Appleton City’s finance committee met Saturday, Nov. 1, for a daylong budget workshop that reviewed the proposed 2026 operating and capital budgets for most city departments. Committee members advanced the packet of budgets and voted to reserve funds for key projects, including a $3.6 million placeholder in the stormwater utility for flood-mitigation alternatives in the Northland–Bel Air watershed.

The workshop is a committee-level review; the public hearing on the 2026 budget is scheduled during the formal council meeting later in the week. Staff said the workshop helps departments explain assumptions and gives council members a chance to press on priorities, trade-offs and implementation timelines.

Key decisions and discussions

- Stormwater and flood mitigation: Staff reported post‑July‑2024 modeling and recommended developing alternatives for Northland/Bel Air and other watersheds. The 2026 draft budget includes a $3.6 million reserve to allow prompt action on selected projects once the consultant presents prioritized alternatives. Staff said the scope of likely projects ranges from dredging and conveyance upgrades to larger constructed facilities; council members were told a rate study is planned to address long‑term utility coverage ratios.

- Valley Transit and service restoration: Transit staff reported Appleton’s share of Valley Transit is roughly 7 cents on the dollar, with most revenue coming from FTA, WisDOT and partner municipalities. The agency has reduced service since COVID because of driver shortages; a transit development plan (regional consultant) will recommend priorities for restoring service as drivers are hired. Committee members pressed on regional funding and how any service increases would require agreement among partner municipalities.

- Wastewater and water utilities: Wastewater staff reported the WPDES permit reissuance process is starting; new phosphorus limits and more PFAS testing are expected. An inspection of a digester yielded more grit than anticipated but found the steel in good condition, which reduced projected capital needs. Water staff discussed Lake Station pump replacements and chemical-system upgrades tied to corrosion control and lead-line work.

- Public works and traffic-calming program: Public Works outlined ongoing pavement, sidewalk and bridge work and proposed a $25,000 consultant engagement to develop a citywide Traffic Calming Retrofit Program (criteria and implementation plan). Members discussed tactical, low‑cost pilots and the need to prioritize signalized crossings, safe routes to school and equity across neighborhoods.

- Urban forestry and leaf collection: Forestry staff reported completion of bulk ash removals and a multi‑year replanting plan (targeting ~750 replacement trees per year, subject to nursery availability). The city reiterated the goal of a full transition to vacuum leaf collection (to meet stormwater permit expectations and reduce nutrient runoff), and discussed timing, storage, fleet retrofits and public education.

- Public safety and EMS: Fire Department reported implementation of paramedic first response (July 2025), recruit academy adjustments and upcoming NEARIS reporting implementation. The department highlighted radios replacement already contracted; it also flagged a potential 2027 need to replace self‑contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) if a FEMA Assistance to Firefighters (AFG) grant is not awarded — that project could be roughly $1.5 million without grant funding. Police presented a staffing study and said priority work continues to be balancing patrol shifts and advancing traffic‑safety resources.

- Information technology and ERP: IT staff reported three ERP modules went live in 2025 (enterprise asset management, content management, utility billing). The final module, enterprise permitting and licensing, is scheduled to be implemented in 2026 (funded by prior appropriation) and will move permitting and licensing off the legacy system.

Votes at a glance (committee-level, as recorded in the meeting minutes)

- Legal & Administrative Services budget (item 25‑1243): approved by committee (passes 5–0).
- Valley Transit budget (item 25‑1244): approved by committee (passes 5–0).
- Wastewater budget (item 25‑1245): approved by committee (passes 5–0).
- Water budget (item 25‑1246): approved by committee (passes 5–0).
- Stormwater budget (item 25‑1247): approved by committee (passes 5–0); committee and mayor emphasized potential future rate adjustments tied to expanded flood mitigation work.
- Public Works budget and related funds (items 25‑1248 through 25‑1253): approved by committee (major items passed 5–0). Committee noted an increase in borrowing share of the CIP for 2026 to maintain project momentum.
- Central Equipment Agency (CEA) operating and capital budgets (items 25‑1253, 25‑1254): approved (5–0); CEA continues fleet replacement planning and added EV charging pilot funded by DOE grant.
- Parking utility and related funds (items 25‑1255): approved (5–0); committee discussed Passport app fees and citations processing changes.
- Community Development and housing grant funds (items 25‑1256–1258): approved (4–0/5–0 depending on item); staff noted adjustments in CDBG allocation and state program rule changes.
- TIFs and industrial land fund (items 25‑1259–1260): approved (5–0); TID 3 (downtown) remains distressed and limited to debt service until closure in 2029.
- Human Resources and Risk Management (items 25‑1260–1262): approved (5–0); HR emphasized succession planning, leadership development (Thrive), and constrained but steady health‑insurance outlook; Risk recommended continued safety and OSHA training and proposed limited outsourcing for complex claims administration.
- Health department and grants (items 25‑1262–1263): approved (4–0/5–0); public health staff noted decline of COVID fund lines and the need to monitor program transitions.
- Police budgets and special revenue budgets (items 25‑1264–1266): approved by committee (police operating and grant budgets recorded as passes 4–0); committee discussed staffing study recommendations and phased implementation.
- Fire/public safety capital and EMS special revenue (items 25‑1265–1269): approved (4–0); fire highlighted paramedic rollout and potential 2027 SCBA capital need if federal grant is not awarded.
- Facilities, parks, Reed Golf and IT (items 25‑1270–1277): approved (4–0); facilities CIP includes envelope/HVAC work and a library solar project scoped contingent on grant funding; IT emphasized ERP finish (permitting/licensing) and ongoing operations.

Why this matters

The committee’s decisions preserve most services at near‑current levels while committing funds for near‑term flood‑mitigation work and allowing departments to continue technology and safety upgrades. Several items flagged for follow‑up: the stormwater rate study (to address coverage ratios and long‑term funding), the Valley Transit development plan (prioritization of service restoration as drivers are hired), and a possible large capital need for SCBA replacement in 2027 if federal grant funding is not restored.

What’s next

- Staff will continue consultant work (stormwater alternatives, traffic‑calming framework, transit development plan and enterprise permitting roll out).
- The full council public hearing and vote on the 2026 budget will follow the workshop schedule this week. Committee members asked staff to return with implementation timelines, more detail on funding/debt impacts and community outreach plans for key items (stormwater, transit, leaf collection transitions).

Provenance

This summary is based on staff presentations and roll‑call motions recorded during the City of Appleton Finance Committee budget workshop on Nov. 1, 2025. Verbatim excerpts in the provenance section below correspond to staff introductions and item roll calls recorded in the meeting transcript.

Ending note: Committee members emphasized trade‑offs — particularly that maintaining “status‑quo” service levels under levy limits requires careful prioritization, creative use of grants and partnerships, and, in some cases, future rate or revenue choices to pay for larger infrastructure needs.