Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutnewsletter TO: Honorable Mayor and Members of the Common Council FROM: Mark Rohloff, City Manager DATE: December 17, 2021 RE: Weekly Newsletter 1. HEADING OFF AN EMERGENCY: Two staff members of the Department of Public Works independently noticed that something was amiss within the water distribution system. A contractor boring for a utility company hit an eight-inch (8”) water service on the southwest side of the City of Oshkosh. This resulted in significant water loss through the broken pipe, as water pressure in this area is normally around 70 psi. One staff member was observing the construction of a sanitary sewer nearby and noticed the utility contractor having issues with water. The other staff member was operating the Water Filtration Plant and immediately noticed the water levels in the nearby water tower rapidly dropping. Both of those staff members immediately contacted appropriate Public Works staff members, which started a rapid response of approximately six other Water Utility staff to isolate the break, and the water tower, from the rest of the system. The water tower was less than five minutes from being completely drained of water. Had that occurred, the water tower would have needed to be taken out of service for several days to go through disinfection and testing protocols. All staff members involved in this response acted with the utmost professionalism and urgency. It is the actions of all involved that spared the utility and community from a greater crisis. 2. RIGHT-OF-WAY PERMIT FEES: During the review of the 2022 Operating Budget, Council approved the creation of a Right-of-Way Permit Civil Engineering Technician position, funded by Right-of-Way Permit fees. At the November 23, 2021 Council meeting, Council approved the following fee structure for Right-of-Way Permits effective January 1, 2022:  Base Fee: $15.00  Cost per foot: $0.75  Cost per structure: $25.00 These costs are cumulative for every permit. The Base Fee is for every permit and covers all work within the right-of-way. The cost per foot will be measured along the centerline (running line) of the proposed work. The cost per structure is for any power pole, manhole, hand hole, vault, box, pedestal, etc. that will be placed within the right-of-way. If you have any questions, please contact Engineering Division Manager / City Engineer, Justin Gierach. 3. SHOP WITH A COP 2021: The Oshkosh Police Department participated in this year’s “Shop With A Cop” event at Walmart on Tuesday, December 14, 2021. Generous donations from organizations such as Walmart and TelecomPioneers Wisconsin Chapter #4 made this year’s “Shop With A Cop” possible! Police Officers and Police Department employees shopped with children who bought gifts for their family members and themselves. This year, 10 children were chosen to receive $275 in gifts per family! Lieutenant Matt Ziegler, School Resource Officers Chee Vang and Deana Brandl, PIO/Crime Prevention Officer Kate Mann, Police Officers Dani Jo Burns, Evan Atkinson, Angel Nunez and Tanner Rasmussen, along with Amy Mehling, Julie Bohn, Nicole Fisher and Rosalie Duron all joined in on the holiday fun! We want to sincerely thank the generosity of the donors and volunteers who not only make this program such a success but also provide an opportunity for the Police Department and the community to come together to provide a heartwarming holiday season for Oshkosh families. 4. ASSESSOR’S OFFICE ACTIVITY DETAIL– NOVEMBER 2021: 248 Real Estate Transfers Processed 1 Parcel Combinations 3 Classification Shifts 1 Parcel Splits 109 Residential Permit Reviews 77 Sale Reviews 1 Neighborhood Review 499 Permits Coded 5 Mobile Home Changes 24 Personal Property Contact 20 Personal Property Accounts Entered 17 Mailing Address Changes The City of Oshkosh Assessor’s office continually strives to provide fair and equitable real estate assessed values. Please contact our office with any questions at 920-236-5070 or lalger@ci.oshkosh.wi.us. 5. SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE: As out-of-town guests visit for the holidays and kids slide into winter break, keep everyone entertained when they’re gathered at home. Count on Oshkosh Public Library to help fill the time between celebrations and all winter long.  A stack of books for all ages keeps boredom at bay during down time and sets the scene for special reading moments with little ones. Place your favorites on hold or come browse our selection at the Library.  TIY Kits (Try It Yourself) offer hands-on experiences for all ages. Try star gazing, candle making or check out a ukulele. Gather the kids to experiment with snap circuits, fingerprinting or magnets. See what’s available and try something new!  Is staying connected important to your visitors or kids home for winter break? Check out a Wi-Fi Hotspot or Chromebook.  Stream movies, music and more with Hoopla. Download the app to your phone, smart TV or Roku and even connect to your Alexa device or listen in the car. Start streaming today! Apply for a Library card online or visit the library during regular hours and we’ll set you up! 6. WHITE CHRISTMAS-THE EXHIBITION AND OPERATION WAVERLY: In connection with White Christmas: The Exhibition, the Museum is hosting Operation Waverly. This program assists homeless Veterans through the Day by Day Warming Shelter in Oshkosh. Visitors have already donated generously to benefit Veterans in need. In addition to collecting items for the shelter, the Museum is offering three in-house programs as part of Operation Waverly. On Saturday, December 18, Holiday Letters will be read by special guests from the Museum’s permanent archival collection. These letters were written by soldiers during various wars. On January 8th, The Thirteen Folds, will allow visitors to learn why the American Flag is folded 13 times; the following day, January 9th, Miss Wisconsin Outstanding Teen, Eve Vanden Heuvel, will host an event for visitors to make thank-you letters for current deployed military personnel as well as and veterans in the hospital. Please join us! 7. REPORTS ATTACHMENTS UPDATES AND LINKS: Attached is the weekly Museum Board Memo and Operation Waverly flyer. 8. 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/. 9. 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 10. UPCOMING MEETINGS: The only meeting of note that I have scheduled for the week of December 20 will be at 9:30 AM on Monday with Museum Director Sarah Philips to discuss miscellaneous initiatives and her first few weeks on the job. As a reminder city offices will be closed December 23 and 24 in observance of Christmas, and Friday December 31 for the New Year holiday. I will be out of the office on the observed holidays, and December 27 - 30. If you have any questions about my schedule, please contact me. Happy Holidays!