Green Bay · issues
Civic issues
Topics getting the most attention in Green Bay public meetings, ranked by how frequently they come up.
Firefighter candidate retention
Great intern candidates are being lost because the fire department only hires once or twice a year. The Commission president asked HR to find a way to grab good candidates when they appear.
Patrol officer hiring
The Commission screened six Patrol Officer candidate backgrounds: two candidates withdrew, two were removed, and two advanced in the hiring process — part of ongoing police staffing efforts.
City Forester nuisance tree authority
The committee approved an ordinance change making fines for cutting down or damaging public trees clearer and potentially costlier — at least $500 per incident, up to the tree's appraised value. It also adds a public webpage notice so people know the rules before they act.
Fire Station 6 remodel
Design work is moving forward on Fire Station 6 upgrades — HVAC, windows, and a new SCBA (self-contained breathing apparatus) room — to keep firefighters' equipment and working conditions up to standard.
Sex offender residency appeals
The board decides where registered sex offenders may live in Green Bay. Three people asked to live at specific addresses; one was denied, two were approved.
Electric motorcycle fleeing and enforcement trends
Police report a jump in fleeing cases — about a third involve electric motorcycles, often ridden by young riders — plus two September fatal crashes and 13 serious-injury crashes in the third quarter.
Fire Department equipment purchases
Firefighters get 30 new thermal imaging cameras now, and the CIP discussion covered replacing aging fire hose (some 30-35 years old), med units, gas detectors with failing charging stations, and phasing in diesel particulate filters that cut station exhaust and cancer risk.
Operator's license appeal and application disclosures
A bartender's license denial over an undisclosed old felony got a unanimous recommendation of approval, with members noting a broader problem: people mistakenly think old convictions don't need to be disclosed, and the police are required to deny those applications.
Police and Fire Department staffing levels
The fire department is two people short of authorized strength and plans a spring recruit class for four openings. Police staffing stands at 175 sworn positions filled with 158 fully deployable, with seven retirements projected this year. Both departments are over their staffing budgets because of extra hiring efforts.
2025 Justice Assistance Grant acceptance
The city can accept $62,043 in federal JAG money to buy portable police radios at no local cost. But new federal conditions about sharing immigration info with DHS spooked some alders, who wanted to know whether these terms are new and whether they apply beyond the radios before signing on.
Firefighters union grievance over mold remediation kit deliveries
The committee ruled that ordering firefighters to deliver mold remediation kits a week after the flooding violated Section 8.4 of the labor contract. This sets limits on what the fire chief can direct crews to do during disaster recovery, and could affect how the city responds to future floods.
Automated license plate readers (ALPR) policy
Commissioner Sherman asked Police Chief Davis about public controversy around Flock camera systems elsewhere in the Fox Valley. Davis detailed the city's five-year contract, data protections, a completed audit, and planned limits on data sharing with distant agencies.
Excess animal permit denial — Gottlieb dogs
Two of Doug Gottlieb's dogs bit a delivery driver on September 11, after the committee had given him extra time to show training progress. The committee denied his permit appeal, calling it a public safety matter for the neighborhood.
May 2026 Traffic Safety Plan and June enforcement deployments
The Police Department's Traffic Enforcement Unit reported slightly lower August enforcement numbers due to officer leave, with upcoming OWI, seat belt, speed, and pedestrian deployments and new grant applications for the fiscal year starting October 1.
Sex offender residency approvals in Green Bay neighborhoods
The board decides where registered sex offenders may live in the city. This meeting approved four residences in Districts 6, 7, and 10, with all approvals address-specific. Residents who move again must return to the board.
Liquor license within 300 feet of Howe Elementary
The gas station at 510 S Monroe Ave wanted to add intoxicating liquor sales, but state law bars licenses within 300 feet of a school unless waived. The committee refused the waiver, citing complaints from Howe parents and teachers about litter and alcohol-related issues near the school and a nearby park frequented by homeless residents.
Fire Station 3 repairs
Flooding on June 24 displaced the Station 3 crew, who've been spread across Stations 3 and 6 for over a month. An emergency declaration fast-tracks about $250,000 in repairs, mostly covered by insurance.
Fire Station No. 3 flood restoration emergency
Following June 24 flooding, the council declared a public emergency so Fire Station No. 3 repairs can move quickly, including contracts over $50,000 without normal delay.
Excess animal permit appeal at 408 Columbia Ave
Police told the committee the property had three large dogs on a small lot, a yard covered in feces and mud, a rat infestation, and open inspection orders — plus a prior animal mistreatment conviction. The committee denied the appeal unanimously.
Speeding on Pleasant Lane near Brown County Dog Park
A request to study speeding on Pleasant Lane found average speeds below 25 mph, no crash history, and very low traffic volumes, so no action was taken beyond placing the request on file.
Parking restrictions near Martin Luther King Elementary School
Parents are getting photo-enforced tickets near the school during pickup and events, and the school lacks an adequate pickup/dropoff setup. The commission held the item so the alder and district can agree on less restrictive school-side parking and event-day coordination before the next meeting.
Bart Starr Elementary School opening traffic plan
The new Bart Starr Elementary School opens August 31 with over 500 students merged from three schools. The district got ahead of the problem by proposing parking zones, drop-off lanes and a crosswalk before opening day.
Sex offender residency approvals and community safety
The board decides where registered sex offenders may live in Green Bay under the residency ordinance. This session saw two approvals and one denial, with treatment completion and remorse as the deciding factors.
Jam Rock liquor license non-renewal upheld
The committee signed off on four licensing items at once, including a one-day outdoor tent expansion for Blue Collar Bar & Grill and new Class "B" licenses for two downtown-area venues.
Fire Chief selection process
Green Bay is choosing its next fire chief, and the Police and Fire Commission has cut 28 applications down to a shortlist for screening interviews. The eventual choice will lead the city's fire department and its emergency response for years.
Tobacco license non-renewal appeal (Holy Smokes)
A smoke shop owner's tobacco licenses were recommended for non-renewal because of a 2020 felony conviction — the first case under the city's new PD background-check process for tobacco licenses. The committee approved his appeal after hearing he'd completed probation and stayed out of trouble since.
Homelessness services funding (HOME-ARP)
The fund paying for the city's two homeless outreach case coordinators is running out faster than expected, mostly because of vehicle maintenance. That meant cutting St. John's request from three years to one so the outreach workers can stay funded through 2029 — they've housed 25 of the city's most chronically homeless people this year.
New fire station funding
A $5 million federal HUD grant is now accepted to help pay for the new fire station. That's a major chunk of funding for a facility that will serve residents for decades.
Quincy Street railroad crossing compliance
The city is spending $87,532 of TID 21 money on design work to bring the Quincy Street rail crossing into compliance.
Radio interoperability upgrade for fire mutual aid
A state grant with a small local match will upgrade command rig and ambulance radios so Green Bay firefighters can talk directly with neighboring counties during mutual aid fires — a gap exposed during the recent Larson fire.
Homelessness services and supportive housing
The city's two homeless outreach coordinators reported about 40 people housed or stabilized in under two years, cutting EMS calls and police contacts — but their funding ends in 2029 and they say more staff are needed.
Police fleet replacement with hybrid vehicles
The city buys about 15 squad cars a year. This time it's 13 hybrid Ford interceptors ($688,584, bonded) plus two Tesla Model Ys on trial for patrol use.
Liquor license non-renewals and compliance crackdown
Police are recommending non-renewal for three establishments with ongoing liquor violations, and Jam Rock was struck from the list for not applying. Compliance checks have resumed, and ID-scanner violations are the recurring problem.