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Committee votes to recommend granting appeal of Terrence Freeman's operator license denial
Summary
The Green Bay Protection and Policy Committee voted 4-0 to recommend that the Common Council grant Terrence Freeman's appeal of a denial of an operator's license. The police department had recommended denial because of felony convictions; Freeman said he completed drug court, finished probation and is employed full time.
The Green Bay Protection and Policy Committee voted 4-0 on March 24 to recommend that the Common Council grant an appeal by Terrence Freeman of a denial of his operator's license.
The police department told the committee it recommended denial because Freeman has felony convictions from February 2019 and February 2018. At the hearing Freeman said he has not had police contact since those convictions and described completing drug court and probation before finding steady work.
Freeman told the committee, "I was in addiction during those years. And after getting in trouble I was accepted into the drug court, Brown County Drug Court, which I completed. Completed my 3 years of probation." He said he has since worked nearly six years at Georgia Pacific and started a small business that did not succeed. "I'm just trying to be a contributing member to society," he said. Freeman said he is seeking the license to help bartend at The Roundabout and estimated he would work there about once or twice a week.
A police lieutenant explained the department's recommendation in brief: the department recommended denial because of felony convictions from February 2019 and February 2018. The committee's vote to grant the appeal was procedural: the committee issues a recommendation to the Common Council, which will take final action at its April 15 meeting.
Committee members commented in support of Freeman's progress. Alder Hutchison said he was glad to hear Freeman's progress and offered praise; another committee member said, "I'm impressed, so I'm impressed," and indicated they would vote in Freeman's favor. The committee chair confirmed that Freeman's provisional license remains valid until the Common Council acts.
Motion to grant the appeal carried 4-0. The committee clerk and staff noted the committee's decision will be forwarded as a recommendation; final approval is scheduled before all 12 Common Council members on April 15.
The item will appear on the Common Council agenda for a final vote; Freeman was told attendance at that meeting is optional but that the council could pull the item for discussion.
