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HomeMy WebLinkAboutnewsletter TO: Honorable Mayor and Members of the Common Council FROM: Mark Rohloff, City Manager DATE: April 8, 2022 RE: Weekly Newsletter 1. TDS CITY-WIDE FIBER OPTIC CONSTRUCTION PROJECT: TDS has started an initiative to install fiber optic cable underground to provide service to residential properties within the City of Oshkosh. The overall project will take approximately 24 - 30 months to complete. TDS has divided its city-wide project into approximately 100 smaller areas to manage the construction. Prior to starting work in an area, TDS, or their contractors, walk through the neighborhoods and hang door hangers to notify residents of the work. An image of the door hangers is attached. TDS staff have asked that any questions people have regarding this construction project be directed to their dedicated customer service phone number (1-855-259-8576), which is shown on the door hangers. As with any other work that occurs within City of Oshkosh Right-of-Way, TDS is required to obtain Work in Right-of-Way Permits from the Engineering Division prior to commencing work. It is up to TDS to secure access to private property. If you have any questions, please contact Director of Public Works, James Rabe. 2. PUBLIC WORKS CONTRACTS AND SUPPLY CHAIN ISSUES: The Department of Public Works has bid several construction projects for 2022. Projects like the Algoma Boulevard Reconstruction and the East Lincoln Avenue and Rosalia Street Reconstruction have started construction work. Other projects such as the Oregon Street Interceptor Sewer Project have not started construction yet. Several Contractors have mentioned the potential for material supply challenges, including potential cost surcharges. The Contractor working on the Oregon Street Interceptor Sewer project from West Waukau Avenue to West 35th Avenue has informed us that materials availability will delay the start of construction. This Project was initially planned to start in late April or early May. As staff worked with the Contractor post bid we learned that the delivery of some of the construction materials will likely not be until August. Staff will continue to work with the Contractor and the pipe manufacturer, with the goal of starting and completing the project in 2022. The Department of Public Works still has more projects to bid in 2022. We continue to monitor the situation with material supplies and will alter bidding documents as necessary to work within those constraints. An example of this is the Bowen Street Interceptor Sewer and Storm Sewer project. The potential for delayed start was built into the documents due to material supply issues. If you have any questions, please contact Engineering Division Manager / City Engineer Justin Gierach or Director of Public Works James Rabe. 3. APRIL IS NATIONAL POETRY MONTH: Oshkosh Public Library invites everyone to experience the 2022 April Poetry Walk in Downtown Oshkosh! More than 180 community members submitted original poetry to the library in February and 20 poems were selected to display in downtown storefronts. Congratulations to the individuals whose work is on display and to everyone who generously shared their poems by entering the contest! All the poems submitted can be viewed on the library website. https://www.oshkoshpubliclibrary.org/content/april_poetry_walk22?fbclid=IwAR21XzMq2uKn TR-ORErTIYCgdvcd9gqJu5oEdY_JXvdmtknh8l_PK2h0FGI 4. OSHKOSH CORPORATION DISPLAY: A collection of Oshkosh Corporation memorabilia is on display on the library’s second floor through May 31. Tim Wright, known on Facebook as Mr. Oshkosh “Historian and Aficionado of Oshkosh Trucks,” selected items from his extensive collection to fill two display cases at the library. It’s a great way to experience the history of one of Oshkosh’s most iconic brands. Many thanks to Tim for working with Local History Librarian Michael McArthur to share these items with our community. More information is at https://bit.ly/3JsyOU9. 5. EMPLOYEES AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS RECOGNIZED: The second annual Oshkosh Fire Department Award ceremony was held on Saturday, April 2 at the Best Western Hotel in Oshkosh. Nearly 100 firefighters and guests attended and a number of employees and community members received recognition for their outstanding performance in a number of categories. Each award recipient received an engraved plaque. The event was sponsored by Phil Karsnia, Country Financial. 6. 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:  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 8. LOOKING AHEAD: Among the meetings I have scheduled for the week of April 11 are: At 7:30 AM on Monday I am meeting with Mayor Palmeri to discuss Tuesday’s agenda. At 10:00 AM I will be meeting with local business owners regarding summer special events. At 2:00 PM I will be meeting with Special Event Coordinator Kathy Snell. At 3:30 PM I will be meeting with Best Western Investors. On Tuesday at 12:00 PM I will be attending a virtual ICMA Committee meeting. On Wednesday at 7:30 AM I will be attending the GOEDC Executive Committee meeting. At 2:00 PM I will be attending the virtual Local Government Funding Committee meeting. At 5:30 PM I will be attending the quarterly Boards and Commissions Chairpersons meeting. As a reminder city offices are closed on Friday, April 15 for the spring holiday. If you have any questions about my schedule, please contact me.