HomeMy WebLinkAbout07.09.21 Newsletter
TO: Honorable Mayor and Members of the Common Council
FROM: Mark Rohloff, City Manager
DATE: July 9, 2021
RE: Weekly Newsletter
1. FIRE CHIEF OF THE YEAR: On Saturday, June 26, Oshkosh Fire Chief Michael Stanley
was presented with the 2021 Wisconsin State Fire Chiefs' Association (WSFCA) Chief of
the Year Award. The award was presented at the annual Fire Chiefs' Conference that was
held at Lambeau Field in Green Bay. The award selection criteria emphasize leadership,
innovation, professional development, integrity, service to the public and contributions
to the fire service as a whole. Nominees for the award are reviewed by a selection panel
comprised of Fire Chiefs from throughout the state. Congratulations, Chief Stanley!
2. SAFETY LEADERSHIP AWARD: At the same Fire Chiefs conference, the City of
Oshkosh Fire Department also received the 2021 Safety Leadership Award. "Even though
the COVID-19 Pandemic slowed our progress in 2020, the City of Oshkosh Fire
Department was able to implement significant changes to our operations and procedures
that improved the safety of our firefighters and the community. These changes are a
demonstration of a whole scale cultural shift within the department that has brought the
focus on safety into the forefront," wrote Assistant Chief Bending.
3. AQUAHAWK REACHES 500+ SUBSCRIBERS: The new AquaHawk service went live
on June 1st, 2021 and just under one month, over 533 residents signed up and are utilizing
the service! Information on Aquahawk was sent in the Utility bills for June and will also
be included with the July Utility Bills.
AquaHawk service allows water customers to receive leak alerts and access water usage
information online. By subscribing to this free service, customers can view water
consumption, receive timely leak alerts, and control water expenses. Customers can use
the system to avoid unexpected high bills and costly water damage from leaks.
AquaHawk alerts users if there is unusually high water usage at their location or if they
are trending toward a high water bill. AquaHawk allows users to monitor their water use
remotely, even when out of town because it is web based. The service can email, text or
call users if they are experiencing higher than normal water use according to user-
designated thresholds. The user interface also provides billing estimates and projections
for customers. To register for AquaHawk, visit https://oshkwi.aquahawk.us/.
The system is easy to use, and online help is available. Water Distribution will continue
to monitor customers with high water usage and possible leaks and will send out
servicemen, if needed, for more information, contact the Oshkosh Water Utility at (920)
232-5336 or email waterdistribution@ci.oshkosh.wi.us.
4. WDOT RESTARTS JACKSON/OREGON STREET BRIDGE DESIGN PROCESS:
Staff from the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WDOT) met with Public Works
Director James Rabe and me on June 29th to discuss the restarting of the Jackson/Oregon
Street Bridge design process. The existing bridge was constructed in 1956 and is nearing
the end of its service life. WDOT began an environmental study in 2015 that investigated
a wide range of improvement alternatives for the bridge. In late 2017, WDOT made the
decision to delay the construction start until summer 2028. WDOT also suspended the
environmental study with an intent to resume that effort in spring 2021. At the time of
that decision, the number of improvement alternatives had been narrowed to seven (7)
and the Oshkosh Common Council had voted 4 – 3 in support of a full bridge replacement
with an on-alignment lift bridge. There was significant debate among Council members
and the majority felt there was no clear choice. The City also expressed strong concerns
about accepting bridge ownership after replacement.
Members of the WDOT consultant design team accompanied WDOT Northeast Region
bridge maintenance engineers in April 2021 to complete an updated bridge inspection
and confirmed that a summer 2028 construction start was appropriate, based on the
overall bridge condition. Based on those findings, WDOT intends to resume the
environmental study over the next couple of months, beginning with local stakeholder
group meetings to reaffirm the local objectives on the improvement project.
Improvement alternatives will then be re-developed, based on these local objectives, and
additional coordination with local officials and public outreach will occur.
Please contact Director of Public Works James Rabe with additional questions regarding
this project. Follow the link below to the full project page on the WDOT website:
https://wisconsindot.gov/Pages/projects/by-region/ne/oshkoshbr/default.aspx
5. NEW PERSONALIZED SERVICES AT OSHKOSH PUBLIC LIBRARY: Community
members can now Book-a-Librarian for in-person or online assistance using library
resources and digital services; getting personalized book recommendations; exploring
genealogy and local history; building technology skills and more. The 30-minute sessions
are available by appointment. Call (920) 236-5205 or stop by the service desk on the
library’s Second Floor to Book-a-Librarian.
6. LIBRARIAN RECEIVES AWARD: Local History and Genealogy Librarian Michael
McArthur received the Community Partner Award from Learning in Retirement for his
“significant contribution to the University of Wisconsin Learning in Retirement program
during the 2020-2021 program year.” OPL has been doing presentations for LIR for
several years, covering local history, technology and a variety of other topics for this
group of active life-long learners. Congratulations Michael!
7. 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/.
8. COVID-19 RESOURCE LINKS AND INFORMATION:
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
9. UPCOMING MEETINGS: Among the meetings I have scheduled for the week of July
12 include the following: At 8:30 AM on Monday, I will be doing my monthly interview
with Bob Burnell on WOSH radio. At 10:00 AM I will be meeting with staff to discuss the
flood plain zoning options. At 1:30 PM I will be meeting with Oshkosh Media to discuss
social media marketing. At 3:00 PM I am meeting with Finance Director Van Gompel to
organize information for the CIP workshop on Tuesday. At 2:00 PM on Tuesday I am
meeting with Mayor Palmeri to discuss Tuesday’s agenda. At 5:00 PM I will be attending
the CIP budget workshop with Council. On Thursday at 5:00 PM I will be attending the
Fox Community Credit Union/Oshkosh location groundbreaking event. At 7:30 AM on
Friday I am meeting with Stuart Kuzik of the Oshkosh Housing Authority. If you have
any questions about my schedule, please contact me.