By Heather Graves
Staff Writer
GREEN BAY – Green Bay will stick with 12 aldermanic districts, after the City Council selected a redistricting map at its Oct. 5 meeting.
Alderpersons looked at four proposed maps based on the 2020 census.
The council quickly rejected proposed maps that called for 13 or 15 districts.
Though some alderpersons were open to the idea of increasing the amount of districts, they said it’s too late to properly explore that idea.
“I think the idea of 13 and 15, I wish we would have taken them up sooner,” District 7 Alderperson Randy Scannell said. “I think we are pressed (on time) to really have a full discussion on that. I think there is a possibility there, I don’t know if I would have supported it. But, I think now is just too late because there would be too many odds and ends we’d need to work out if we are going to have 13 or 15 alders… Too many factors to be taken into account that are too late in the day to be doing.”
Keeping the number of districts at 12, each alderperson will represent about 8,900 residents.
Alders selected Map A, which is closest to the current boundaries.
“I want to challenge the council – as much as it’s hard not to do – don’t think of these districts as ours,” Council President Jesse Brunette said. “I think we have some ownership of them in a way because we represent them. But many of us probably won’t be here in six to eight to 10 years. Potentially, there are plenty of elections in between. So, the maps really should reflect the character of neighborhoods, the population should be even, some respect to diversity of the different people within districts, and I thought everyone did a wonderful job.”
City officials said they had to follow the county district boundaries, which made things difficult.
The selected map ordinance will be on the Oct. 19 agenda for a first and final reading.
If it doesn’t get a two-thirds vote at that time, a special board meeting will be scheduled for a second reading and final vote.
Town hall meetings
The City of Green Bay is hosting two town hall meetings to gather feedback about the 2022 city budget, as well as the use of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds.
Mayor Eric Genrich said he and all city department directors will be on-hand at the meetings to answer questions.
The first meeting will be held at 5:30 p.m. Oct. 21 at the Northeast Wisconsin Technical College Corporate Conference Center.
Attendees should park in lot F and enter through door 7.
The second meeting will be held at 5:30 p.m. Oct. 26 at the UW-Green Bay University Union Phoenix Room.
Masks are required at both meetings.
Genrich said both meetings will be held in a hybrid format with access available in-person or online.
He said the city has already received more than 600 responses to the ARPA survey launched last week.
“We are getting a lot of feedback on the designated questions, but also open-ended questions at the end there, too,” Genrich said. “Please continue to spread the word on that. (We’re) trying to spread that as far and wide as possible and get a robust response from the community.”
Bart Starr Memorial Bridge
A ceremony will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 23, at the Third Street ramp to commemorate the renaming of the Walnut Street Bridge in downtown Green Bay to the Bart Starr Memorial Bridge.
Green Bay Alderperson Mark Steuer, who was behind the push for the renaming, said Cherry Starr, Bart Starr Jr., Mark Murphy and state and local lawmakers are expected to attend.
Gov. Tony Evers signed a bill officially renaming the bridge in July.