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HomeMy WebLinkAboutnewsletter TO: Honorable Mayor and Members of the Common Council FROM: Mark Rohloff, City Manager DATE: May 20, 2022 RE: Weekly Newsletter 1. JACKSON/OREGON STREET BRIDGE RECOMMENDATION: The Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WDOT) Northeast Region is seeking input and a recommendation for the Jackson/Oregon Street Bridge Project from the City of Oshkosh Common Council. WDOT will have a staff member present at the June 14, 2022 Common Council meeting to answer any questions that the Common Council may have. There will not be a presentation made at the June 14th meeting. The March 22, 2022 Common Council workshop on this project was recorded by Oshkosh Media and is available for viewing at:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U8uC7p77UH0 The April 4, 2022 WDOT Public Information Meeting on this project was recorded by Oshkosh Media and is available for viewing at:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WHG2J_HkkaI&t=11s More information regarding this project may be found on the WDOT project webpage:  https://wisconsindot.gov/Pages/projects/by-region/ne/oshkoshbr/default.aspx The general public is encouraged to submit comments and recommendations for the Common Council to consider during their discussion and deliberation on June 14th. Please submit those comments no later than 4:30 p.m. on June 8, 2022 to citymgr@ci.oshkosh.wi.us. The general public may also register to speak to this agenda item through the normal speaker registration methods prior to the Common Council meeting on June 14th. If you have additional questions regarding this project, please contact Director of Public Works, James Rabe. 2. PRIVATE-SIDE LEAD WATER SERVICE LINE REPLACEMENT NOTICE MAILED: The City has been notified by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources that we are receiving $382,500 in grant funding to reimburse private-side lead water service line replacement. While we are still waiting on the final paperwork, notices are being sent to property owners adjacent to proposed water main replacement projects (including street reconstruction projects) and property owners who sent in requests to replace their private-side lead water service lines. The purpose of these letters is to inform the property owners of the City’s ordinance regarding replacement of lead water service lines, and the current reimbursement program available for the replacement of private-side lead water service lines. Property owners were informed they may have the Water Utility perform an inspection to determine the material type of their water service line at the water meter at no charge, or they may hire a plumber of their choosing to perform the inspection. Residents are encouraged to replace their private-side lead service water lines and take advantage of this funding. Please see the City’s website for additional information about lead in drinking water and the reimbursement program: https://www.ci.oshkosh.wi.us/PublicWorks/WaterUtility.aspx If you have questions regarding the private-side lead water service lateral replacement program, please contact Assistant Director of Public Works / Utilities General Manager Steve Gohde. 3. DRINKING WATER QUALITY REPORT: Each year, the Water Utility is required to provide a drinking water quality report, the “Consumer Confidence Report”, to the entire city. This report provides information to our customers about the regulation of drinking water, regulatory standards, the source and treatment of the water supply, health information, sources of potential contaminants, and monitoring data summarizing water quality data. A notice stating the availability of the report will be included with all of the May utility bills. A paper copy may be requested by calling (920)232-5325. Please press zero (0) to speak with someone. Copies are also available just outside of Rooms 106 and 301 at City Hall and at the Oshkosh Public Library. A copy of the report can also be found by following this link: https://www.ci.oshkosh.wi.us/PublicWorks/Documents/CCR- 2021.pdf The results for 2021 were within the expected ranges from all previously-collected data. Much of the data in the report has been part of the drinking water quality testing program for years and the water utility has had an excellent record of meeting and exceeding all regulatory drinking water requirements. If you have any questions regarding this information, please contact Assistant Director of Public Works / Utilities General Manager, Steve Gohde. 4. ASH TREE REMOVALS DUE TO EMERALD ASH BORER CONTINUE: On October 12, 2021 the Common Council approved a budget transfer and award of bid with two private tree removal firms to assist the city in removing ash trees from terrace areas to alleviate potential hazards to residents, property and utilities. Forestry staff had identified four zones within the city for the tree locations and required bidders to submit a bid for each zone. A copy of the map showing the various zones is included in this newsletter. Based on the critical condition of the trees in zones 3 and 4, these were the two zones that were targeted with the bid awards. The contractor that was chosen for zone 4 has completed their work. The contractor that was chosen for zone 3 has approximately 60% of their work completed. Removals in zones 1 and 2 need to be completed and due to the shortage of staff in the Landscape Operations Division, staff is planning to solicit bids from private contractors to complete those removals and include potential award of bid on an upcoming Common Council meeting agenda. Staff also plans to include a funding request to begin replacing some of the trees that have been removed. This one-time expense will likely be funded with 2021 surplus funds. Once the trees are removed, the stumps remain and must be ground out and then filled with topsoil and seeded before a replacement tree can be replanted. This will be a huge undertaking by staff and may be something that requires contracted assistance as well due to staff vacancies and current workload. If you have any questions on these tree removals or anything related to emerald ash borer infected trees, please contact Travis Derks, Landscape Operations Manager, at 920-236-5080. 5. ATTACHMENTS AND LINKS:  Attached – Oshkosh Public Library's Summer Events Calendar & Summer Reading Challenge Information 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: As I previously informed Council, I will not be in the office Monday – Wednesday. On Thursday I will be attending the Local Government Finance Committee meeting in Lake Delton, and due to a prior commitment I will be out of the office on Friday. In addition, my schedule will be erratic through June 10 due to other commitments, including a state city management conference and a family wedding. Diane will keep you posted as to my whereabouts, as I will be available at various times and days during this time period. I have full faith that our staff will rise to the occasion and provide Council with everything needed over the next few weeks. If you have any questions about my schedule, please contact me.