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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2.25.22newsletter TO: Honorable Mayor and Members of the Common Council FROM: Mark Rohloff, City Manager DATE: February 25, 2022 RE: Weekly Newsletter 1. UPDATE ON CLEARWELL ALTERNATIVE MEETING WITH WDNR: Staff and the City's Engineering Consultant met with the WDNR in early February to discuss a possible option to delay the replacement of the existing underground clearwells with aboveground tanks. As was reported to Council at the February 22 meeting, the WDNR has made it very clear that when the clearwells are replaced, buried tanks are not an option. Attached is a copy of the DNR approved meeting minutes, with additional questions posed by the City and the WDNR responses in blue. If you have any questions, please contact Assistant Director of Public Works / Utilities General Manager, Steve Gohde. 2. ROOM TAX COLLECTIONS: The City recently reported on the Room Tax collections for 2021. The total collections for 2021 was $1,800,477. The amount collected was close to the amount collected in 2019 ($1,854,338) the year prior to the impact of travel due to the COVID-19 virus. While the amount is similar to 2019, it should be noted that one segment of room tax collections is increasing. Collections from what the City refers to as Marketplace, such as Expedia, VRBO, and UW-Oshkosh, which was nonexistent in 2019, totaled $286,398 in 2021. These collections represent about 16% of the total room tax collections. Currently, leisure travel is seeing a stronger recovery than business travel, but we are seeing an improvement in the travel industry as a whole. 3. ICE RINK CLOSED FOR SEASON: The recent warm weather and high winds have caused the ice at Roe Park Ice Rink to deteriorate. As such, staff had to make the decision to close down the rink for the season. Thank you to anyone who came out to use the rink while it was operating and for attending our events. 4. WINTER FUN CONTINUES: There are still opportunities to have some winter fun in Oshkosh. On March 19 the department will be hosting St. Patty’s Day Bingo at the Oshkosh Seniors Center North Building from 1pm-3pm. You won’t want to miss out on this FREE family friendly event! There will be concessions available for purchase, prizes to be won and fun to be had. If you have any questions regarding these city sponsored events, please contact Jenny McCollian, Revenue Facilities Manager, at (920) 232-5319. 5. CONGRATULATIONS: After nearly 19 years with the City of Oshkosh, Bill Sturm, Landscape Operations Manager, has announced his retirement. Bill has been an integral part of making things go smoothly for the Landscape Operations Department having taken on many projects and working with contractors and community members alike. His dedication to his job shows in the hard work that he puts in and the beautiful landscape across the city. From beautification efforts downtown to ensuring a healthy and thriving tree canopy throughout the city, it is apparent that it was a job well done for Bill. We thank Bill for all he did for the department and wish him well as he moves on to make time for his other passions in life. In his absence, if you have any questions regarding landscape operations, please feel free to contact the Oshkosh Parks Department at (920) 236-5080. 6. OPEN HOUSE A HIT: Nearly 100 older adults attended the open house at the Oshkosh Seniors Center to see how the Center can help them stay fit as they age. The results were nothing short of astounding. Since the open house, we’ve welcomed over 46 new people to the Center, compared to the same timeframe in 2021, when we had only nine new participants. The Fox Fitness Center was the focus of the open house. The North building is home to a state-of-the-art fitness center with equipment geared to help older adults maintain strength, balance, flexibility and endurance. As people came through the Center, it became apparent older adults would rather work out with their peers than train with all ages. Anyone who visited the open house could sign up for an equipment orientation, so far, we’ve trained 27 people. Quite a few people are taking advantage of the personal training sessions offered by Alec Jensen, OSC’s Fitness Coordinator. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology, Human Performance, and over 20 fitness certifications. These one-on-one sessions that cost as little as $10 help motivate and deliver fitness strategies customized for the individual. Residents are encouraged to develop a strategy to age well that includes a visit to the Oshkosh Seniors Center located at 234 N. Campbell Road, (920) 232-5300. For more information about the Center, contact Jean Wollerman, Senior Services Manager. If you are interested in more information, visit the Oshkosh Seniors Center newsletter at: https://www.ci.oshkosh.wi.us/SeniorServices/Newsletters/March2022.pdf 7. BEHIND-THE-SCENES AT SPECIAL EVENTS: It is safe to say that the planning and coordination of events in our community has continued to evolve over the last decade. Although the number of events occurring has increased slightly, the more significant challenge has been the complexity of these events and the impact the events have had or could have on our community. When a Special Events Permit application is submitted, it triggers a robust planning and coordination effort lead by our Special Events Review Committee (SERC). While only one representative from a department may review the application, a chain reaction begins, sometimes involving entire departmental personnel. From removing snow from grass surfaces, to dropping off hundreds of barricades the day before an event, to overnight security provided by our Oshkosh Police Department, the services provided by the City often go relatively unnoticed. These are things that “just happen”. While our staff can see the difference that they make in helping to make an event a success, we wanted to find an opportunity that would help us highlight the “silent”, behind-the- scenes work that they do. Throughout 2022, Kathy Snell, Special Events Coordinator, and Oshkosh Media Staff will be partnering to bring more event promotion and education to the public about events hosted in Oshkosh. Keep your eyes peeled for a series highlighting upcoming events as well as an end of the year look at the “behind-the-scenes” support provided by our staff. If you have any questions regarding special events or these updates, please contact Kathy Snell, Special Events Coordinator, at (920) 232-5304. 8. 3RD ANNUAL BOOTS VS BADGES: Join us for the 3rd Annual Boots vs Badges Game as the Winnebago County Sheriff’s Office takes on the Oshkosh Fire Department in a hero basketball game before the Wisconsin Herd game on Saturday, March 5 at the Oshkosh Arena. Doors open at noon. To purchase tickets, visit: Fevo.me/herdbootsvsbadges 9. INSTRUCTOR OF THE YEAR AWARD: On February 18, 2022 Division Chief Tim Heiman received the 2022 Instructor of the Year Award from the Wisconsin Society of Emergency Services Instructors. The Instructor of the Year Award recognizes individuals for extraordinary accomplishments in emergency services training. The award recognizes individual accomplishment. Concrete examples of the candidate’s training program activities, along with documentation or similar submissions are required for the selection process. The Society seeks to recognize excellence wherever it may be found in Wisconsin. Congratulations, Tim! 10. OSHKOSH FIRE DEPARTMENT PROVIDES LEAVE BEHIND NARCAN KITS: The Oshkosh Fire Department has rolled out a new, proactive program to help reduce and prevent the alarming number of opioid overdose deaths. In order to do this they are leaving behind Narcan kits when they go on 9-1-1 calls for an overdose. The kits are being supplied by the Winnebago County Health Department based on recommendations from the local Overdose Fatality Review Team. Each kit has two doses of NARCAN that can be administered in a nasal spray along with instructions on how to use it. There is also a card with information on how people can get help for substance abuse problems. These kits will only be given out in emergency situations by our Department. However, the Winnebago County Health Department has them available for non-emergency situations as an overdose preventative measure for those who struggle with opiate addiction. 11. 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/. 12. 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 13. LOOKING AHEAD: The only meeting of note that I have scheduled for the week of February 28 is: At 9:00 AM on Monday I will be meeting virtually with Transportation Director Jim Collins. Beginning Wednesday afternoon I will be attending the WCMA Winter Conference and will be out of the office the remainder of the week. If you have any questions about my schedule, please contact me.