Before I get to the update today, I wanted to take a moment to thank everyone who supported me in seeking a fourth term on the Appleton Common Council. I'm honored to have the opportunity to continue representing District 13, and to have received nearly 200 votes more than I did in my last contested race.
This is something of a transitional week for the Appleton Common Council: Our new alderpersons will be sworn in and a new council year will start next week, but this week the old council's committees meet one last time. Six of this week's eleven meetings have been cancelled, but here are some of the highlights from the meetings that will happen:
Municipal Services, Monday, 4:30 pm
City Plan Commission, Tuesday, 4:00 pm
Last week's council agenda included a pair of items related to the city's plan to vacate a small portion of Kimball St, a small street south of Lawrence Street on the "Bluff Site," as part of the redevelopment of that area with the new construction of Oneida Street and the construction of the US Venture building. The portions of the street to be vacated are all west of the intersection of Kimball and Allen Streets.
Council has since been made aware of the historical significance of the Kimball name and asked to do something to ensure it is preserved, leading to the items being referred back to their respective committees. This week I anticipate the Municipal Services Committee will hear more about options to preserve the history of the Kimball name.
The Municipal Services Committee will also be asked to make a recommendation on a minor parking change along Ashbury Drive near North High School. Last year staff received a complaint that parking during school days along Ashbury near Mya Drive had gotten out of hand and was starting to limit visibility at that intersection. Staff initiated a six month trial of parking restrictions in that area and received no complaints, so they're recommending the changes become permanent.
The changes would create a "No Parking" zone from 7:30 am to 4:30 pm on school days along the south side of Ashbury over a 170-foot stretch surrounding the intersection of Ashbury and Mya.
Finally, the Municipal Services Committee is also expected to receive an update on the implementation of the Railroad Quiet Zone. I don't have any further information on this topic at this time but would encourage anyone interested in that process to watch the video of the meeting once it's posted to learn more about what's going on.
Board of Health, Wednesday, 7 am
The Board of Health will meet on Wednesday to take up two items I'll be watching.
The first is one we've discussed before: Last month the Board voted to recommend approval of a resolution calling for the city to add e-cigarettes to its smoking ordinance, banning their use inside businesses and other public buildings. After much public input and discussion, in March Council approved the resolution with an amendment that was intended to make an exemption for vape shops that allow customers to sample products within their place of business.
That item was approved as amended, but an issue later came up with the amendment language that would have left a loophole for any business that checks ID at the door and only allows adults inside to allow sampling of e-cigarettes. Given that issue, the item was brought up for reconsideration at council on Wednesday and eventually referred back to committee.
Finally, the Board of Health will also be asked to consider a request for a noise variance for Fox River House for their 2019 outdoor music schedule. These requests have been controversial in the past as FRH is located within the city's Central Business District but on the edge of a residential neighborhood, creating some conflict between the two neighboring uses.
In the interest of compromise, Fox River House's variance request has gotten smaller every year I've been on council and this year is down to just 17 weekends, Fridays and Saturdays only, with many of the Saturday shows to be scheduled in the afternoon. I hope the Board and Council will recognize the volume to which FRH has already scaled back their outdoor music and approve this variance without asking for further concessions.
You can see all of this week's meeting agendas and the full schedule at the city's Legistar page.
Keeping you informed on issues that may impact you around the city is one of my primary goals as an alderman. Good governance happens in the open, and I remain committed to raising awareness on the issues coming before us.
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