Committee approves routine conveyances and contracts; awning permit recommended to council

The Appleton Municipal Services Committee on Jan. 26 approved several routine items and forwarded a downtown awning permit to the full council with a unanimous recommendation.

The committee approved request 26-0109 to approve conveyance of rights in land per the WISDOT I-41 project plat for sanitary work; staff clarified the parcel is for sanitary work while prior approvals covered water main work. The vote was 5-0.

Committee members also approved two contracts: a 2026 cap maintenance contract at the closed City of Appleton Landfill to New Paradigm Companies LLC not to exceed $33,000 (request 26-0110), and a materials testing and contaminated soils contract (M-26) to Westwood Infrastructure Inc. not to exceed $100,000 (request 26-0111). Deputy Director Newburger told the committee that "staff are very satisfied with the contractor" selected after an RFP process and recommended continuing with the vendor; he said herbicide work would target "primarily woody invasive such as buckthorn" and that reseeding could use turf-type tall fescue or potentially some native vegetation depending on existing conditions.

On request 26-0112, a permanent street occupancy and sign permit for Tenney’s Jewelry at 208 E. College Ave., Toby Hegner of Oshtra Stent Awning asked the committee to allow recovery of an existing structural canopy that does not meet a new 10-foot clearance requirement. Hegner said the lowest point of the awning is "somewhere around 9 feet." Alders said keeping the canopy is preferable to removing it for accessibility and street activity; the committee approved the permit and will place it on next Wednesday’s full council agenda at 7:00 p.m. with a unanimous recommendation.

All motions on the listed items passed by voice vote, 5-0.