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HomeMy WebLinkAbout7.17.20newsletter DATE: July 17, 2020 TO: Honorable Mayor and Common Council FROM: Mark Rohloff, City Manager SUBJECT: Weekly Newsletter 1. CITY HALL SET TO REOPEN TO THE PUBLIC: Oshkosh City Hall will reopen to the public on Monday, July 20th. City Hall will resume its regular hours, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. City Hall had been closed to the public since mid-March to help slow the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19). To get ready for the reopening to the public, city staff have been installing signage, hand sanitizer stations, and clear acrylic shielding to protect both the public and city employees. Residents are encouraged to continue conducting business online, by phone, by email and by using the drop box in front of City Hall as much as possible, in an effort to minimize unnecessary contact. Residents are also encouraged to schedule appointments for in-person services. A special COVID-19 webpage at https://www.ci.oshkosh.wi.us/covid19.aspx details the city’s response to COVID-19 and offers details on reopening from individual departments that may not yet offer full services to the public. For questions regarding the reopening of City Hall or to make an appointment, please contact Oshkosh City Hall at (920) 236-5000. 2. RACIAL EQUALITY TRAINING: Given the unsettled times and cultural shifts taking place in communities throughout the U.S., Pastor Joe Butler teamed up with the Oshkosh Police Department to provide his personal perspective related to racial equality in our community through a series of trainings and open dialogue discussions. Pastor Butler is a well-respected person and a leader within the minority community. He is currently a Pastor of his own church, Bethel Worship Center in Oshkosh and serves as the Chaplain for the Wisconsin Resource Center. Both sworn and civilian members of the Oshkosh Police Department attended and participated in training sessions that were held from June 22 – July 13, 2020. These training sessions provided an opportunity for department personnel to discuss recent events, share personal experiences and talk about the overall relationship that law enforcement has with the minority community. Pastor Butler’s goal is to bring awareness of racial equality and find ways to bridge the divide with law enforcement in an effort to build a stronger community that works for all the citizens of Oshkosh. We would like to extend a special thank you to Pastor Butler for his time and expertise and to Rodney Frazier of Rodney’s Café & Catering who graciously donated food for all of the training sessions! 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 3. 2020 EDITION OF CITIZEN SURVEY NOW AVAILABLE: The City of Oshkosh Citizen Survey for 2020 is now available on the City website at: https://www.ci.oshkosh.wi.us/CitizenSurveyResults/ This initiative has been a mutually beneficial partnership with the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh’s Master of Public Administration Program for over a decade. It is one of the resources used by our supervisors, department heads, as well as elected officials as a critical piece in our collective efforts to develop and execute our strategic plan. An additional feature this year is a separate trend analysis of survey results dating back to the initial citizen survey in 2009. The trend analysis offers fascinating insight into how opinions have developed and/or changed over time. Some of the perceptions may have changed over time due to initiatives that have been identified in our Strategic Plan and implemented through subsequent budgets to address areas of improvement identified in prior surveys. Although there has been significant information gathered over time, there is still meaningful work to be done. This is a challenge that everyone involved in serving our community is continuously focused on. If you would like to know more about the Oshkosh Citizen Survey or similar initiatives, please contact John Fitzpatrick, Assistant City Manager/ Director of Administrative Services at jfitzpatrick@ci.oshkosh.wi.us. 4. SLOW REOPENING OF SENIORS CENTER TO BRING A SENSE OF NORMALCY: The Oshkosh Seniors Center will begin a slow reopening in August which will give our seniors an opportunity to participate in some outdoor programming, attend Connect through Tech classes, and exercise in the Fox Fitness Center and outdoors. We want the older adults returning to the Center to feel safe. We will be taking necessary precautions to keep staff and participants safe. Masks, social distancing, and frequent cleaning will become our new normal. Entrance to the building will be given to those that are pre-registered for a class, nail care, or the Fox Fitness Center. Unfortunately, there will still be no “drop-ins” allowed. Explore the many options coming your way. Lunch on the Fox, Painting on the Patio, Connect through Tech, outdoor exercise classes, and more! Virtual programming will continue to be offered so stay tuned to our Facebook page at www.Facebook.com/OshkoshSeniorsCenter and be sure to check out the August newsletter at https://www.ci.oshkosh.wi.us/SeniorServices/Newsletters/August2020.pdf The Oshkosh Seniors Center is here to help you stay active, stay social, and stay informed. For further information, please contact Jean Wollerman, Senior Services Manager, at (920) 232-5300. 5. 2020 FOX-WOLF WATERSHED CLEANUP: The 2020 Fox-Wolf Watershed Cleanup has been rescheduled for Saturday, August 22nd. Registration is now open for this annual event. The Fox-Wolf Watershed Cleanup focuses on cleaning up debris and garbage that accumulates along the shores of lakes and rivers in the watershed. There are 60+ cleanup sites located along the Fox River, the Wolf River, Lake Butte des Morts, and Lake Winnebago. 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 Due to safety concerns, there will be no Cleanup Picnic after the event this year. There will be safety measures in place in order to ensure a fun, safe, and impactful event. These measures include:  High quality, reusable “Site Leader” masks for all cleanup Site Leaders  Extra gloves for all volunteers  Hand sanitizer pumps at all sites  A suggestion for volunteers to wear masks (though not required)  Instructions for social distancing during the event  Disposable masks on hand for volunteers who would like them  First-aid kits at all sites Advance registration is requested to ensure proper supplies are available. If you have any questions regarding event, please contact Director of Public Works, James Rabe. 6. WILLIAM WATERS PLAZA IMPLEMENTATION UPDATE: William Waters Plaza was completed spring of 2019 and has been open for public use. The re-imagined public gathering space encourages entertainment, art exhibits, and event programming. William Waters Plaza is now an amenity in the center city contributing to the quality of life, economic development, infrastructure and the strength of the surrounding neighborhoods. Two items from the project that have not been completed: an art installation and the gazebo. In collaboration with the Oshkosh Area Community Foundation, we are excited to announce that the project has received a private donation of $250,000 to be used to build the plaza center piece, the gazebo. Staff are currently working with the design consultant to create construction level plans for the gazebo structure which is scheduled to begin construction in 2021. Staff is in the early stages of planning for the art installation part of the project as well. Interested in learning more? Please contact Associate Planner, Alexa Naudziunas (920) 236 -5126. 7. MUSEUM CURIOSITIES & THEIR STORIES: The Oshkosh Public Museum is proud to present, Museum Curiosities & Their Stories, an exhibition opening August 16, 2020, through January 10, 2021.  How did a wedding dress save a WWII soldier’s life?  When is a dollhouse NOT a dollhouse?  What is unique about an old milk bottle?  What type of prisoner used wooden handcuffs?  Why would a message be hidden inside a top hat?  Who wore these bizarre slippers?  Why would pebble stones be saved? Museums collect objects to preserve and educate us about our past. But sometimes, artifacts have extra special sagas to tell, which are not evident by just looking at them. The Oshkosh Public Museum has combed through storage to find those items with the most intriguing chronicles to share. Missing will be the usual exhibition data-driven labels of who used what, 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 when, and where, instead visitors will have revealed to them the captivating and sometimes even spine-tingling accounts associated with the artifacts. This “hidden” history of a wide variety of objects held by the Museum holds accounts of secrecy, death-defying, whimsy, and even the unbelievable. In-depth research completed verifying the truth of the reports that came with the donated pieces—uncovering even more than initially known. 8. INSPECTION SERVICES DIVISION 2019 REPORT: The Inspection Services Division saw a 24.63% increase in permit fees collected in Q1 &Q2 of 2020 compared to Q1 & Q2 of 2019 as shown below. The permit values increased by 41% in Q1 &Q2 of 2020 compared to Q1 & Q2 of 2019. Large-scale projects such as the Oshkosh Avenue redevelopment projects have increased the permit values and fees collected in the first half of 2020. There were 72 commercial building, HVAC and plumbing plans reviewed with an average review time of 4 business days. Inspectors made 812 building, HVAC, and plumbing inspections with them being completed on average in 1.1 business day. If you have any questions, please contact Chief Building Official John Zarate. 9. 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 10. ATTACHED REPORTS & UPDATES: Attached is the weekly Museum Board Memo. 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://onboard.ci.oshkosh.wi.us/. 12. UPCOMING MEETINGS: On Monday at 8:30 AM I will be on WOSH radio doing my monthly interview with Bob Burnell. At 10 AM I will be meeting with Finance Director Van Gompel to discuss 2021 budget preparation. At 3:00 PM on Tuesday I will be meeting with Q1 & Q2 Building Permits Issued Plumbing Permits Electric Permits HVAC Permits Total Value of Permits Total Permit Fees Collected 2019 607 717 455 363 $47,203,926 $341,340.42 2020 652 599 395 398 $66,585,337 $425,403.07 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 staff to discuss the next steps to review the special assessment process. On Thursday at 7:30 AM I will be participating in a virtual meeting of the “Be Safe Wisconsin” initiative. On Friday at 8:00 AM I will be attending a virtual meeting with other community leaders to discuss the UW Oshkosh, Safe Return Implementation. If you have any questions regarding my schedule, please contact me.