HomeMy WebLinkAbout7.24.20newsletter
DATE: July 24, 2020
TO: Honorable Mayor and Common Council
FROM: Mark Rohloff, City Manager
SUBJECT: Weekly Newsletter
1. SENIORS CENTER SLOW REOPENING EXTENDS INTO SEPTEMBER: The Oshkosh
Seniors Center will begin its slow reopening in August, and will now extend into September,
giving seniors the opportunity to participate in some outdoor programming, attend Connect
through Tech classes, and exercise in the Fox Fitness Center and outdoors.
Entrance to the building will be given to those that are pre-registered for a class, nail care, or
the Fox Fitness Center. Unfortunately, no “drop-ins” are allowed. The staff at the Seniors
Center is taking necessary precautions to keep other staff and participants safe by wearing
masks, social distancing, and frequent cleaning of common areas and surfaces.
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 our current 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.
2. CLERK’S OFFICE IS FULLY STAFFED: Welcome to the new team members, Missy Boothe,
our Election Specialist, and Kathy Vomastic, our Limited Term Employee. They are a great
addition to the lineup, and both have completed the required training for WisVote and are
assisting in the preparation of the August 11, 2020 election with registering voters, prepping
ballots to be mailed, and documenting ballots that have been returned to the office. The
Clerk’s Office has processed/mailed just over 11,500 absentee ballots to voters since June 26,
2020, and received back just over 4,000. In-person early voting will start on Tuesday, July
28th and will continue through Friday, August 7th. The number of individuals in the
building to vote will be monitored, employees will have PPE, and all sanitizing procedures
will be followed.
3. ELECTION DAY: Tuesday, August 11, 2020 is Election Day. Polls will be open from 7:00
a.m. to 8:00 p.m. If voters have questions, please check the city website at
www.ci.oshkosh.wi.us or My Vote Wisconsin at www.myvote.wi.gov. Voters may also call
the City Clerk’s office at 236-5011.
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
4. UPDATES AND UPGRADES IN OSHKOSH PARKS: The Parks Department has had great
success in recent weeks completing maintenance and construction projects throughout the
parks. To highlight a few specifics: Congress Tot Lot new play equipment is open for public
use and has been well received by the neighborhood. Teichmiller Park batting cage is
complete and patrons are actively using the site. Bowen Street Fishing Dock replacement of
decking with composite material was completed through the generous donation from Battle
on Bago and Otter Street Fishing Club. Rusch Park received three new memorial benches
through our Memorial Bench program. Menominee Park outdoor exercise equipment was
installed and is open to the public for use. We may not be able to host all of the events and
programs our department was planning in 2020, but keep your eyes peeled for all the new
amenities being installed that will improve recreational opportunities for residents and
visitors. If you have any questions about current of future upgrades please do not hesitate
to contact Chad Dallman, Assistant Parks Director at (920) 236-5080.
5. LOTS TO DO AT THE ZOO! 2020 is the Menominee Park Zoo’s 75th Anniversary and we
are making the best of it! There are small group activities taking place daily throughout the
summer! Be sure to check out the new animals that now call the zoo home: three new wolves,
an albino raccoon, two foxes and a badger. We can’t wait to see you at the zoo! If you have
any questions regarding the zoo or the daily activities, please contact Jenny McCollian,
Revenue Facilities Manager at (920) 232-5319 or visit the zoo website for more information
https://www.ci.oshkosh.wi.us/Parks/MenomineeParkZoo.
6. BATTLING BUGS IN CITY TREES: During the past year, the Landscape Operations
Division has identified high numbers of Ash trees on both public and private property that
have active infestations of Emerald Ash Borer which causes rapid tree mortality. Although
we have approximately 600 City-owned Ash trees currently under treatment to protect
against this devastating insect, many of the untreated trees are being removed due to decline.
Ash becomes brittle and dangerous to remove if left standing dead for an extended period
of time, so we are reminding anyone who has affected trees to plan for removal as soon as
possible or begin treatment of unaffected trees now if you are interested in saving them.
Emerald Ash Borer was first identified within the City limits in July 2016 and will continue
to be a problem for an extended amount of time. If you have any questions regarding the
Emerald Ash Borer or general tree questions, please contact Bill Sturm, Landscape
Operations Manager at (920) 236-5080.
7. SHORELINE RESTORATION AT SOUTH PARK LAGOONS: Native plant installation at
the South Park lagoons is scheduled to begin soon. The City is working with Marshland
Transplant Aquatic Nursery of Berlin to complete restoration of the site which will include
vegetative enhancements to the terrestrial/aquatic zone through the installation of shoreline
and emergent live plants along with native seed and live plant installation in the wet
meadow zones. Herbivore protection fencing to limit waterfowl plant browsing during
initial plant establishment will also be adjusted as part of this restoration project. If you have
any questions regarding the South Park Lagoon Restoration project, please contact Bill
Sturm, Landscape Operations Manager at (920) 236-5080.
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
8. 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
9. ATTACHED REPORTS & UPDATES: Attached is the weekly Museum Board Memo.
10. 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/.
11. UPCOMING MEETINGS: On Monday at 9:00 AM I will be meeting with Mayor Palmeri to
go over Tuesday’s agenda. At 2:30 PM on Wednesday, I will be participating in a virtual
meeting for the “Be Well Fox Valley” Leadership Team. On Thursday at Noon, I will be
participating in a United Way Committee Meeting. If you have any questions regarding my
schedule, please contact me.