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HomeMy WebLinkAbout05.08.20 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: May 8, 2020 TO: Honorable Mayor and Common Council FROM: Mark Rohloff, City Manager SUBJECT: Weekly Newsletter 1. NO ACTION FROM COUNTY ON CITY REQUEST TO WAIVE INTEREST: On Thursday, the Winnebago County Personnel and Finance Committee met to discuss Council Resolution 20-191, requesting the County to support Act 185 and waive interest and penalties on unpaid property taxes until October 1, 2020. I, along with Finance Director Van Gompel, Council Members Ford and Mugerauer, participated in the conference call. After a lengthy discussion, the committee decided not to take action to move this forward to the full county board. The County felt that there was approximately an 18 day period in which they could face a potential cash flow issue if too many people/businesses took advantage of the waiver. While I do not believe that this would be likely, the possibility of this prevented the committee from moving this forward. In the meantime, County Board Supervisors Mike Norton and Stephanie Spellman (who also sits on the Neenah City Council) still want to bring this forward to the County Board for a full vote. We will stay on top of this issue to see if this will be brought forward for County Board consideration. I will have a more detailed report at Tuesday’s council meeting. 2. POLLOCK COMMUNITY WATER PARK WILL NOT OPEN IN 2020: After careful consideration, Parks Director Maurer and I have made the tough decision to not open the Pollock Community Water Park this year. The uncertainty of when the water park could potentially open, safety of the public and pool staff, social gathering limitations and social distancing requirements all factored into the decision. The health and safety of our residents and staff is of utmost importance – and this was a very tough decision. After taking into consideration the continued protocols surrounding physical distancing and limited group gatherings that will be in place for the foreseeable future, and realizing we could not adequately clean and disinfect all the common-touch surfaces throughout the facility, we believe it is the right decision for the city and the community. Another major factor in the decision was the shortage in staffing. Between the Parks Department staff and the school district’s Recreation Department, which provides the 5/8/2020 Weekly Newsletter 2 lifeguard staff, the staffing level was approximately 45% short of what is needed to operate the facility. Due to the closure of school district facilities, the Recreation Department was unable to offer lifeguard training classes in the school pools during the school year as it typically would. These classes account for a number of the lifeguard staff typically hired. We know this is disappointing news for many families and we look forward to reopening safely in 2021. 3. GO TRANSIT CARES: GO Transit was notified we will be receiving CARES Act Supplemental Public Transportation funding. The CARES Act was signed into law on March 27th providing $2 trillion in support for a variety of industries affected by COVID-19, including the transit industry. Recognizing that transit providers have seen a drastic decrease in ridership and revenue as a result of social distancing, while incurring unplanned costs for health and safety, the CARES Act provides an unprecedented $25 billion nationally to support the transit industry response to COVID-19. Wisconsin transit agencies will receive funds under this act. As is the case with our federal transit operating funds, CARES Act funding for small urban transit systems like GO Transit is allocated by WisDOT. WisDOT notified GO Transit that we will be receiving $4,553,754. FTA is requiring recipients to apply for CARES Act funds as soon as possible and asks that they be committed/spent expeditiously. Although the priority for the funding is operational expenses, FTA will generally consider all transit expenses normally eligible under regular transit operating and capital programs that are incurred on or after January 20, 2020 to be in response to economic or other conditions caused by COVID-19 and thus eligible under the CARES Act. FTA and WisDOT are being flexible with transit uses of these funds. These funds will allow GO Transit to cover many of our additional costs as well as fund some overdue capital projects. We are working with FTA and WisDOT and will have more details available on our plans for these funds during the budget process, if not sooner. If you have any questions about GO Transit, please contact Transportation Director, Jim Collins. 4. 2020 STREET RECONSTRUCTION PROJECTS SET TO BEGIN: The City of Oshkosh would like to notify residents that construction of one of the 2020 street reconstruction projects is beginning. The general contractor for the Snell Road Reconstruction and North Main Street Storm Sewer Construction Project is PTS Contractors, Inc. (PTS). PTS plans to begin construction the week of May 18th, with some preliminary staging/preparations beginning the week of May 4th. Advanced warning signs will be placed seven (7) days prior to the closure. The work under this Contract consists of the public construction of concrete pavement and sidewalk on Snell Road, along with storm sewer, sanitary sewer, water main relay, and electrical work. The relay of storm sewer along North Main Street, along with replacing the concrete pavement, is also included in this project. Although no City contract work will occur on Snell Road until the storm sewer is completed on Main Street, Snell Road access will be impacted by private utility work and construction staging. 5/8/2020 Weekly Newsletter 3 If you wish to sign up for e-mailed construction updates for Contract 20-05, please send a blank e-mail to contract2004-subscribe@lists.ci.oshkosh.wi.us. You will receive an e-mail with instructions to complete the update process. If you have any questions, please contact Construction Management Supervisor, Mike Blank. 5. STATUS OF INITIAL SPECIAL ASSESSMENT LETTERS FOR 2020 CAPITAL PROJECT CONTRACTS: Typically at this time in the construction process, a letter would be sent to property owners with specific information regarding a Public Hearing for the special assessments that are being levied on the properties adjacent to a City of Oshkosh (City) construction project. With the current state of the COVID-19 pandemic and Governor Evers’ “Safer at Home” order, the City will be scheduling Public Hearings later in the year, once the Safer at Home Order has been lifted and the threat from COVID-19 has subsided, allowing residents to more easily participate. Since construction will be starting on these projects, letters were mailed to property owners to provide them with information regarding these City construction projects adjacent to their properties. These letters include a brief description of the construction project; requests for information regarding any private improvements within the right-of-way; and information about the City’s private lead water service replacement program, terrace tree removal, parking, garbage/recycling collection, and mail services during the construction.  Contract 20-04 Project includes the reconstruction of Snell Road, from Jackson Street to Moser Street, and construction of storm sewer on North Main Street.  Contract 20-07 Project includes water main and miscellaneous utility improvements on Washington Avenue, from Lake Shore Drive to Hazel Street; North Meadow Street, from Witzel Avenue to Southland Avenue; and North Eagle Street, from Witzel Avenue to Southland Avenue.  Contract 20-20 Project includes the installation of storm sewer laterals and surface drains to various properties throughout the City. If you wish to sign up to receive e-mail updates on these, or any of the Department of Public Works managed construction projects, please visit the Public Works E-mail Distribution Lists page at: https://www.ci.oshkosh.wi.us/PublicWorks/EmailDistributionLists.aspx. If you have any questions, please contact Engineering Division Manager / City Engineer, Justin Gierach. 6. 2020 SIDEWALK REHAB UNDERWAY: Letters have been sent to all of the property owners in the 2020 sidewalk rehabilitation area. These letters explain the work that will be required to be performed in this area and the cost should they choose to have the City’s contractor, Al Dix Concrete, Inc., perform the work. These letters are sent to all property owners, whether or not there is work needed to be completed in front of their property. Property owners are provided with three (3) options for having this work completed: 5/8/2020 Weekly Newsletter 4 1. Hire a private contractor to complete the work for the owner. 2. Perform the work themselves. 3. Allow the City’s contractor to complete the work. If a property owner chooses to have the City’s contractor perform the work, which most property owners do, there is nothing further they have to do at this time. If they choose to hire a contractor, the contractor must secure a Work in the Right-of-Way Permit by May 31st. The work must be completed by May 31st or, at a minimum, the contract for the work must be signed by May 31st. If the property owner chooses to perform the work themselves, they must secure a Work in the Right-of-Way Permit by May 31st. The work under Contract 20-06 includes the removal and replacement of defective sidewalk in the designated 2020 Sidewalk Rehabilitation Area, installation of new sidewalk in subdivisions, and new walk ordered in on West Waukau Avenue and West 9th Avenue. This Contract also includes the repair of concrete sidewalks and streets at water service and water main break locations throughout the City and installation of handicapped ramps at those intersections currently without ramps. Work on the defective sidewalk in the designated Sidewalk Rehabilitation Area will not commence until June 1st or later. The work the Contractor is starting on now includes the patches necessary from fixing water main and service lateral breaks throughout the winter and ordered-in sidewalk. If you wish to sign up for e-mailed updates on this project please send a blank e-mail to contract2006-subscribe@lists.ci.oshkosh.wi.us. You will receive an e-mail with instructions to complete the update process. If you have any questions, please contact Construction Management Supervisor, Mike Blank. 7. NEW FACE AT OSHKOSH MEDIA: Oshkosh Media has filled its open Communications Coordinator position with a new, but familiar face. Andy Radig began his new role with City on Monday, May 4. Andy comes to us from the City of Wisconsin Rapids where he was their Multimedia Coordinator. Prior to his work in Wisconsin Rapids, Andy was a Radio/TV/Film Engineer at UW-Oshkosh, and the Operations Coordinator for Oshkosh Media from 1995- 2016. As the Communications Coordinator at Oshkosh Media, Andy will serve as the liaison between the City and media outlets, host Oshkosh Media productions, and coordinate Oshkosh Media social media and City communication initiatives, among other tasks. Please welcome Andy back to Oshkosh Media when you see him around or feel free to email him at aradig@ci.oshkosh.wi.us or call 236-5269. 8. GREAT NEIGHBORHOODS PROGRAM – 2020 PROGRAM UPDATE: The Great Neighborhoods Program is designed to enhance the image, market, and physical conditions of Oshkosh neighborhoods. The program provides residents the opportunity to originate projects that enhance quality of life through strategic improvements in the public realm. Working in collaboration with City staff, residents initiate, plan, and implement projects and 5/8/2020 Weekly Newsletter 5 activities in the pursuit of Healthy Neighborhoods of choice in Oshkosh. The Great Neighborhoods Program is funded by the City’s Capital Improvement Program and is intended to strengthen neighborhoods in Oshkosh. Projects examples from past years include the following:  William Waters Plaza Re-design  Sea, Sand, Sailor Land Playground Improvement  Ferry Crossing Crosswalk Improvements  Middle Village Community Garden The most important part of this program is that the projects are resident and neighborhood initiated, meaning that the idea comes directly from City of Oshkosh recognized neighborhood associations. During a typical program cycle, neighborhood groups hold a meeting welcoming any neighborhood member to attend and discuss potential project ideas. Those present vote on which project idea makes the most sense to apply for through the Great Neighborhoods Program. After the group comes to a consensus they work with staff to submit a project application; applications are usually due in early summer. While the City of Oshkosh remains dedicated to investing in the future of our recognized neighborhoods, we want to allow more time for neighborhood associations to safely meet to discuss project ideas. Due to the current pandemic and Governor Evers Safer at Home order we understand that neighborhood associations are unable to gather at this time. As a result staff is extending the program deadline tentatively to fall 2020. More information will be released as we learn more about the current situation. For more information contact Associate Planner, Alexa Naudziunas at anaudziunas@ci.oshkosh.wi.us or (920)236-5126. 9. STAY IN THE KNOW: While the library building is closed to the public, you can still stay up to date on services, online programming and digital resources by subscribing to our eNewsletter. Each month we’ll feature reading recommendations, information about upcoming programs and information from local experts on topics that impact your life. Subscribe to the eNewsletter and you’ll also receive important updates about library services as we move through these uncertain times. Check out some recent editions and subscribe here to stay “in the know” about what the library is doing in our community! 10. COVID-19 RESOURCE LINKS AND INFORMATION:  Citizen Covid-19 Information Site: https://www.ci.oshkosh.wi.us/covid19.aspx.  Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: https://www.cdc.gov/  Wisconsin Department of Health Services: https://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/  Winnebago County Public Health Department: https://www.co.winnebago.wi.us/health/divisions-program-areas/communicable- disease/covid-19-coronavirus/wchd-covid-19-situation 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 11. 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 12. UPCOMING MEETINGS: At 10:00 AM on Monday I will be meeting with Mayor Palmeri to go over Tuesday’s Council Agenda. At 1:00 PM on Thursday I will be participating in a virtual meeting of the LWM Board of Directors. For the remainder of the week I will be available on a limited basis, splitting my time between City Hall and being “on call” for the Emergency Operations Center (EOC). If you have any questions, please contact me.