Municipal Services Committee Approves Commercial Variance Process Services Contract With E-Plan Exam, Approves Kaleidoscope Academy Street Vacation, Receives June 2023 Bird E-Scooter Report

The Municipal Services Committee met 07/10/2023. The meeting was brief, lasting just over 6 minutes.

I have prepared a complete transcript of the meeting for download:

The committee approved a contract amendment with E-Plan Exam, the company that manages most of Appleton’s commercial plan reviews, that would allow commercial developers to use E-Plan Exam to process code variance requests rather than the state. Currently, if a developer seeking a variance goes straight to the state, there is a wait time of 4-6 months, so this option would allow them to pay $2,000 to E-Plan Exam so that E-Plan could review the request and render judgement rather than the state. E-Plan was able to do that in a timelier manner than the state. [I didn’t understand why a private company had the authority to grant variances, and that question wasn’t asked at the committee meeting, but if I’m being honest, I’m not sure this item is something I care much about.]

The committee also approved a request to finalize a street vacation near Kaleidoscope Academy ahead of expansion work at the school. Per Director of the Public Works Danielle Block, the section of E Circle Street near Kaleidoscope was never actually vacated. The process was initiated a couple of times, first in 1971 and then again in 1997, but the process was never completed, although that section of street had not been used for public street purposes in over 50 years.

Alderperson Vered Meltzer (District 2) commented that it looked like it was covered with a building, to which Director Block responded, “It is.”

There was laughter all around, and the committee approved the street vacation request unanimously.

Finally, as an information item, the committee received the June 2023 Bird E-Scooter report. Director Block told the committee that she had separated out Reported Incidents/Injuries into its own line separate from Reported Issues/Complaints, so that they could see the difference between situations that involved injuries and things that involved bad parking or mechanical issues.

Alderperson Kristin Alfheim (District 11) mentioned that she had ridden a Bird for the first time a few weeks ago and, for the first time, had experienced how fast 18-mph actually was. She wondered if they could investigate whether there was the ability to possibly slow down the maximum speed after 9PM in light of the association of accidents with alcohol consumption. Alderperson Meltzer appreciated that thought and thought being able to do that would give the city another tool in the box as far as how they could potentially address some of the safety issues.

Director Block said she could follow up with the committee about that.

View full meeting details and video here: https://cityofappleton.legistar.com/MeetingDetail.aspx?ID=1111595&GUID=15D02ABB-437A-45CF-B21E-CE4EF25FC132