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HomeMy WebLinkAbout01.20.23 Newsletter TO: Honorable Mayor and Members of the Common Council FROM: Mark Rohloff, City Manager DATE: January 20, 2023 RE: Weekly Newsletter 1. I-41 JURISDICTIONAL ENFORCEMENT: The Winnebago County Sheriff's Office has announced that it will be divesting itself of primary law enforcement responsibilities for major highways in the County to include I-41, 441, 45 and Route 10. This announcement follows suit with Outagamie, Brown and Dane counties. This will have a profound impact on all municipal jurisdictions in the County. Through discussions with the Winnebago County Sheriff, the Oshkosh Police Department has come to an agreement on what we will take primary responsibility for. The City of Oshkosh will begin taking over enforcement efforts on I-41 from south of Waukau, north through Omro Road/21 Roundabout. This does not, however, include the Butte Des Morts Causeway. OPD will begin the initial transition phase in January with training and the addition of requisite equipment needed for officers to safely conduct law enforcement activities in this area. During the months of April – June, the department will transition into the primary responder for calls for service on I-41 while working with the Sheriff's Department as co-responders. On July 1, the Oshkosh Police Department will take primary responsibility for enforcement of the designated I-41 area. The Oshkosh Police Department will begin to develop enforcement strategies to relieve the potential impact of the increased work load such as a designated traffic unit, overtime opportunities or other creative tools as we take on this new role. 2. OSHKOSH MUSEUM SUPPORTERS HELP CREATE “BLUEPRINT OF THE FUTURE”: Thanks to the generous support of the community, OPM members, and donors, the Oshkosh Public Museum has exceeded our year-end fundraising goal for 2022! Over $24,000 was raised by members and donors in OPM’s year-end campaign. The Museum is so grateful to our community of supporters. Their investment in the Museum is an investment in the future of our entire community. OPM’s collection holds treasures from the past, but their value lies in their continued relevance to our community’s future. The generosity of our supporters will build a stronger future for Oshkosh’s next generations through meaningful experiences at the Museum. Every third grader in the Oshkosh Area School District now visits our award-winning People of the Waters exhibition to deepen their classroom learning on admission- free field trips. Over 300 community members joined in our first annual Día de los Muertos Celebration in October. Learning and history continue to come alive for the more than 1,200 students and their teachers from area school districts who will visit the Museum in 2023. 2023 will be a pivotal year that propels the Museum into its next 100 years of helping to build a stronger Oshkosh community. It is a future set firmly on the foundations of our shared past, and the nearly 100 years of stories held and shared at the Museum. Thank you to everyone who joined us to create this blueprint for the future. 3. CONGRATULATIONS: On Friday, December 30, 2022, the Oshkosh Police Department said goodbye to Officer Randy Johnson who retired after proudly serving the department and the City of Oshkosh for 25 years. During his tenure, Randy performed the duties of a Patrol Officer, K9 Officer and, most recently, a Vice and Narcotics Unit Investigator since January 2021. Throughout his career, he served as a Field Training Officer, a member of the Mobile Field Force, and a department Armorer. For his performance in the line of duty, Randy received numerous Supervisor's Logs, Letters of Commendation, and a Distinguished Service Medal in 2004 and 2015. For his heroic actions and lifesaving efforts during a tragic house fire in 2006, he earned a Distinguished Service Medal and the Wisconsin Professional Police Association Certificate of Merit in 2007. Randy earned Noteworthy Performance of Duty Awards (2018 and 2019), and a Lifesaving Award and Police Officer of the Fourth Quarter Award in 2018. On Friday, January 6, 2023, the Oshkosh Police Department celebrated the retirement of Sergeant Todd Wrage who proudly served the department and the City of Oshkosh for 29 years. During his tenure, Todd performed the duties of Patrol Officer, Patrol Sergeant and served as the department's Sergeant of Professional Development/Training for 12 years. Throughout his career, he served as a Field Training Officer, a member of the SWAT and Mobile Field Force Teams, and a member of the Bike Patrol Unit. Todd was a certified Force Science Analyst and an instructor in multiple areas of training in the department. In 2017, Todd was instrumental in the launch of Project Lifesaver and served as the administrator for the program. For his performance in the line of duty, Todd received several Letters of Commendation, Supervisor's Logs, the Supervisor of the Year Award in 2017, as well as a Department Commendation Award in 2017. We sincerely thank Sergeant Wrage and Officer Johnson for their exceptional service and dedication to the Oshkosh Police Department and to the City of Oshkosh. Congratulations on your retirements Todd and Randy; we wish you the very best for a happy and healthy retirement! 4. CONGRATULATIONS AND WELCOME TO THE OPD TEAM: On Tuesday, January 3, 2023, during a Police and Fire Commission meeting, the Oshkosh Police Department celebrated the hiring of Police Cadet Reagan Abbey to the position of Patrol Officer. Reagan Abbey joined the Oshkosh Police Department as a Cadet on August 8, 2022. He completed his Wisconsin Law Enforcement Certification on December 16, 2022, through Fox Valley Technical College.  Reagan Abbey is originally from Manassas, Virginia. He earned his Bachelor's Degree in Interdisciplinary Studies on May 6, 2022, from Maranatha Baptist University, located in Watertown, WI. In 2018, he enlisted in the Wisconsin Army National Guard where he continues to actively serve. Prior to becoming a Police Officer, Reagan was a Security Officer at Maranatha Baptist University. On Wednesday, January 11, 2023, the Oshkosh Police Department welcomed new Police Cadet, Casey Schrage. Casey is attending the 18-week Fox Valley Technical College Police Recruit Academy in preparation for his career in law enforcement.  Casey Schrage is from Mt. Calvary, WI. Prior to becoming a Cadet, Casey was employed at CD Smith Construction as a general laborer. Casey graduated with a Bachelor's Degree in Criminal Justice from the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh in August 2022. 5. REMINDER - GO TRANSIT STUDENT PASS PROGRAM TO LAUNCH MONDAY: As Council is aware, GO Transit has been working with the Oshkosh Area School District to implement a mobile student pass program. GO Transit and the OASD have been working together along with GO Transit’s mobile fare vendor, Token Transit, to create a student pass program. Starting Jan. 23rd, Oshkosh area grade 6-12 students will be required to obtain a “free” student semester pass through Token Transit and show the pass to the GO Transit driver in order to ride. By downloading and utilizing a student pass, the student is agreeing to follow GO Transit’s rider policies. If a student violates or does not follow the rider policies, their pass may be suspended. This program will allow GO Transit to better manage the student rider program. The details of the program are being finalized and will be shared with OASD and their families in the coming week after semester finals. If a student does not have a smartphone, arrangements are being made for them to obtain a paper pass. GO Transit is working to make this program available to Oshkosh parochial 6-12 students as well. If you have any questions on this, please contact Transportation Director Jim Collins. 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. LOOKING AHEAD: Among the meetings I have scheduled for the week of January 23, include the following: On Monday at 10:00 AM I will be meeting with Community Development Director Kelly Nieforth regarding the scheduled joint SAB meeting with Council. At 12:00 PM. I will be attending the Winnebago County Emergency Management Focus Group meeting at the Culver’s Family Welcome Center. At 2:30 PM I will be meeting with UWO staff to discuss campus parking. On Tuesday at 2:30 PM I will be meeting with Oshkosh Media staff to continue State of the City planning for 2023. On Wednesday at 7:00 AM I will be attending the UWO Chancellors Executive Breakfast. On Thursday at 12:00 PM I will be attending the Fox Fitness Center open house at the Seniors Center. At 12:30 PM I will be leaving for Madison to attend the League of Wisconsin Municipalities Executive Board meeting. On Friday at 10:00 AM I will be attending the East Central Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission Board meeting. If you have any questions about my schedule, please contact me.