Green Bay · issues
Civic issues
Topics getting the most attention in Green Bay public meetings, ranked by how frequently they come up.
East River Optimist Park playground funding
A $50,000 Optimist Club donation and a $45,772 Gametime grant will fund a new playground at East River Optimist Park — coming at no cost to city taxpayers.
Bay Beach Amusement Park Shoreline Walk
The wildlife viewing platform bid came in over $5 million — far beyond the $1.4 million set aside — so the EPA approved redirecting the full $2.4 million grant to a shoreline trail nearly four times longer, opening public access behind the rides. The platform survives only if bigger grants or a much smaller design emerge.
Danz Park futsal court
A worn-out tennis court at Danz Park will become a double mini-pitch futsal court — a fast, soccer-style game played on a hard court. The school district next door is excited, and the court can also host basketball and floor hockey.
Bay Beach train ride restoration
The train ride behind the pavilion was shut down all year because its wooden track supports rotted. New steel and lumber are on order, and a Friends of Bay Beach donation worth about $30,000 will pay for the grading work needed to install the new tracks.
Miniature train track replacement
The miniature train has been closed all season because rotted wood left the rails unsupported. New steel, wood and gravel base should get it running by next season.
Green Bay Conservation Corps AmeriCorps grant
GBCC needs volunteers September 12 at John Muir Park to remove buckthorn and make biochar for tree planting, and is hiring paid Fall 2026 AmeriCorps crew members to improve parks and greenways.
Rotating Arts Program sculpture selection
The city is adding four new bases to its Rotating Arts Program, and the commission picked which sculptures will fill them for a two-year run. Each artist gets a $4,000 stipend funded through ARPA and city art funds, and the pick heads to the Common Council on October 6 with installs expected by November.
Arts and health programming by SAGE
SAGE got about $1,250 in extra grant money for its Open Studio program and created a zine explaining how art activities support mental well-being. It also landed over $45,000 to pilot formal training for three Green Bay artists in arts and health, and is launching a countywide arts-and-health coalition on October 15.
Rotating sculpture program expansion and new public art installations
Wisconsin Watch's Joe Timmerman is organizing a photographic installation of Green Bay residents at St. James Park on June 6, with music and community conversation.
Bay Beach shoreline trail grant reallocation
EPA grant money originally earmarked for a wildlife viewing platform now goes fully to the shoreline trail at Bay Beach.
JBS Park sculpture purchase
A $90,000 lit seed-pod sculpture — part of the original publicly vetted JBS park design — will be purchased using developer art money and neighborhood enhancement funds rather than general tax dollars.
Shipyard Park Phase II funding
The Council moved $1 million from TID 12 to TID 22 to match a $1 million National Parks Service grant for Shipyard Park Phase II.
Path for Pause project at Harvey St. Park
The commission selected artists for a labyrinth mural and interactive sculptures at Harvey St. Park/Olde North Crossing, aimed at wellness and residents over 50. Discussion touched on AI-generated art in portfolios and how to handle the bench component.
Bay Beach debt early payoff
A $1.5M donation plus park funds will retire the $5M shoreline bond 12 years early, but the city pledges no new Bay Beach borrowing through April 2028. Future ride fixes come from savings, grants and donations.
Beaver Dam Park renaming
Neighbors want the park renamed General Douglas MacArthur Park after the adjacent closed school; residents say they already call it MacArthur Park and have no attachment to the Beaver Dam name.
Summer Parkee food insecurity
A $25,000 Rosen Family Foundation grant will fund snacks and discreet weekend meals for kids at Parkee sites, where the district lunch may be a child's only meal of the day.
Porlier Pier removal
The long-delayed removal of the rotting, unsafe Porlier fishing pier finally got a contractor — $242,660.90 to Zenith Tech — with no replacement currently funded.
Badger Park Masterplan
The council officially adopted the Badger Park Masterplan, guiding future park investments.
Badger Greenway site improvements contract
Northeast Asphalt, Inc. will build the Badger Greenway site improvements for $374,000.40, including the base bid and Alternate No. 2.
Badger Tracks neighborhood sign at Fireman's Park
A newly formed neighborhood association wants to place its sign on city-owned green space next to Fireman's Park. The association pays for and maintains the sign; city staff will pick the exact spot to protect mature trees and keep sightlines clear for drivers.
Pine Street Plaza Vibrant Spaces grant
The city is applying for a Vibrant Spaces grant to build out the Pine Street Plaza project.
Heated equipment storage garage at the Park Shop
The uncovered salt and sand bunker at the Westside Garage posed safety hazards and now violates state rules requiring covered storage. A permanent fabric structure will fix it.
New CityDeck programming and downtown parking meters
A new "Rack on Deck" series starts Monday at CityDeck with partners like the YMCA, Boys & Girls Club, and Mischief & Magic running roughly two nights a week. Officials also got an update on the paid parking lot compliance — improved signage is working, with a revenue/ticket report expected in a week or two.
Lifeguard shortage at city pools
Pools open this weekend but the city is about 14 lifeguards short of its goal across three pools. Amenities might have to rotate closures daily; another training session is planned.
Rosen Family Foundation grant for Summer Parkee Program
Bay Beach Amusement Park opens this weekend with the new train ride debuting; the department is still hunting about 25 lifeguards for the pools.
Flags on the Fox public art initiative
The Path for Pause art project RFQ and the amended Arts Grant RFP were approved, moving public art and arts funding programs forward.
Ted Fritsch Park splash pad
The splash pad at Ted Fritsch Park moved closer to reality with a $444,080 construction award.
Wildlife Sanctuary birds of prey improvements
A $348,176 contract will upgrade the birds of prey site at the Wildlife Sanctuary.
Fox River plein air painting event
A collaborative plein air event along the Fox River — led by De Pere artist Christine Steil with NWTC and the Neville Museum — is being planned for September, with possible PAC prize funds later.
$20,000 NEA arts grant program
Commissioners discussed backlash on Nextdoor about public art spending and proposed an ArtFest booth and funding toolkit so members can explain why arts funds are earmarked and can't just be diverted to potholes.
Path for Pause meditation labyrinth at Olde North Crossing Park
A $15,000 AARP Community Challenge grant will fund a meditation labyrinth with artistic stepping stones, accessible seating, and low-impact exercise equipment at Olde North Crossing Park. Up to ten local artists will be commissioned with a $5,000 budget, with installation targeted for October 2026.
Food forest harvesting ordinance amendments
The city is drafting changes to Sec. 28-3 of the municipal code to let residents harvest fruit and nuts from trees and shrubs on city park property. The language goes through the Law Department next, then back to this commission for a recommendation to the Parks Committee and City Council.
Senior accessibility and transportation
Commissioners discussed senior accessibility in parks and public spaces, noting that lack of transportation keeps seniors isolated and inactive, harming both mental and physical health. Public transit expansion was flagged as underfunded and underused.
Joannes Sk8 Park renovations
The 25-year-old skatepark has elements that are hard or unsafe for most skaters. A $250,000 concept plan would remove problematic features and add friendlier ramps and rails, funded through a future bond request.
Arnie Wolff Sports Complex improvements
The Green Bay Strikers soccer group can now officially fundraise for fencing, a shelter, entrance plaza work, and a playground at the soccer complex. Staff will build projects one at a time as money comes in.
Kids' Day Karnival 2026
Kids' Day and the Kiddie Karnival are being combined into one event at Bay Beach on July 30, backed by a $20,000 Children's Hospital sponsorship covering free rides, games, and entertainment.
Triangle Sports Area tubing hill safety regrade
The tubing hill gets too icy and closes often. Engineers will design a longer runout at the bottom using fill dirt, so the hill stays open more days and tubers stop safely.
Fruit and nut harvesting in city parks
Parks staff will work with the Sustainability Commission on code changes allowing residents to harvest fruit and nuts from city park trees.
Neville Public Museum leadership and mission
A council-backed resolution pushing Brown County to reaffirm the museum's mission and hire a permanent director got tabled after public comment.
New Colburn Park shelter and concession stand
Colburn Park's aging shelter and concession stand will be replaced with one new consolidated building, plus a redesigned playground and site improvements off Fisk Street. The $123,000 design contract is the first step; construction funding is planned for 2027.
Colburn Park shelter/concession stand replacement
The aging shelter isn't ADA compliant and the concession stand sits dangerously close to ballfields with no running water. The city will demolish both and build one consolidated building with a new playground, pending council approval of the $123,000 design contract.
Bay Beach premier parking fee
A $7-per-day premier parking area is coming to Bay Beach Amusement Park this season.
Hello, Haiku! library poetry project
Haikus by nine poets, including Poet Laureate finalists, are installed in all Brown County Library branches for National Poetry Month, making poetry visible in public spaces.
Train depot naming rights
The anonymous donor who gave over $1 million for the west end train project will have the new depot named for them.
Joannes Aquatic Center pool heater replacement
Two original pool heaters were replaced before they could fail mid-season, keeping the pool open and warm for summer swimmers. The $104,868.50 cost comes from leftover bond money, not new taxes.
Leicht Park shelter contingency funding
Construction is underway and only about $45,000 of contingency remained, so the board pre-approved up to $500,000 in TIF 13 money to cover surprise change orders without stopping work.
Community dinner social practice project and NOMAD mobile residency
Early-stage ideas: a movable artist-designed table for community dinners tied to the Neville Museum's food exhibition, and a mobile artist residency space called NOMAD that would travel between neighborhoods, possibly in a donated vehicle.
City Galleries exhibition program restructuring
The old City Hall Gallery is being rebranded as City Galleries, with three rotating shows a year in the Mayor's Office and 6th floor hallway, $150 artist stipends, and a streamlined online application. Commissioners want the flexibility to expand to more City Hall floors and the Police Department lobby. Expansion funding details will come back for a future vote.
Make Music Day June 21
The commission is taking over Make Music Day from the Weidner Center, planning a small pilot with roughly five microgrants for park activations on June 21, which falls on Father's Day this year.
Bay Beach summer concert series
Noble Roots Brewing will run a summer concert series at Bay Beach on four Tuesday nights this summer, after a successful trial last year boosted concession and ticket revenue for the park.