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HomeMy WebLinkAbout6.19.20 Newsletter and Attachments DATE: June 19, 2020 TO: Honorable Mayor and Common Council FROM: Mark Rohloff, City Manager SUBJECT: Weekly Newsletter 1. LIBRARY RESUMES CURBSIDE SERVICE, DROP BOXES OPEN FOR RETURNS: Oshkosh Public Library will resume contactless curbside pickup of library materials on Monday June 22. The service was suspended after a staff member tested positive for COVID- 19. The affected staff member has recovered, and no additional cases have been reported at this time. The library will also start accepting returns of library materials to the drop boxes on Mount Vernon Street starting June 22. The library building has been sanitized as recommended by CDC guidelines. As curbside service resumes, here’s what you need to know: • Staff will call patrons to schedule pickup appointments, including individuals whose appointments were cancelled when service was suspended. • Patrons can continue to place holds on library materials at oshkoshpubliclibrary.org or call 920-236-5205 (Information Services) or 920-236-5208 (Children’s & Family Outreach). • Due dates for all materials have been extended to June 25 or later. • The library will fill holds on materials owned by Oshkosh Public Library starting June 22. • Staff will begin filling holds on materials owned by other Winnefox libraries sometime during the week of June 29. • Because items owned by Oshkosh will be checked in first, materials from other libraries may continue to appear on patrons’ accounts after they are returned. Fines will not be assessed during that period. • The library will continue to quarantine materials for 72 hours after they are returned so wait times may be longer than usual. No fines are assessed while materials are quarantined. 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 2. DOWNTOWN OSHKOSH – MINI MURAL PROJECT 2020: The Public Arts and Beautification Committee would like to provide an update on the public arts initiative installed in downtown Oshkosh. The mini mural project is an art installation that is located on 20 exterior walls on private property in downtown Oshkosh. 20 pieces of art are on display that were created by local artists. The original work of local artists was digitally printed onto vinyl sheets displaying their work. With the permission of the property owner, the vinyl sheets were adhered to the approved walls. The vinyl material is durable, weather resistant and can be easily removed, if needed, without damaging the wall surface. The project used a high end material designed for clean removal from surfaces. The Public Arts and Beautification Committee partnered with Art City Wraps to install the art free of cost to property owners. Mimicking a gallery experience, the works of art is displayed at eye level with a separate plaque denoting the artist’s information. This project is organized by a group of partners including Art City Wraps, Oshkosh Convention and Visitors Bureau, and the Oshkosh Area Community Foundation. The following states the project goals: Goal 1: Introduce more art into downtown Oshkosh. Goal 2: Create an opportunity for local artists to showcase their work. Goal 3: Increase visits to downtown Oshkosh. June 6, 2020 was the launch date making the art available for public view. Property owners were approached with the request of volunteering their exterior walls for the uses of this project. It was free to property owners, but they agreed to leave the art up for a minimum of three years. Since installation this project has received several press inquiries including print articles and live news features. Below are the links to the press coverage. Please contact Alexa Naudziunas, at (920) 236-5126 or anaudziunas@ci.oshkosh.wi.us if you have any questions or concerns.  Project website:  https://www.visitoshkosh.com/mini-mural-project/  Press Coverage  https://www.wearegreenbay.com/local5live-onlocation/enjoy-local-artwork- at-the-mini-mural-project-in-oshkosh/  https://www.wbay.com/content/news/Oshkosh-mini-mural-project-expected- to-add-color-downtown--571064261.html  https://www.nbc26.com/news/local-news/local-artists-celebrated-in-oshkosh- mini-mural-project  https://www.wearegreenbay.com/news/local-news/mini-mural-project- brings-creative-energy-to-downtown-oshkosh/ 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  http://whattheythink.com/news/101183-oshkosh-outdoor-mural-art-gallery- shows-whats-possible-easy-apply-color-popping-avery-dennison-digitally- printable-films/ 3. COVID-19 RESOURCE LINKS AND INFORMATION: o Citizen Covid-19 Information Site: https://www.ci.oshkosh.wi.us/covid19.aspx o Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: https://www.cdc.gov/ o Wisconsin Department of Health Services: https://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/ o Winnebago County Public Health Department: https://www.co.winnebago.wi.us/health/divisions-program- areas/communicable-disease/covid-19-coronavirus/wchd-covid-19-situation 4. ATTACHED REPORTS & UPDATES: The weekly Museum Board Memo and the Oshkosh Public Library June Highlights. 5. 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://onboard.ci.oshkosh.wi.us/. 6. UPCOMING MEETINGS: At 8:30 AM on Monday, I will be doing my monthly radio interview with Bob Burnell on WOSH. At 9:00 AM I will be meeting with Mayor Palmeri to go over Tuesday’s agenda. At 11:00 AM I will be meeting with staff to prepare for the 2nd quarter virtual employee meeting, scheduled for Wednesday. On Tuesday at 11:30 AM I will be meeting with staff to discuss the possibility of a July 6th opening of City Hall to the public. I will advise Council of my decision shortly thereafter. On Thursday at 10:00 AM I will be attending a virtual meeting regarding the OFD’s selection to participate in the Fire Service Organizational Culture of Safety (FOCUS) survey. If you have any questions regarding my schedule, please contact me. June 19, 2020 To the Board, I hope this finds everyone well and enduring these extraordinary times. The draft agenda goes out next Friday and you will see that the election of officers will be at the start of the meeting. I am checking into whether it is possible to participate remotely and will let everyone know next week. We will meet in the Sawyer Library and tables will be well spaced for distancing. However, I suggest everyone wear a mask. I will make every effort to keep the meeting focused and keep my report short and to the point. At this time I do not know if we will meet in August, but I believe a September meeting will be necessary to approve the use of trusts and funds as part of the 2021 budget request. At this time we anticipate reopening the Museum on Tuesday, July 7, provided City Hall opens on Monday, July 6. We are prepared and have adequate precautions established and a sound cleaning routine ready to go. Our interactive elements are covered and not available to visitors, and we will be encouraging distancing. As often happens, things will no doubt evolve as we see how visitors react, but I believe that we have a good starting point. In addition to the entrance changes, when we open visitors will see other changes throughout the Museum. The oriental rugs in the Sawyer home were badly worn and reflected poorly on the grandeur and look of the home and its galleries. Working with Great Estates in Neenah, we were able to purchase three rugs and they will be in place by July 7. The contract revisions for Titanic were approved and signed and we now have firm 2021 dates. The exhibition will open July 21, 2021 and close October 13. Please note those are mid-week dates. The reason for this is to alleviate the intense pressure that a popular exhibition brings, and lessen the impact on staff and facilities. The gallery renovation is close to completion and next week the trim will be painted. I have no doubt that you will be impressed. The entrance and galleries changes all contribute to enhance the visitor perception that this is a first class museum. In other news, since there is no 4th of July parade or fireworks this year because of the virus, staff worked with Oshkosh Media to use our collections to create a video on Independence Day in Oshkosh. This was a team effort and I commend Anna Cannizzo, Deb Daubert, Emily Rock, Katrina Achilli, and Tammy Malewski for their good work on this project. It will air on the access channel as we get closer to the Holiday. The Museum is just starting a project at the Ceape Street fire station. The station’s entrance hall will be updated with a large photo mural that presents the history and mission of the Fire Department in a modern, visually pleasing way. Like the Independence Day video, the mural will be a great use of our historic resources, and a benefit to that department. This project is under the direction of Emily Rock, with Katrina Achilli, Daniel Fiser, Matt Reinke, and Greg Witthun contributing their skills. That ends the week and I hope you have a pleasant weekend. Brad Larson Oshkosh Public Library Highlights June 2020 1. The library’s 2020 Summer Reading Challenge is underway, with signup beginning June 15. Children, teens and adults can track their reading and engage in activities using Beanstack on their computer, tablet, laptop or smartphone. Readers earn badges and entries for prizes as they pursue their reading goals. Visit oshkoshpubliclibrary.org to find video guides to using Beanstack and book lists to keep you reading all summer. Readers who don’t have online access or prefer to do the program offline can request a paper version of the reading/activity tracker. 2. Children and families can request take-home STEAM kits to pick up via OPL’s curbside pickup service starting in June. Every two weeks a new kit will be released with supplies and instructions for a STEAM-inspired activity. Kits include Botany in a Bag, Skittle Chromatography, Catapult Engineering, UV Kid with Color Changing Beads and Roll a Story - Games with Dice. The library will also offer video versions of its Wonderlab STEAM program on the library’s YouTube channel throughout the summer. 3. Library lions Sawyer and Harris got their annual “buff and polish” recently, taking on a brilliant sheen at their posts guarding the historic Washington Avenue entrance. In addition, the library is saluting our 2020 graduates with a banner across the railing between the lions. 4. OPL has started a new online chat service on our website and it is already a well-used channel for patrons seeking information services. OPL Information Services staff answered nearly 400 questions in May, including those coming in via Facebook Messenger and text. Chat is a convenient way for patrons to communicate with the library digitally in real time. It also has become an important alternative form of communication given the increase in phone calls generated by curbside services.