Mayor's office shake-up gets council OK By Ray Barrington News-Chronicle Green Bay City Council members approved Mayor Jim Schmitt's reorganization of the mayor's office Tuesday after a request to decide on a future personnel cut failed. Schmitt's reorganization adds a half-position from what was budgeted for by the city, but downgrades two other positions in pay for a net savings. Ald. John Vander Leest tried to amend the request to require Schmitt to come back in 90 days with a position to be eliminated through attrition or retirement. But Schmitt did not want to do that. "I'm not in a position to say what should be cut," he said. Ald. Guy Zima defended the mayor, saying that in three months, the city would be in its budget process anyway. He did, however, express concern that the city was losing a designated assistant for the City Council. The new intergovernmental affairs assistant is designed to take up some of that role, Schmitt said, and would require the approval of both the mayor and council president. - Ald. Dan Haefs called for the Green Bay Packers to take a more active role in looking at the sale of naming rights to Lambeau Field. He was reacting to approval of a plan by the city to send out requests for proposal to major companies for a naming rights offer. Haefs said without the Packers' active participation, the request was likely doomed. "If (Packers president) Bob Harlan sent out 15 letters, he'd get a lot of calls," Haefs said. He said the Packers had been active in seeking votes for a Brown County sales tax to fund the Lambeau Field renovations. "They should be taking the lead on this as well," Haefs said, noting that voters had approved the sale in a referendum. - The Green Bay News-Chronicle will be the city's official newspaper for another year. The council approved a resolution requiring that city notices and council minutes be printed in the newspaper after the News-Chronicle submitted the lowest bid. State law requires publication in a newspaper. - The transfer of a liquor license by George Bruer to 922 Main St., the former East Side Denis Sports Shop, was finally approved after a request to reconsider it was defeated. Neighbors and members of the Olde Main Street Association had expressed concern about the plans for a billiards center that would serve alcohol. They cited concerns about minors and problems with another pool hall in the area. Bruer said he was transferring the license for himself but planned to take on a partner later, and that he planned to keep the pool hall adults-only as required under city ordinances.