HomeMy WebLinkAbout1.15.21 Newsletter
DATE: January 15, 2021
TO: Honorable Mayor and Common Council
FROM: Mark Rohloff, City Manager
SUBJECT: Weekly Newsletter
1. SUSTAINABLE OSHKOSH UPDATES: On Monday, January 5th, 2021, Professor Misty
McPhee of UW-Oshkosh submitted the attached report titled Sustainable Oshkosh Webpage
Update. This report is the culmination of a semester of research by students in her
Environmental Studies Program senior seminar and presents an in depth look at the
Sustainable Oshkosh webpage, which is located on the City of Oshkosh website. Through
examination of each link available on the webpage, the report has recommendations for the
Sustainability Advisory Board to consider when updating its webpage, providing input on
what updates should be done and why keeping the webpage updated is important. The
report will serve as a valuable resource as the Sustainability Advisory Board updates the
Sustainable Oshkosh webpage. Should you have questions regarding the attached report or
future collaboration between the University and Sustainability Advisory Board, please
contact Assistant Planner, Brandon Nielsen, at 920-236-5061.
2. CITY UNITED WAY CAMPAIGN SETS RECORD: The annual City of Oshkosh Area
United Way campaign wrapped up in December. This year’s goal wasn’t linked to dollars,
but focused on awareness and increased participation. In 2019 thirty one city employees
pledged in the campaign, donating just over $5,000.00. 2020’s participation increased by
eleven employees with a total of $11,035.80 pledged! Our goal remains to increase
participation. Thanks to all employees who support our local United Way.
3. NEW SERVICES AT OPL: Below are activities that make it easy for families to fit reading
and literacy into their lives whenever it’s convenient for them.
Dial-A-Story: Take a break from screen time to listen to a short story, selected and
recorded by one of our childrenʹs staff. Dial-A-Story helps children with vocabulary,
listening skills, and reading comprehension. Stories are changed weekly, and you can
call the storyline at (920) 770-2760 as often as youʹd like!
Stories and Stretches: Beat winter boredom with a new story time experience! Kids
get the wiggles out and expand their imaginations in fun, new ways. Each short video
combines creative movement and deep breathing with a picture book for a unique,
whole body reading experience. Watch the full season on the libraryʹs YouTube
channel or check the program listings at oshkoshmedia.org. Special thanks to
Oshkosh Media for producing and airing the videos!
Storytime in a Bag: Enjoy story time at home or in the classroom with a themed
collection of books and activities in a convenient to-go bag. Sample themes include:
Things that Go, All about Wisconsin, Unicorns/Mermaids, Construction,
Ninjas/Zombies and more. Available for checkout with your library card: Search
“story time in a bag” in the online catalog. Sponsored by a grant from the Mildred
and Edward Baar Youth and Education Fund through the Oshkosh Area Community
Foundation.
Winter Reading for all ages! Read and log your minutes; complete activities and
unlock badges to earn prizes, runs through February 27. All on the fun and easy
Beanstack app. Visit our website or call 920-236-5205 for assistance registering.
Author Visit: Save the Date, Saturday February 27 at 10 a.m. To cap off your winter
reading experience, award-winning children’s book author and educator Kate
Messner will join us via Zoom for an interactive author visit! Wild Winter Read Off
participants will receive an email with the Zoom link, or you can register at
tinyurl.com/y2fe2oeh.
4. CITY MANAGER’S TOP WEEKLY READS: please find below links to news articles that
may be relevant to us.
How Leaders from Very Different Communities Connect with Residents in a Socially-
Distanced World
6 Ways Local Governments Can Engage Young Adults
5. ATTACHED REPORTS & UPDATES: December reports for the Greater Oshkosh
Emergency Loan fund and the weekly Museum Board memo.
6. 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/.
7. 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
8. UPCOMING MEETINGS: Among the meetings I have scheduled for the week of January
18 include the following: At 11:00 AM on Monday I will be attending the Joint Review Board
virtual meeting regarding proposed TIF #40 (Miles Kimball building). At 2:00 PM I will be
meeting with staff to discuss the revisions to our sanitary district agreements. On
Wednesday at 7:30 AM I will be attending the GOEDC’s Board of Directors meeting. At 2:00
PM I will be meeting with staff to discuss the 4th quarter update of the 2019-2020 Strategic
Plan. At 6:00 PM I will be attending the virtual joint meeting of the City of Oshkosh Common
Council and the Oshkosh Area School Board. On Friday at 9:30 AM I will be on WHBY radio
to be interviewed on their “Fresh Take” program with Josh Dukelow. If you have any
questions regarding my schedule, please contact me.