Tuesday’s City of Sturgeon Bay Common Council meeting began with a different face calling the meeting to order, as Council President Dan Williams sat in for Mayor David Ward who was not in attendance. The meeting’s first item was taken care of when the consent agenda was approved.

The council passed the first reading of an ordinance repealing and recreating Section 5.01 of the Municipal Code -- Composition. This ordinance would put in code the Sturgeon Bay Police Department restructure, adding an Assistant Chief of Police position and erasing the Lieutenant position. 

The Council approved the first reading of an ordinance repealing and recreating Section 10.02 of the Municipal Code -- Carrying a concealed weapon prohibited. This is to help the city clean up their current ordinance to be more in line with the state statute. If this ordinance is signed it would officially read “No person, except a peace officer or concealed carry permit holder, shall carry on his/her person any dangerous or electronic weapon.” 

In the City Administrator Report, Josh VanLieshout said that garbage collection times have been altered because the city’s garbage truck has experienced mechanical issues. This has caused the city to rent a truck from Green Bay. VanLieshout asked city residents to bear with the city as they await their new truck that is expected to come in the fall. He also mentioned that the Otumba Park project is moving along as hoped and is expecting it to be finished at the end of the month. He added that he hopes to have a ribbon cutting ceremony after the project is finished. VanLieshout also gave an update on the potential lodging tax increase that the city approved. He said that he visited with other Door County communities to speak about the tax, and feels there’s a good chance the increase from a 5.5% rate to 8% will move forward. 

There was no Mayor’s report.