriage or stillbirth) was adopted, then the item was approved as amended.
- Personnel Committee Item 4: Tabled after procedural concerns about bypassing the committee process.
- Public Arts Commission: An amendment reduced the number of sculptures for the rotating arts program from 10 to 5 and directed staff to work with neighborhood associations on placement. Approved as amended.
- Hotel Northland (Committee of the Whole): The council entered closed session to discuss litigation strategy. After reconvening, the buyer, Blake Malica of Tertium Development, presented plans to renovate the hotel, including paving the parking lot for events, reopening the Walnut Room for dinner, and restoring the basement bowling alley. The council approved the release of the city's $2.6 million mortgage and termination of the development agreement in exchange for a $1 million payment from Octagon Credit Partners, subject to final legal approval. Alder Profit thanked city staff for securing the payment.
Key Outcomes
- Municipal Bill of Rights Resolution: Approved 9-3.
- Comprehensive Plan Amendment: Approved after denial motion failed 5-7.
- Duplicate Ballot Communication: Approved as amended (first sentence only) 8-4.
- Bereavement Leave Policy: Approved as amended (includes pregnancy loss provision).
- Hotel Northland Financial Release: Approved with $1 million payment to city.
- Sidewalk Builder License: Approved (item 1, Committee of the Whole).
- Ordinance on Responsible Bidder Threshold: Referred back to staff for statutory clarification.
- Ordinance Rezoning Roy Avenue Properties: Approved as amended.
- General Ordinance 26-?: Adopted.
- Resolutions: Adopted unanimously on a single roll call.
- First Reading Ordinances: Advanced to second reading.
Meeting Transcript
Order the meeting of our common council for Tuesday, July 21st, 2026. Clerk. 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. Pledge of allegiance. Thank you. We follow which it stands. One nation, under God, indivisible with liberties and justice for all. Alder Grant. 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 approved 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 the agenda. Motion to approved by Elder Presley, seconded by Elder Delee. Changes here amendments. Seeing 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 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 and 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 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.
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