Today the Appleton Common Council starts what will likely be our last full committee week of the year: I anticipate we'll likely cancel or postpone most of our scheduled meetings the week of Christmas before resuming a normal schedule with our January 6 full council meeting.
While I do not expect any of the items below to be controversial, there are a few discussions of interest happening this week:
Parks & Recreation, Monday, 6:30 pm
Tonight the Parks and Recreation Committee will be asked to recommend approval of some amendments to the city's Trails Master Plan in neighborhoods north of Highway JJ and between Ballard and French Roads.
The additions to the plan include new trail infrastructure to be constructed as development continues in this area in the years ahead. At present there is no specific timeframe for trail construction, as much of the work depends on the pace of development and the build-out of related infrastructure. You can see a map of the existing plan and proposed additions on the second attachment at this link.
Planning trails in advance of future development helps everyone involved avoid potential headaches later. Additionally, I'm pleased to see plans in this area include pedestrian and bicyling alternatives to using French Road, which is going to get increasingly busy as development continues in this area.
City Plan Commission, Tuesday, 4 pm
Speaking of continued development north of Highway JJ, this week the City Plan Commission will be asked to approve the final plats for two additions to the Emerald Valley subdivision northwest of the intersection of Highway JJ and French Road. This is the continuation of a process we've discussed previously: The commission approved rezoning and preliminary plats for these parcel at two separate meetings in October. Once complete, these new additions will add 50 single-family lots to that subdivision.
Community and Economic Development, Wednesday, 4:30 pm
Earlier this year the city received a special allocation of $348,255 in Community Development Block Grant funding as part of the federal "CARES Act" to respond to growing effects of the ongoing pandemic. This week the CED Committee will be asked to recommend approval of a change in the way those dollars are being reallocated.
The committee and council originally rewarded $78,386 from the total listed above to Habitat for Humanity but have since been informed that this was not an eligible use of CARES Act funding. As such, staff is proposing those dollars be reallocated to the city's Motel Voucher Program.
Homelessness has been a growing issue in our community for years but has reached a critical point during the pandemic as shelters have been forced to limit capacity for safety reasons. A shortage in shelter space is especially dangerous as it gets cold during the winter. Per a memo attached to this item, the Motel Voucher Program "is designed to ensure that individuals and families experiencing homelessness have a
safe, temporary place to stay until a more permanent housing solution is identified," and "also includes
a case management component, food, transportation, and connection to housing solutions."
These funds won't solve the underlying issues leading to growth of homelessness in our community, of course, but they will help us continue to keep people safe and warm through the winter months while we continue to work on long-term solutions.
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.
