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
Two patrol officer candidates were reviewed and both removed from the hiring process, meaning the Police Department continues to search for new officers. Staffing levels for patrols may be affected while recruiting continues.
New single-family homes on South Broadway
Radue Homes won a one-year agreement to build another market-rate house at 1200 S Broadway. Its first three homes on that block sold before they even hit the market.
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.
Eaton Heights III subdivision infrastructure dedication
The final payment to Calnin & Goss, LLC closes out the Phase 2 infrastructure package for the JBS Subdivision and Park.
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.
Grass and weeds abatement charge appeal at 811 Ernst Drive
The city cut long grass and weeds at 811 Ernst Drive and billed the owner $451.54; the owner is appealing. Staff say the work was done per ordinance and recommend denying the appeal.
Annual WisDOT Local Road Certification
A routine but required filing: the city must certify its miles of public roadways to the Wisconsin Department of Transportation each year, which affects state road aid.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Priority-based budgeting implementation
The city now maps nearly all of its $294 million budget to 385 programs and scores them against council priorities. Departments are reviewing cost-saving ideas from other cities, with 50 flagged for study — savings would likely show up in the 2028 budget, not next year's.
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.
Scoring of affordable housing assistance
The budgeting model ranks affordable housing assistance among the least-aligned programs, which Ald. Proffitt called problematic given the city's growing unhoused population. She argued the scoring assumptions — or the strategic plan itself — may need rethinking.
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.
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.
Recycling contamination at Bay Beach Amusement Park
The Commission is spreading recycling education resources — an ABC book for elementary teachers, the Waste Wizard, and the Betterbin barcode app — and plans to revisit trash and recycling receptacles at Bay Beach with suggestions for the parks crew.
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.
Historic design review at 638 S Monroe Avenue
A homeowner in the Astor historic district needed approval to replace a rear window and redo a jump porch. Because the work isn't visible from the street and touches only non-historic elements, it sailed through without controversy.
Revolving loan fund health and delinquent borrower
One borrower that was behind is now current, the city is moving toward foreclosure on the GeneTax Solutions building, and a few newer loans are slightly late on first payments. Staff says it's a timing issue, not a crisis.
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.
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.
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.
Solar for Good grant opportunity
The city is pursuing rooftop solar at its east and west side DPW garages (30% federal tax credit, plus 10% extra for the west side's legacy energy community), solar on the JBS urban barn, and a 53-acre solar lease with One Energy on farmland near a WPS substation.
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 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.
South Grandview Road temporary bridge repairs
The city awarded a $151,571.25 contract to Norcon Corporation for temporary repairs to the S. Grandview Road bridge.
Vacant commercial property registration and fees
A new ordinance would make owners of long-vacant commercial buildings register them and pay escalating fees up to $4,000 a year, aiming to reactivate empty storefronts. The Realtors Association says it's a property-rights overreach; sponsors say vacancy shifts costs onto taxpayers and neighbors.
Vacant property registration and fee ordinance
The city wants to create a new registration and fee system for vacant commercial buildings, with penalties that follow properties through ownership transfers. Property owners and realtors showed up to oppose it, and the council couldn't reach agreement — it's heading back to committee for rework.
Elimination of City Assessor position
The city is cutting its in-house City Assessor job and hiring Forward-Appraisal to handle appraisal work instead.
GenCap fire station apartments on S. Broadway
The amended development agreement for the GenCap Green Bay Fire Station Apartments project — covering properties on S. Broadway, Arndt Street, and Maple Avenue — was approved, moving the redevelopment forward.
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.
University Avenue commercial rezone
Seven properties on University Avenue were rezoned from General Commercial to Highway Commercial, opening up more intensive commercial uses along the corridor.
Grandview Industrial Park expansion
The council spent up to $51,000 of TID 25 money on land for extending Padi-Wood Lane and signed a development agreement with Global Optics — both pieces of the Grandview Industrial Park expansion.
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.
Three-way stop at Greenbrier and Manitowoc Roads
A pedestrian was hit at this intersection earlier this year, and drivers average 34-35 mph in a 25 mph zone with no sidewalks nearby. The new three-way stop should balance delays and make crossings safer; sidewalk work is complicated because part of the area lies in the Village of Bellevue.
Resurrection Lutheran food pantry expansion denied
The pantry serving families every two minutes wanted a garage-style building for freezer space and weather-protected distribution, but the board couldn't legally justify a 5-foot setback next to a home. The project can't proceed as designed; staff suggested working on alternatives.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Resurrection Lutheran Church accessory building at 1004 Shawano Avenue
The pantry serving families every two minutes wanted a garage-style building for freezer space and weather-protected distribution, but the board couldn't legally justify a 5-foot setback next to a home. The project can't proceed as designed; staff suggested working on alternatives.
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.
Privacy fencing on through lots along Lakeside Place
Homes fronting both Lakeside Place and East Shore Drive can't legally build tall privacy fences facing Lakeside. The board granted one, treating Lakeside Place as functionally an alley — a precedent relevant to other bay-side through lots.
Traffic Calming Policy overhaul
Ald. Delie's detailed critique of the city's 2007 Traffic Calming Policy — which has never produced a single physical calming installation — was referred to staff for review and amendment.