Appleton's 13th District Blog - Alderman Kyle Lobner

Monday, April 5, 2021

Appleton Common Council Update for Week of April 5

Before I start today, one final reminder that the 2021 spring elections are this Tuesday, April 6. If you live in the 13th district, your polling location is Celebration Ministry Center (Faith Lutheran Church) at 3100 E Evergreen Drive. If you're not sure if you live in the 13th district (or unsure where to vote in general), follow this link to find your polling place.

I am on the ballot this week seeking a fifth term on the Common Council. I'm proud of the work I've done in this role and I humbly ask for your consideration to remain for another two years. Last week I shared my responses to five questionnaires I've received this spring, which have a lot more on what I've accomplished and my thoughts on issues facing the city.

In the meantime, however, it's a normal council week with a meeting scheduled on Wednesday. Two items of interest on the agenda are things we've discussed before:

Broadway Hills Estates Rezoning

As noted in previous updates, this week the council is expected to act on a City Plan Commission recommendation to approve a rezoning of property recently annexed into the city near the intersection of French Road and Broadway Drive. The property was annexed into the city under temporary agricultural zoning (which is normal), and the request is to re-zone it to R-1B (single family, detached homes on medium sized lots).

Along with that rezoning, council will also be asked to approve a preliminary plat for the new subdivision. A map of the plat can be seen via the attachment at this link. It includes six single family lots along a new cul de sac, with slightly more than eight acres at the end of the street left unplatted at this time.

Carryover Budget Requests

Two weeks ago the Finance Committee voted unanimously to recommend approval of two sets of carryover requests from the 2020 budget for projects to be completed in 2021. I have details on this process in my March 22 update.

While a longstanding city policy requires that most of our unspent budget dollars go to debt reduction (a process which directly reduces property taxes), this year's carryover requests include about $7 million in projects that were delayed in 2020, $2 million in routine carryover of contingency fund balances and $500,000 in requests for "special consideration," where the savings from a project that came in under budget are being requested for another project.

The ongoing pandemic makes it increasingly difficult for us to safely allow large groups to participate in our governmental meetings, making it all the more valuable to have the tools for residents to contact alderpersons online and view our meetings remotely. If you have thoughts on these or any other action items on our agendas this week I would encourage you to use those links to remain engaged and active in the safest way possible.

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.

Wednesday, March 31, 2021

Appleton Common Council Off Week Update

It's a quiet week for the Appleton Common Council: Our meeting schedule calls for full council meetings on the weeks of the first and third Wednesday of each month and committee meetings on the weeks of the second and fourth. This year March has five Wednesdays, so there's a one-week gap in the schedule.

While there aren't any meetings this week, city work continues as usual leading up to next week's spring elections. Early voting remains open in the City Clerk's Office downtown until Friday at noon, and the polls will be open from 7 am-8 pm on Tuesday, April 6. If you live in the 13th district, your polling location is Celebration Ministry Center (Faith Lutheran Church) at 3100 E Evergreen Drive. If you're not sure if you live in the 13th district (or unsure where to vote in general), follow this link to find your polling place.

It's been an unusual buildup to the spring elections. Normally at this time I'd be going door-to-door talking to voters and asking for their support but, out of respect for your health and mine, I'm not doing that this year. One of the things I have done, however, is fill out a lot of candidate questionnaires. This year I've received more of those than ever before and, in the interest of full disclosure, today I'm sharing my responses to five of them. Collectively, they represent more than 7600 words on issues of interest to individuals and groups in our community. They're posted below in the order I received them:

Wisconsin Conservation Voters (endorsement received March 11)
Fox Valley Area Labor Council AFL-CIO (endorsement received February 27)
Appleton Post Crescent
Realtors Association of Northeast Wisconsin
League of Women Voters

I'll have a normal council update again next week. In the meantime, please have a safe, happy and healthy holiday week and spring break.

Monday, March 22, 2021

Appleton Common Council Update for Week of March 22

The Appleton Common Council has a full slate of committee meetings on the schedule this week, our last committee week before the spring elections on April 6. Here are some of the highlights:

Finance Committee, Monday, 5:30 pm

The process of closing out the 2020 budget continues this week as we look at carryover requests for projects that were budgeted but not completed during the 2020 calendar year. As you might expect, the unique nature of 2020 made it difficult to complete many of our planned projects and caused others to be moved back a bit in priority.

This week the committee will be asked to recommend approval of two groups of projects. The first is over $9 million in projects budgeted but not yet under contract. This number includes over $2 million of routine carryover of contingency fund balances, but also an array of projects that were delayed in 2020, often due to the pandemic, but still necessary and anticipated to be completed in 2021.

The second group is referred to as "special consideration," and contains $500,000 in requests for new or expanded projects with savings from items that came in under budget in 2020. These projects are:

$267,102 towards construction of the David and Rita Nelson River Crossing, a previously-discussed new pedestrian crossing on the Fox River.
$223,519 in projects for the Water Utility, largely funded by projects that came in below budget for the Water Utility in 2020.
$9580 for a total of three small projects at the Police Department.

Per usual, the city's internal policy requires that the majority of all unspent budget dollars from the previous year go into debt reduction, which helps keep our municipal debt low and directly reduces the need for future property tax dollars for debt service. These expenditures are above and beyond that requirement.

Landfill Expansion

Finally, I wanted to take a moment to give an update on information I've received related to the process of expansion for the Outagamie County Landfill. The Wisconsin DNR has opened a public comment period for anyone wishing to share concerns about this project. The full public notice about the project, which includes a highlighting of the items specifically open to public comment can be seen at this link (look for "Outagamie" on the list). Concerns or public comment should be sent to Beth Perk with the DNR at Beth.perk@Wisconsin.gov.

The DNR has also scheduled a virtual public hearing on this item for Monday, April 5 at 11 am. Per a notice from the DNR:

Participants can join the hearing online: https://meet.wisconsin.gov/beth.perk/4PD76HN5
Participants can join the hearing via telephone: Call (608) 316-9000 Enter 88744694 followed by #

Additionally, as I've noted previously, the landfill falls under the jurisdiction of Outagamie County, so decisions about this project are being made at the county level, not the city. I've previously advised concerned constituents to forward their concerns to their county supervisor:

For residents of the 13th district who live east of Ballard Road, your county supervisor is Joy Hagen and her email is joy.hagen@outagamie.org
For residents of the 13th district who live west of Ballard Road, your county supervisor is Kelly Schroeder and her email is kelly.schroeder@outagamie.org

All other county supervisors and district maps can be found at this link.

As I've noted previously, the city has appointed City Attorney Chris Behrens to represent us in any negotiations between the city and county related to the landfill expansion. I've previously received some questions (and "questions") about why I'm referring people to their county supervisors instead of sending them to our city negotiator. The reason is simple: If it's your goal to change the process of landfill expansion, the best course of action is to talk to your representatives who will actually make that decision. I'm happy to help you navigate that system, but this item is outside of the city's jurisdiction.

The ongoing pandemic makes it increasingly difficult for us to safely allow large groups to participate in our governmental meetings, making it all the more valuable to have the tools for residents to contact alderpersons online and view our meetings remotely. If you have thoughts on these or any other action items on our agendas this week I would encourage you to use those links to remain engaged and active in the safest way possible.

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.

Tuesday, March 16, 2021

Appleton Common Council Update for Week of March 15

The Appleton Common Council will hold its regularly scheduled full council meeting on Wednesday and, while I anticipate some spirited discussion, most of the items of interest on the agenda were already covered in some depth in last week's update. Here's the latest:

Last week the Finance Committee voted 5-0 to recommend approval of a contract for Skidmore, Owings and Merrill for design and engineering services for the Appleton Public Library project. This vote followed a pretty thorough discussion which can be seen at this link and covered the questions I've received about this topic. This week the same item will appear on the Library Board agenda on Tuesday and the council agenda on Wednesday night for final approval.
Last week the Community and Economic Development Committee also voted 5-0 to recommend approval of a development agreement for a new project on what's commonly referred to as the "Park Central" property at 318 W College Ave. The agreement was passed unamended and still calls for the city to contribute the lesser of either $1,309,140 or 18% of the tax increment value, which will not be paid until after the project is constructed and generating tax revenue.

Finally, while it won't be appearing on this week's council agenda, a rezoning request for an addition to the Broadway Hills Estates subdivision passed unanimously at the City Plan Commission last week. This will come before council at a future meeting due to the longer timetable required for public notice of planned zoning changes.

Monday, March 8, 2021

Appleton Common Council Update for Week of March 8

Before I start with this week's update, a quick note on the spring elections. This year Election Day is on April 6 and I'm seeking re-election for a fifth term on the Appleton Common Council. I have a contested race again this time, and you can hear from both my opponent and I on Tuesday night when the League of Women Voters hosts a candidate forum.

You can visit the League's Facebook page for more information or visit LWVAppleton.org to register for the event and submit questions. The event will be streamed live and archived via Facebook Live. As always, I'm grateful to the League for this opportunity to speak to voters about my qualifications and the spring election's ramifications for the future of our community.

In addition to that, it's also a pretty busy committee week for the Appleton Common Council. The top headline will be a discussion 12 years in the making:

Finance Committee, Monday, 5:30 pm

As I noted in my last two updates, this week the Finance Committee will be asked to make a recommendation on a review committee selection for an architect for a new or renovated Appleton Public Library.

Funding to start a new library process was included in the city's 2021 budget and is projected to continue over the next two years. A Request for Proposals (RFP) was sent out in December and drew eleven responses, which were in turn reviewed by an eleven-member committee comprised of city department directors and deputy directors and representatives from Friends of the Appleton Public Library, the Library Board, Common Council and the Mayor. That group voted unanimously to recommend Skidmore, Owings and Merrill receive the contract.

In a memo to the Finance Committee, Facilities Management Director Dean Gazza wrote, "Specifically, SOM demonstrated an understanding and approach to the project that illustrated their depth of experience, knowledge in library design and construction, listening skills and importance of garnering meaningful public input and building trust throughout the process. In addition, they have significant experience in building re-use, equity and inclusion, sustainability, technology, operational efficiency, and many important key factors necessary for a successful library."

The value of this contract is just over $2.7 million, with five percent in design contingency for a total not to exceed $2,857,459. This is more than the $2.4 million the city had budgeted for library work in 2021, but this expenditure includes construction administration services that aren't expected to be completed until the city enters its construction phase in 2022. As such, this project is not "over budget," but simply reflects a decision to incorporate some of next year's anticipated work into this contract. This is not unusual: Back in February the Common Council also voted to reconfigure a utilities project to move an item from a later phase into the current phase for the purpose of efficiency.

This item is also expected to appear on the Library Board's agenda next week, and assuming the Finance Committee makes a recommendation today it will also appear on next week's council agenda.

City Plan Commission, Tuesday, 4 pm

The process of adding a new addition to the Broadway Hills Estates subdivision continues this week as the Plan Commission will be asked to make a recommendation on rezoning a parcel of about 16 acres near the intersection of Broadway Drive and French Road. This parcel was annexed into the city last week.

The request on the table is for the parcel to be zoned "R1B," which is single family residential and matches the zoning of the subdivision it's attached to. I don't anticipate this being controversial. Assuming the item passes at the Plan Commission, it will come before the Common Council at a later date.

Community and Economic Development, Wednesday, 4:30 pm

This week the CED Committee will be asked to make a recommendation on a proposed development agreement for a major vacant property downtown. Developers are proposing a major project on the site at 318 W. College Avenue long referred to as "the Park Central property." Their proposal calls for the development of a "state-of-the-art, 75,000 square foot building with over 16,500 square feet of Class A commercial space," in addition to 39 apartments.

This property is included in Tax Increment Financing District #11, and the development agreement calls for a financial commitment from that TIF. The city's contribution would be the lesser of either $1,309,140 or 18% of the tax increment value, which is the amount of new tax revenue generated by this project. Incentives will not be paid until after the project is completed and will be paid out of the new tax revenues generated by this project, so the project will have no impact on the general fund or property taxes.

I've long been a proponent of "pay as you go" TIF projects, which allow the city to properly incentivize desirable development without taking on unnecessary risk or impacting our property taxes. This agreement is similar, for example, to our existing agreement with the organization redeveloping the Zuelke Building. I'm looking forward to seeing Park Central transformed from a long vacant space to a vibrant new addition to our downtown. If approved by the committee, this item will go to council next week.

Monday, March 1, 2021

Appleton Common Council Update for the Week of March 1

The Appleton Common Council has our regularly scheduled full council meeting on Wednesday and the agenda is relatively brief, but includes a pair of items we discussed in last week's update:

"No Mow May"

Last week the Municipal Services Committee voted 5-0 to recommend approval of a request to extend 2020's "No Mow May" ordinance waiver into 2021. The request is intended to allow voluntary participation in efforts to improve conditions for pollenators in our community during what is otherwise a difficult time of year for them to feed and find habitat. Participation is optional but, as noted in a peer-reviewed study on the results, 435 property owners registered to participate in 2020 (registration was optional).

The committee did make an amendment to the request: In 2020 participants were granted a seven-day "grace period" to get their lawns back into compliance with city ordinances following the end of May. This year the committee voted unanimously to remove that period, so everyone's lawns will be required to be brought back into compliance by June 1.

I'm hopeful that shortening the grace period will help ease the concerns of some who have voiced objections to this program. As I noted last week, I think allowing this was harmless for both the city and our residents, in addition to the potential benefit created for pollenators and the environment as a whole. I don't intend to participate in No Mow May (I receive enough uninvited feedback about my lawn as it is), but I do intend to support this proposal.

North side annexation

Last week the City Plan Commission voted unanimously to recommend approval of the annexation of about 16.6 acres north of the intersection of French Road and Broadway Drive, which is expected to become a new addition to the subdivision in the same general area approved in 2020. This week council will have the opportunity to make a final decision on that annexation, and I expect it to be approved.

The next step in the process of developing this space will be getting approval for a zoning change from Temporary Agricultural to R1B, which is single family residential. That item is scheduled to come before the Plan Commission on March 9.

Finally, here are updates on two items discussed last week that will not appear on this week's council agenda:

The Finance Committee voted unanimously to hold a resolution calling for the city to engage in a brand study until June. With the hold, the hope is to take this item up again when we have a better idea of the city's financial situation (this item was not included in the 2021 budget, so proceeding with it would require finding money in the budget elsewhere) and an estimate of the implementation costs.
Last week the Library Board received an informational update on the process of selecting an architect for the proposed renovation or reconstruction of the Appleton Public Library. That item is still expected to appear before the Finance Committee on March 8.

Monday, February 22, 2021

Appleton Common Council Update for the Week of February 22

It's a busy committee week for the Appleton Common Council, with highlights including the following:

Municipal Services Committee, Monday, 4:30 pm

Last spring, during what seems like a very long ago and much simpler time, the Municipal Services Committee and Common Council held extended discussions on the possibility of a one-year trial for "No Mow May," a temporary waiver of the city's ordinances related to lawn length intended to allow voluntary participation in efforts to improve conditions for pollenators in our community during what is otherwise a difficult time of year for them to feed and find habitat.

After extensive debate on multiple occasions the city eventually implemented "No Mow May" for 2020 and this week the Municipal Services Committee will be asked to consider extending it to 2021.

Despite a lot of concerns voiced at the time, I'm not aware of any cases where allowing longer lawns last May created any major (or even minor) issues. For the most part, I think allowing this was harmless for both the city and our residents, in addition to the potential benefit created for pollenators and the environment as a whole.

Given 2020's success as precedent, I'm inclined to support allowing No Mow May to happen again in 2021.

Finance Committee, Monday, 5:30 pm

This week the Finance Committee will pick back up on a longstanding discussion regarding a possible brand study for the City of Appleton. Following his final council meeting last April Alderman Chris Croatt filed a resolution calling for the city to undertake a study that "should include logo redesign, development of a graphic standards manual for the entire organization, further definition of mission, value proposition, key marketing strategies, and a detailed recommendation of brand-strengthening activities that can be planned and budgeted for."

At that time the Finance Committee referred the item to staff with the intent that it be considered as part of discussion on the 2021 budget. Last fall during budget discussions Mayor Woodford asked for more time to prepare for this discussion, and in January he sent a first draft of a Request for Proposals (RFP) on this topic to members of the Finance Committee. This week that RFP is on our agenda.

Research done by staff shows three important details:

First, the city's current logo is now 27 years old, having been commissioned by then-Mayor Richard De Broux in conjunction with City Hall moving to its current location in the City Center in 1994.
Across the city use of the logo is inconsistent, including varying color palettes and design elements, creating occasional confusion about the legitimacy of city documents.
On average, a brand study including brand discovery, development and launch plan, tagline development, logo development and corporate identity and account planning is projected to cost around $73,000.

That $73,000 does not include what is likely to be the largest expenditure related to any branding shift: Finding and replacing all uses of the city's current branding. Among other places, the city's current logo and branding appear on our website, signage, vehicle wraps, apparel, letterhead and business cards.

While I recognize the desire to keep the city's image updated and appealing, tonight it's my intention to ask for this item to be held until, at a bare minimum, we have an estimate of the costs required to implement the recommendations of a study. Ideally, just as I said last year, I'd like an expenditure like this to be considered as part of our annual budget process so it can be viewed and prioritized among other needs and potential projects.

Library Board of Trustees, Tuesday, 1 pm

This week's Library Board agenda includes an informational item updating members on the recently-issued Request for Proposals related to the renovation or on-site reconstruction of the Appleton Public Library. The RFP was issued in December with a deadline of February 4 and received eleven responses. Those responses are currently being evaluated by a review committee comprised of city staff, representatives of the Library Board, Friends of the Appleton Public Library and a member of the Common Council (Alderman Bill Siebers, who is council's representative on the Library Board).

After their evaluation process a finalist is expected to be presented to the Finance Committee on March 8 and the first opportunity for the Library Board and Council to weigh in on their possible approval will be on March 16 and 17, respectively.

The RFP proposal is just to select an architect for the project, and any selected architect will be expected to prioritize and incorporate public input in the design process moving forward. This item is only being presented as information this week, and no formal action will be taken. The next votes on this project will not happen until, at the earliest, the aforementioned Finance Committee meeting on March 8.

City Plan Commission, Tuesday, 4 pm

On Tuesday the City Plan Commission will be asked to make a recommendation on a request to approve another property annexation on the city's northeast corner.

The property involved is between 16 and 17 acres near the intersection of French Road and Broadway Drive, and is immediately to the north of another property annexed into the city in 2020 for single-family development. The subject property is currently in the Town of Freedom, but water and sewer lines already exist to serve it along French Road.

The new annexation is proposed as an addition to the existing subdivision to the south. We don't have a proposed plat for development of this property yet (that process comes later), but the property to the south is composed of 14 single family lots on approximately 39.5 acres. If they opt for a similar lot size for this new addition, there's room for about six single family lots on this new parcel.