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HomeMy WebLinkAbout02.28.20 Newsletter City Manager • Mark A. Rohloff City Hall, 215 Church Avenue P.O. Box 1130 Oshkosh, WI 54903-1130 920.236.5002 http://www.ci.oshkosh.wi.us DATE: February 28, 2020 TO: Honorable Mayor and Common Council FROM: Mark Rohloff, City Manager SUBJECT: Weekly Newsletter 1. HOMETOWN HERO AWARD: On Thursday, February 20, 2020, School Resource Officer Mike Wissink was the recipient of the 2019-2020 Hometown Hero Award in recognition of his admirable role during the incident at Oshkosh West High School on December 3, 2019. Nomination for this award was the result of a conversation between Chief Dean Smith and Representative Gordon Hintz, on behalf of the Wisconsin State Assembly. Representative Gordon Hintz, Chief Dean Smith, Assistant Chief Kurt Schoeni, Captains Kelly Kent and Becky Kaiser, members of the Criminal Investigation Division and several Police Officers were in attendance at the Wisconsin State Capitol Building to honor Officer Wissink as he was presented with the award. Officer Wissink is a 21 year veteran of the Oshkosh Police Department, serving as a School Resource Officer since 2017. His actions on that day were exemplary and demonstrated the ability of a law enforcement officer to go above and beyond the call of duty to ensure the safety of others. Officer Wissink truly is a hero and deserving of the honor that was bestowed on him. 2. UPDATED SUSTAINABILITY PLAN: At the March 3rd, 2020 Plan Commission meeting, the Plan Commission will review the updated Sustainability Plan. The plan update occurred over a year and a half period from 2017 to 2019 and involved the Sustainability Advisory Board (SAB), City staff, and interested members of the public. During the process each SAB member reviewed and updated one or two chapters from the original 2012 Sustainability Plan. The entire board then reviewed each chapter at public workshops held immediately after regular SAB meetings. Staff then revised the chapters based on SAB and citizen input. The process allowed the board to examine and revise plan content based on the progress the community has made on sustainability initiatives since 2012. The updated plan content includes new action items the City and community partners can implement in an ongoing effort to advance sustainability in Oshkosh. The updated Sustainability Plan is community-focused. Though many items were chosen for the City’s ability to address them, several items seek involvement from Oshkosh residents, businesses, and other organizations. The plan 2/28/2020 Weekly Newsletter 2 establishes context for each sustainability issue and was reformatted to make it more accessible to the SAB, City staff, and the public. The Plan is scheduled to be presented to Council for approval in March. If you have any questions regarding the updated Sustainability Plan, please contact Assistant Planner Steven Wiley. The plan is available on the City website. Follow the link below to learn more: https://www2.ci.oshkosh.wi.us/WebLink/Browse.aspx?id=1022518&dbid=0&repo=Laserfiche 3. JACKSON STREET CORRIDOR AND SAFETY STUDY UPDATE: The Planning Services Division is currently in the process of developing a Multimodal Traffic Safety and Quality of Life Study from Church Avenue to Murdock Avenue (Area 1) and develop a corridor plan to guide lane use and mobility development from Murdock Avenue to Interstate 41 (Area 2). Ayres Associates and RDG Planning & Design are facilitating the planning process in collaboration with the City of Oshkosh. There is an upcoming meeting scheduled for March 4th. The purpose of the meeting will be to summarize the input from the December 11th meeting, develop evaluation criteria, and review improvement options for Area 1 and Area 2. This overall project consists of two areas:  Area 1, from Church Avenue to Murdock Avenue, serves an urbanized, residential area featuring older historic homes located near several community parks and schools.  Area 2, from Murdock Avenue to the Interstate 41 interchange, provides access to a wide range of residential, commercial, and industrial properties. The plan process kicked off in late 2019 and is planned to be finished in spring 2020. Staff has established a Public Input Meeting schedule as follows: March 4, 2020 6:00PM – 7:30PM Oaklawn Elementary - Cafeteria 112 Viola Avenue May 2020 TBD I you have questions about the planning process plese contact Alexa Naudziunas Associate Planner at anaudziunas@ci.oshkosh.wi.us, to view the plan webpage follow the link below: https://www.ci.oshkosh.wi.us/PlanningServices/JacksonStreetCorridorPlan/Default.aspx 4. ANNUAL GUNS 'N' HOSES HOCKEY GAME: Do you like Hockey? Want to support your Oshkosh Police and Fire Departments? Want to have fun with the family? Then come to the Annual Charity Hockey Game this Saturday at 3:00PM at the 20th Ave YMCA! Tickets are available at the door. All proceeds from this event will benefit Flannel Check in supporting cancer research. We hope to see you there! For more information follow the link: https://www.facebook.com/events/2509356085986996/ 2/28/2020 Weekly Newsletter 3 5. WINTER FUN FOR THE FAMILY. The Oshkosh Parks Department hosted its first “Let’s Glow Crazy Dance Party” for elementary and middle school students at the Oshkosh Seniors Center on Saturday, Feb. 15th. We had a DJ, free pizza and soda, and lots of glow fun! We welcomed 293 participants. This event was sponsored by Cellcom. A great time was had by all that attended. 6. OUR NEXT FAMILY FUN EVENT: Do you have the luck of the Irish? Join us for family fun BINGO on Sunday, March 15th from 1-3pm at the Oshkosh Seniors Center North building. Also sponsored by Cellcom, this event is sure to be a whole lot of fun for participants of all ages! If you have any questions about our Winter Family Fun Events please contact Jenny McCollian, Revenue Facilities Manager, at (920) 232-5319. 7. DON’T LET US HAVE ALL THE FUN: Looking to do a little volunteering this year, or do you have kids or grandkids that need some hours? The Oshkosh Parks Department has many opportunities for you at our different facilities. To see all that the Oshkosh Parks Department has to offer for volunteering, visit the new community volunteer website that will list all of our event opportunities: www.volunteeroshkosh.org. We hope to see you at some of our events! If you have any questions about our events or want to volunteer, you can also contact Jenny McCollian, Revenue Facilities Manager, at (920) 232-5319. 8. POOL PASS SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM: thanks to a generous donation through the Oshkosh Area Community Foundation, the Parks Department is once again offering a scholarship program for low income individuals and families to be able to apply for and possibly receive a free season pass to Pollock Community Water Park. Financial assistance applications can be picked up at the Parks Administrative offices or on our website at: https://www.ci.oshkosh.wi.us/Parks/PollockCommunityWaterPark/SeasonPasses.aspx Funding is limited. Applications are due back to the Parks Administrative offices by April 3, 2020 and successful recipients will be notified if their application was successful in May. If you have any questions regarding the application process or whether or not you qualify, please contact Stacy James, Administrative Assistant, at (920) 236-5080. 9. HELPING OUR SENIORS: Did you know that over 25 million Americans aged 60+ are economically insecure—living at or below 250% of the federal poverty level ($29,425 per year for a single person). These older adults struggle with rising housing and health care bills, inadequate nutrition, lack of access to transportation, diminished savings, and job loss. For older adults who are above the poverty level, one major adverse life event can change today’s realities into tomorrow’s troubles. (National Council on Aging) 2/28/2020 Weekly Newsletter 4 Several years ago at the Oshkosh Seniors Center volunteer appreciation dinner, we collected food for the Oshkosh Area Community Pantry. The collection was a big success and it started to drive a relationship with the Community Pantry and the Center. We decided to try a food drop at the Center to make it easy for seniors in need to discover what the Oshkosh Area Community Pantry offers. The food drop went really well and 25 boxes of food were collected. The Pantry wrote a grant request to the Ladies Benevolent Society to secure funding to continue the program. The grant was awarded and the Oshkosh Area Community Food Pantry will be providing a food drop each month at the seniors center. “When strangers start acting like neighbors…communities are reinvigorated.” – Ralph Nader. If you have any questions, please contact Jean Wollerman, Senior Services Manager at (920) 232-5300. 10. POPULAR ARTIST PACKS THE HOUSE: The house was sold out for the Janet Planet, Tom Theabo, and Zach Harmon “Vision of Love” Valentine’s Day concert held at the Oshkosh Seniors Center. What a special treat for the 125 fans in attendance. The reviews for this very special musical performance were amazing. Funding came from a generous donor and we were able to offer the stellar entertainment for just $5.00. The Oshkosh Seniors Center is dedicated to providing quality programming that helps encourage older adults to stay active, stay social, and stay informed. Next up, it’s a rollicking Irish Celebration with corned beef and cabbage and live Irish music provided by Sheamus Fitzpatrick and the McNally Boys on March 18. Tickets are just $10.50. To register call 920- 232-5300. https://www.ci.oshkosh.wi.us/SeniorServices/. If you have any questions, please contact Jean Wollerman, Senior Services Manager at (920) 232-5300. 11. TEAMWORK EASES EVENT TRANSITIONS: For many years the events held in February continually had to work around the clean-up and set-up of back-to-back events. This year the Special Events staff brought the Special Olympics of Wisconsin and Battle on Bago Foundation organizers together in a collaboration effort to ease the transition between the Polar Plunge and Battle on Bago events. Both event organizers were very willing to explore ideas and we are excited to announce their success. By sharing the layout of tents, the organizations had an easier transition from cleaning up one event to setting up for the next and they were able to share the tent costs. Not only was this a positive collaboration for these organizations and their events but it also alleviated a number of concerns the Special Events staff had regarding the wear and tear on the grounds and safety for all attending. We will continue to seek areas in which event organizers can collaborate with each other and with the City for greater success! 12. COUNTDOWN TO SPRING EVENTS: As February comes to a close, we begin preparing for the “Walk/Run” season that has the UWO Shamrock Shuffle adding a new twist to their event this year. For 2020, the Shamrock Shuffle is incorporating a “Beat Clash Kids Dash”. Each child will receive a t-shirt and medal upon finishing their “race”. 2/28/2020 Weekly Newsletter 5 If the winter events aren’t for you and you’re looking for an opportunity to start getting outside, we might suggest one of these events for a nice walk or competitive run.  Check out the UWO Shamrock Shuffle and more being hosted in March and April!  March 14 – UWO Shamrock Shuffle  5K Walk/Run & Kids Dash starts and ends along the Fox River and UWO Campus with fun run proceeds benefiting the Boys & Girls Club of Oshkosh  April 15 – LGBTG Ally March  The Ally March brings groups together on city streets throughout the UWO Campus in support of the LGBTQ+ community  April 18 – Run Away to the Bay  11 Leg - 55 Mile Relay Race beginning on the shores of Lake Winnebago in Oshkosh and ending in Downtown Green Bay  April 26 – Oshkosh ½ Marathon - Starting and ending at the Leach Amphitheater, the ½ Marathon route incorporates the Wiouwash trail, Tribal Heritage Crossing Trail, city streets and Riverwalk If these events aren’t for you, stay tuned, as the month of May launches all types of festivals, fairs, and tournaments for the summer! For more information on these and other local events, check out the Visit Oshkosh website at https://visitoshkosh.com/ or contact Kathy Snell, Special Events Coordinator, at (920)232-5304 or ksnell@ci.oshkosh.wi.us. 13. ATTACHED REPORTS & UPDATES: Attached please find the weekly Museum Board Memo and History Survey, the 2020 Boots vs. Badges flyer, and Oshkosh Public Library March events. 14. MEETING MINUTES FOR BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS: All meeting minutes are uploaded to the website upon approval. Please follow the link below for the most updated information & meeting minutes: https://www.ci.oshkosh.wi.us/BoardsAndCommissions 15. UPCOMING MEETINGS: The meetings I have scheduled for the week of March 2 include the following: At 8:30 AM on Tuesday I will be meeting Finance Director Van Gompel to discuss the upcoming 2021 budget and CIP process. At 9:30 AM I will be meeting with staff to discuss possible design issues for the proposed Parks Facility. At 1:30 PM I will be meeting with Oshkosh Media staff to do a run through for the State of the City event scheduled for Monday March 9. At 11:30 AM on Wednesday I will be leaving to attend the Midwinter WCMA Conference in Elkhart Lake. I will be out of the office the remainder of the week attending the conference. If you have any questions regarding my meeting schedule, please contact me.