Green Bay · issues
Civic issues
Topics getting the most attention in Green Bay public meetings, ranked by how frequently they come up.
STH 32 and 9th Street project plat
A vacant narrow lot at 804 Ninth Street is slated for a new single-family home, but the existing house at 802 Ninth depends on alley access that crosses the 804 parcel. The variance lets both properties have their own driveway entrances, with a recorded shared easement protecting access.
Mather Street pavement project land acquisition
The Mather Street rebuild includes new sidewalks and ADA-compliant pedestrian ramps from Locust to Grey, which required buying or renting property rights from fronting owners. The committee approved the payments, mostly $200 to $900 per parcel.
4K agreement reimbursement increase
An addendum to the Four-Year-Old Kindergarten Agreement would raise what the city reimburses per student to the school district from $1,450 to $1,600 per semester.
Finger Road culvert replacement
Public Works wants to hire McMahon Associates for $111,919.50 to design a replacement of the aging Finger Road culvert, a piece of road infrastructure drivers rely on.
Electric vehicle fuel station at 1240 Radisson Street
Wattslots Properties LLC wants a conditional use permit to run an electric vehicle fueling station on Radisson Street. It would add EV charging infrastructure to the neighborhood.
Artificial intelligence policy for public art
The commission is deciding whether — and how strictly — artists can use generative AI in works and proposals the city funds. Options range from a simple value statement to an AI-disclosure requirement to a near-total ban, and the commission chose to explore a policy plus survey artists before deciding.
Public Works financial oversight restructuring
Public Works has been splitting its financial work across multiple divisions, raising the risk of errors and burying oversight in director-level roles. The new Finance and Business Manager position puts all departmental finances — including stormwater, sewer and parking funds — under one person.
Public Works finance oversight consolidation
Public Works has been splitting its financial work across multiple divisions, raising the risk of errors and burying oversight in director-level roles. The new Finance and Business Manager position puts all departmental finances — including stormwater, sewer and parking funds — under one person.
Fair housing enforcement and public services funding
Four nonprofits split about $121,000 in federal block grant money for transportation, youth programs, autism services, and reentry work — but a fifth award to NEWCAP was paused over recent concerns about how the organization handles its resources. That leaves roughly $30,500 unawarded for now.
School food waste composting pilot
The waste reduction group is running small food-scrap pilots at a few schools, trucking scraps to UW-Green Bay's composter to prove the concept before asking the school board for bigger investment.
New indoor tennis training facility on west side
Title Shot Athletic Club will bring eight tennis simulator bays — the first in Wisconsin — plus three indoor courts to the Badger State Brewing campus. It fills a real gap: pickleball's growth has squeezed tennis court space in Green Bay, and the facility gives youth, college, and adult players a year-round training option.
New indoor tennis and simulator facility on west side
Titleshot Athletic Club will bring eight tennis simulator bays — reportedly the first in Wisconsin — plus three full-size indoor courts to the Badger State Brewing campus. The city's revolving loan fund is helping finance the buildout, and the project carries federal job-creation requirements tied to local hiring.
2026 Federal Grant Plan with New Small-business Grants
The city's $941,462 CDBG plan adds a microenterprise grant of up to $10,000 for businesses with five or fewer employees, continues park and road investments in low-income neighborhoods, and boosts down-payment assistance.
Divine Temple steeple and roof repair
The historic Divine Temple building on Cherry Street, right across from City Hall, suffered roof damage that crumbled part of its brick steeple. Workers are reusing the original brick to match existing specs.
Elimination of City Assessor position
The city is cutting its in-house City Assessor job and hiring Forward-Appraisal to handle appraisal work instead.
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.
School pickup congestion at Lincoln Elementary
Cars parking both sides of narrow Caroline Street during pickup are jamming the road, made worse by school consolidation and nearby construction. New signs will restrict parking to one side while allowing quick student loading.
Pedestrian safety at Doty and South Van Buren
Ald. Proffitt wants enhanced safety measures at this intersection, but technical problems kept her constituent from speaking, so the item waits until November.
Kurtz Avenue speeding near Joannes Park
Alders report drivers treat the long dead-end street like a racetrack near schools and the stadium. Traffic calming can't be studied until residents file a petition signed by at least 20% of neighbors.
Infill housing at 560 N. Henry Street
A vacant floodplain lot that's been empty since a house was razed years ago can now be built on, with relief from the 15-foot fill buffer and a slightly reduced corner setback. It means a new home on a long-vacant near-downtown lot.
Lincoln School area signage changes
The Traffic Engineer's recommended sign modifications around Lincoln School were approved, aimed at keeping kids safer around the school.
Traffic calming on Eastman Avenue
Residents of nearby apartment complexes asked for a review of whether sidewalks are needed on Eastman Avenue. The committee referred the question (PC-26-11) to city staff for study.
Parking around new North Adams Street development
With the new building open where the Adams Street lot used to be, the city is restoring about six metered stalls on Cherry Street and adding one near 226-228 North Adams to replace parking for the area's businesses.
West Side Municipal Garage HVAC replacement
The city is spending $80,000 on design work for replacing the aging heating and cooling system at its West Side garage — the first step before construction.
Draft ordinances: overnight parking and second-cart fees
The weekend overnight no-stopping rule downtown is changing on a 90-day trial: most of it goes away, but a stretch near Doty Street gets a new restriction, and the Walnut Street loading zone is reworked. Trial results could make the change permanent.
West Side Municipal Garage HVAC improvements
The city hired an engineering firm to design heating and cooling upgrades for the West Side Municipal Garage, the first step of a facility improvement project.
Bay Beach parking revenue program
Alderperson Eck asked how much the Bay Beach parking program has collected; revenue figures are due next week and there's no set threshold for continuing or ending the program.
Garbage and recycling container replacement
The city is buying 624 new 96-gallon carts to replace depleted inventory. Residents' container fees effectively pay for the purchase, and new developments get carts too.
Convention center capital improvements
Design work is moving ahead on three big convention center fixes: emergency lighting, the roof, and the grand ballroom air wall. Construction money comes from the capital improvement fund, which sits just above $3 million.
2026 Budget Amendment for Special Events Overtime
The council amended the 2026 budget to cover unbudgeted overtime for special events.
Thermal imaging camera purchase
The city is buying 30 Bullard TXS thermal imaging camera bundles — gear that helps firefighters see through smoke and find people in the dark.
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.
Firefighters grievance (GBPPA Grievance 2026-01) finalized
The committee wrapped up a grievance filed by the Green Bay Firefighters by adopting the official written findings. It stems from a decision made at the September 29 meeting, and the document will be signed and issued, ending the process.
Private-side water services
The utility is working on private-side service lines — the pipes running from the water main to private property, which can contain lead in older homes. Powell provided a progress update.
Rewrite of alcohol beverage licensing code
Chapter 4 of the municipal code gets its first full overhaul in years, swapping stipulation agreements for correction meetings and dropping a blanket 24-hour surveillance camera mandate.
Rezoning of 703, 707, and 713 Roy Avenue
Five Shawano Avenue homes were rezoned from Low Density Residential to Public Institutional.
2027 Business Improvement District operating plans
All four BIDs get new operating plans with modest assessment increases — Downtown's first rate change in 25 years, Broadway's ~5% bump, Military Avenue's first cap raise since 2014. The money funds cleaning, beautification, events, marketing, and business recruitment downtown.
Firefighter intern hiring pipeline
Thirteen former fire department interns never got a shot at applying under the old one-time hiring process. The commission approved giving them first chance through the same Public Safety Answers test and interviews before opening recruitment to the public.
Police promotional processes (Commander, Captain, Detective)
The police department is running Commander, Captain, and Detective promotional processes with healthy applicant pools for the first two, and the Detective posting just opened. The commission will later approve the selection panels and final picks.
Stormwater management update
Public Works presented an update on how the city is managing stormwater — relevant to flooding and infrastructure across town.
2027 Parking Division rate structure
The council adopted new parking rates for 2027, affecting anyone who parks downtown or at city meters and ramps.
2026 IBEW Local 158 labor agreement
Council approved the city's 2026 labor agreement with IBEW Local 158, covering city electrical workers.
Broadway liquor licensing actions
Police reported eight liquor law violations and 14 citations in under three weeks, with repeat trouble at 100 Bar and Grill, including pepper spray inside the bar and chronic nuisance citations. State Street Pub and BC's Bar got warnings over ID scanners.
2027 Employee Benefits and Labor Negotiations
Council approved 2027 health, dental, vision, life and disability benefits and directed staff on fire and police labor agreement negotiations.
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.
Bedford Road & S. Grandview Road reconstruction
The reconstruction contract went to Northeast Asphalt for $397,527.45 — the low bid — with work wrapping up this construction season.
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.
October downtown traffic disruptions
The Main Street Bridge will fully close for about two weeks in October while work finishes, at the same time DOT closes the Atkinson on-ramp — traffic will detour via the Walnut Street Bridge through downtown.
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.
Green Bay Packers Foundation grant for Conservation Corps
The Corps wrapped its program year with 36 people serving nearly 50 terms and 22,000+ hours of restoration, trail, and education work. It met its pollinator corridor goal, is recruiting fall crews, and got a donated UTV to boost efficiency.