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HomeMy WebLinkAbout12.22.21 Newsletter TO: Honorable Mayor and Members of the Common Council FROM: Mark Rohloff, City Manager DATE: December 22, 2021 RE: Weekly Newsletter 1. HEALTHCARE SYSTEM SPEAKS UP ON COVID IMPACT: I was invited by ThedaCare to attend a virtual community conversation regarding the latest information on the spread of Covid in our community, including the rising number of cases with the Omicron variant. The following link summarizes the presentation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LcfLXaKSrCo One of the statistics that caught my attention had to do with the effectiveness of the vaccine against the Omicron variant. For someone who had the first set of the Covid vaccine, the vaccine is 35% effective, and that the effectiveness rate rises to 75% with a booster shot. In other words, it is vitally important for people to seek the booster shot to protect themselves against this new variant. The information from ThedaCare reinforces my decision to continue the mask mandate in city buildings through January. Hopefully, people will use this information to take extra precautions during the holiday season so that the spread can be limited. 2. EXHIBITION EXTENDED THROUGH FEBRUARY 13TH: The Oshkosh Public Museum is pleased to announce the extension of “White Christmas: The Exhibition!” To date, over 3,700 guests have visited the exhibit and been enveloped by the costumes and nostalgia of the popular 1950s film. The extension offers the public three additional weeks to see the exhibit. Advanced ticketing is highly encouraged- Click here to purchase tickets: https://httpwwwoshkoshmuseumorgoshkoshpublicmuseum.ticketleap.com/white- christmas-the-exhibition/ 3. DOCUMENTARIES AIRING ON OSHKOSH MEDIA GOV TV: Oshkosh Media Gov TV will feature some “marathons” of documentary programs. On December 23rd, aviation history programs that had been recorded by local historian Dick Campbell will air from 1:30 pm to 5:30 pm. On December 24th, Lew Mallow’s documentaries about Abraham Lincoln will air from 6 pm to 10:30 pm. On December 25th, Lew Mallow’s documentaries about the Civil War will air from 7 pm to 11 pm. Full schedules can be found on www.OshkoshMedia.org. Oshkosh Media Gov TV can be seen on Spectrum channel 10, AT&T U-verse channel 99, the Oshkosh Media app for Roku, Apple TV and Amazon Fire TV, and streaming on www.OshkoshMedia.org. 4. PARKS DEPARTMENT THANKFUL AT HOLIDAYS: As we approach the holidays and the weather remains quiet, it has given our department time to catch up on some seasonal operations in the parks. People continue to use the trails and green space as temperatures and conditions permit. Due to the cooperative efforts of the Finance Department and Council, our department is excited for the approval to construct the four season building at Lakeshore Park. The pavilion will provide opportunity for use year round with fantastic views of the Fox River. The Parks Department is wishing everyone a safe, healthy and happy holiday season! If you have any questions regarding projects, please contact Chad Dallman, Assistant Parks Director, at (920) 236-5080. 5. WINTER WONDERLAND AWAITS: The weather is looking to get cold enough that soon we will be able to open our outdoor ice rink at Roe Park! The ice rink is once again located in Roe Park, right next to the downtown YMCA at 300 Washington Avenue and will be open daily as long as weather and ice conditions allow. The City of Oshkosh Parks Department, Oshkosh Recreation Department and the Oshkosh YMCA have teamed up to offer some great family special events for the Oshkosh area community. You will want to print off the attached flyer and plan to attend the first event on January 7th for Super Hero Night from 5-7pm. On January 21st will be Luau Night with DJ Skip. Heat up the ice and show off those dancing moves. Ice skates will be available at the rink for free rentals on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from 3-7pm thanks to Dr. Eric’s Skate Club; weather, ice conditions and volunteers permitting. New in 2022: cross country ski demos will be offered on event nights compliments of the Oshkosh Recreation Department in partnership with International Youth Sailing of Oshkosh. Follow the Oshkosh Parks Department Facebook page for updates. If you have any questions, please contact Jenny McCollian, Revenue Facilities Manager, at (920) 232-5319. 6. THE SEARCH FOR ELVES IN OSHKOSH PARKS CONTINUES: Ernie the Elf will be going back to the North Pole at the end of December, but keep your eyes open for Flaky Francine as she plays hide and seek with the residents of Oshkosh at various parks around town! Clues will continue to be posted on Wednesdays and Fridays on the Oshkosh Parks Department Facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/OshkoshParks. Park patrons have been having fun tagging #FindErnietheElf and we hope they will continue along on the fun as we #FindFlakyFrancine. If you have any questions regarding this family friendly winter time fun please contact Jenny McCollian, Revenue Facilities Manager, at (920) 232- 5319. 7. LANDSCAPING CONTINUES: The Landscape Operations Division is currently working on pruning terrace trees in the areas North of E. Irving St and East of Grand St. to Lake Winnebago as well as all areas North of Murdock Av. There are approximately 2000 terrace trees in these maintenance zones and the work will continue throughout the winter months. Removal of Emerald Ash Borer affected trees will also continue to take place throughout the City. If you have any questions, please contact Bill Sturm, Landscape Operations Manager, at (920) 236-5080. 8. A GREAT EXCUSE TO LEARN SOMETHING NEW: What do Green Bay Packer tickets and the Oshkosh Seniors Center's Connect through Tech program have in common? When the Packer tickets went 100% digital, the appointments for technology went soaring. Suddenly older adults needed to understand the digital ticketing process and how to use smartphones that supported the new process. Many of the people we saw have been going to Packer games for over 60 years, so you can imagine what this type of "change" had on them. Early in December, the Oshkosh Seniors Center had the opportunity to meet with the five grantees that received funding from Bader Philanthropies, Inc. to address social isolation through technology for updates on all the programs. In 2021 the Center received $152,000 to implement a program designed to provide digital literacy opportunities to the older adults from our community. The Connect through Tech program consists of one-on-one technology sessions and monthly group classes. Since implementing the program in August 2020, we have served 1,714 visits and 301 individuals. Learning about technology is not a one-and-done class. Individuals attend an average of 5.7 sessions. Monthly class topics vary; Getting Started with Streaming TV, New Technology in Hearing Devices, Online Shopping, and Everything Google have all been well-attended. The Center believes digital literacy is a basic need. Imagine trying to sign up for your COVID vaccination without access to a smart device. In addition to the fact that everything happens online these days, we have found that many older adults have FOMO, fear of missing out because they don't know how to use technology. They want to see family and friends postings on TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat and watch Netflix entertainment. It ignites connection, sparks conversation, and makes them feel more included. The funding for the program ends in July of 2022; Bader Philanthropies, Inc. sees the success of the programs and is actively exploring options for program extensions. Final evaluations will be available at the end of the summer, and we will be sure to share the qualitative and quantitative data. Most importantly, we continue to teach older adults how to enhance their quality of life through the use of technology. If you are interested in finding more information about the Center please call Jean Wollerman, Senior Services Manager at 920- 232-5300. 9. 2021 POST SPECIAL EVENT SURVEY RESULTS: As 2021 is coming to a close, we’ve begun calculating the Post Event Surveys that have been sent throughout the year. To date, we have received 47% of survey responses. Of those the percentages below represent those agreeing or strongly agreeing to the survey statements.  100% - Special Event Personnel responded in a timely manner to all inquiries.  88% - Obtaining additional permits was made easy by the assistance of on-line resources and city staff; 13% responded indicating they were neutral in their response as no additional permits were required.  100% - Special Event personnel were professional and knowledgeable about the permits & requirements needed to host the event.  94% - The location was ideal for the event (clean, in good repair, adequate amenities, etc.)  84% - City personnel assisting with set up and logistics of the event were courteous and easy to work with. (This is slightly lower than previous results as less personnel were needed to assist in 2021.)  47% - Event organizers saw an increase in attendance at their 2021, indicating a slight reduction in attendance at hosted events compared to 2019.  39% - Event organizers utilized the Visit Oshkosh website to promote their event. The promotion using the Oshkosh Convention & Visitors Bureau site is up 12% compared to 2019.  97% - Will likely host their future events in Oshkosh. The comments from the survey were very positive and included the following:  “Awesomeness is the word that comes to mind.”  “Everyone was great! We appreciate the teamwork! Thank you!” Comments that suggested areas of improvement will be shared with the appropriate departments to assist us in continuing the success of future events hosted in Oshkosh. If you have any questions regarding these results or Special Events, please contact Kathy Snell, Special Events Coordinator at (920) 232-5304. 10. 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. 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 12. LOOKING AHEAD: As a reminder city offices will be closed December 23 and 24 in observance of the Christmas holiday, and Friday December 31 for the New Year holiday. I will be out of the office on the observed holidays, and December 27 – 30, returning on January 3. If you have any questions about my schedule, please contact me. Stay safe, and Happy Holidays!