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HomeMy WebLinkAbout01.27.23 Newsletter TO: Honorable Mayor and Members of the Common Council FROM: Mark Rohloff, City Manager DATE: January 27, 2023 RE: Weekly Newsletter 1. LOCAL GOVERNMENT ADVOCATES SUPPORT: The League of Wisconsin Municipalities (LWM), Wisconsin Counties Association, and the Wisconsin Towns Association have been working closely with state leaders to craft a proposal that would provide one cent of the state’s five-cent sales tax to replace shared revenue that goes to Wisconsin local governments. In his 2023 State of the State Address, Governor Tony Evers also expressed his openness to this proposal, stating he will be introducing a budget provision that would send up to 20 percent of sales tax revenue back to communities for Shared Revenue. The three groups have issued the following statement: “Both sides of the aisle seemingly agree that the current system of funding local governments in Wisconsin is broken, and everyone must come to the table to find a long-term solution. As the LWM has repeatedly stated, this issue transcends partisan politics, and our leaders recognize that local governments are critical to providing and delivering numerous services taxpayers rely on daily. With rising inflation and increased demand for services, local governments require additional and sustainable state resources to maintain infrastructure, public safety investments, and human and social services. To see our state’s top leaders work collaboratively to invest in our communities is unprecedented and will result in a stronger Wisconsin tomorrow. This common ground will mean the state will invest in our communities and fulfill their obligation to fund our communities. Our state, our economy, and our workforce depend on these investments. Our three statewide local government associations, and the thousands of locally elected officials that the LWM represents, are prepared to continue our work with the Legislative and Executive branches of government as we soon begin state budget deliberations to ensure sustainable funding of critical local services and an equitable distribution of state aid to local governments.” For additional comment, please contact the League at 608.267.2380. 2. WHY IS SIDEWALK CLEARING SO IMPORTANT?: Many times staff are asked “Why do I have to get the sidewalks adjacent to my property cleared within 24 hours after a snowfall?” The simple answer is “because that’s the requirement in the Municipal Code”, but the real answer is so much more important and valuable of a lesson. The public sidewalks are a critical piece of infrastructure in urbanized communities. There are many people that utilize the public sidewalks to get to school, work, the grocery store, or for exercise. For many people, the sidewalk is their only way to get from place to place. It is imperative that sidewalks are cleared in a timely manner so that the public can safely utilize this critical infrastructure. The City of Green Bay is currently recalling one tragic incident that could have been avoided if adjacent property owners had just kept the public sidewalk cleared of snow and ice. Twelve years ago, an individual in a wheelchair could not navigate the sidewalks, and was forced to utilize the street to get to where he was going. Unfortunately, he was hit and killed, for no other reason that the adjacent property owners did not clear their public sidewalks in a timely manner. More information on the remembrance of this tragedy in Green Bay can be found on the FOX 11 webpage (https://fox11online.com/news/local/lights-on-green-bay-bridges-to-remember-hit-and- run-victim-downtown-john-kennedy-wheelchair-snow-covered-sidewalks-shovel-velp-avenue). 3. SPRING PRIMARY ELECTION SET FOR TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2023: In person, early absentee voting will be available at the City Clerk’s Department (Room 108) in City Hall (215 Church Avenue) starting Tuesday, February 7 from 8AM to 4:30PM, Monday through Friday, until Friday, February 17. If you requested an absentee ballot by mail, you should be receiving it shortly. Please visit https://myvote.wi.gov/en-us/ to find your voting location (polling place), district and ward. If you would like to help protect democracy, ensure equitable voting access and serve your local community, please consider becoming an Election Inspector (Poll Worker). Please contact the City Clerk’s Department if you have any questions regarding this paid position. 4. MEMBERS STILL SOUGHT TO SERVE ON BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS: If you are interested in serving your community, please considered becoming a member of a Board, Commission or Committee. The Board of Review, Public Arts & Beautification Committee, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Committee, just to name a few, currently have vacant positions and are looking for members. Please go to the City’s website (https://onboard.ci.oshkosh.wi.us) to fill out an application! 5. OSHKOSH MEDIA PROMOTES WINTER EVENTS: New videos produced by Oshkosh Media staff are helping get the word out about fun events in the community.  The latest episode of Let’s Talk Events features info about events like Otter Street Fisheree, Polar Plunge, Battle on Bago and more. Click here to watch the video on YouTube.  Oshkosh Media also stopped by the Discover Oshkosh offices to record a promo for the city’s Restaurant Week. The annual celebration of culinary excellence provides restaurants an opportunity to feature items not normally found on their menus. Click here to watch the promo on YouTube. Don’t forget to subscribe to the Oshkosh Media YouTube channel to stay updated on all the latest content. For more information about Oshkosh Media contact Operations Coordinator Jake Timm at 236-5261. 6. STAY INFORMED ON WINTER EVENTS: The 2023 winter season has been unpredictable this season with unseasonably warm temperatures and conditions not conducive to winter activities. We are hopeful for better winter conditions for outdoor enthusiasts in the coming weeks. Keep an eye on the Oshkosh Parks Facebook page for more information on future special events taking place at Menominee Park. If you have questions regarding Oshkosh parks, please contact Chad Dallman, Assistant Parks Director, at (920) 236-5080. 7. 2023 EVENTS COMING SOON: It is that time of the year again when staff are busy getting events planned for the 2023 season. It is always exciting coming up with new events and of course bringing back those that families love. On Friday, February 10th we will be hosting a Winter Olympic event at the Menominee Park Zoo ice skating rink (weather permitting). The event will be held from 12- 4pm as it is a day off for the Oshkosh Area School District. Skates will be made available courtesy of Dr. Eric’s skate club and concessions will be available for purchase at the Lakefly Cafe. On Saturday, March 18th the department will be hosting St. Patty’s Day Bingo at the Oshkosh Seniors Center North building from 1-3pm. This is a great inter-generational event that everyone loves! Come down to try your luck at winning some great prizes. If you have questions regarding these events, please contact Jenny McCollian, Revenue Facilities Manager, at (920) 232-5319. 8. ANNUAL TREE PRUNING CYCLE: The Forestry Division has started on the annual tree pruning cycle. The crew will be pruning/assessing roughly 1,900 terrace trees during this cycle. Each tree will be pruned for structure and hazards and raised over the road and sidewalk for safe vehicle and pedestrian travel. The boundaries for the 2022/2023 annual pruning cycle include areas east and north of the Fox River with New York Avenue as the north boundary and Lake Winnebago as the east boundary. 9. TAKING ROOT II FUNDING GOAL REACHED: Landscape Operations is happy to announce that the Oshkosh Area Community Foundation has reached the goal of raising $300,000 to help the City start to replant and replace some of the ash trees lost to the Emerald Ash Borer (EAB). To help lessen the impact of future diseases to Oshkosh’s urban forest, staff will be planting at least ten different genera of trees. Staff are also making sure that all streets with trees have more than one and in most cases, more than T different genera on them. Along with diversifying the types and locations of trees, staff will be spreading the replanting out over a course of years along the streets. This assures that staff will be able to keep up with the maintenance of these newly planted trees throughout the life of the tree. It also means staff won’t be overwhelmed by having to remove all the newly planted trees at the same time some number of years from now. Our goal is to make it through this travesty, learn from it, and grow a stronger, more resilient forest for generations to come. If you have questions regarding the pruning cycle or tree replanting, please contact Travis Derks, Landscape Operations Manager, at (920) 236-5080. 10. TREES INFESTED WITH EMERALD ASH BORER (EAB) CONTINUE TO IMPACT URBAN FOREST: You may have driven around town and seen a number of trees that look dead. Perhaps the bark is starting to sluff off, or you notice a lot of woodpecker damage throughout the canopy. Areas of the bark may look like they were hit with bleach or an unusual number of sprouts from the base and trunk of the tree. These are all signs that the tree has been infested by the Emerald Ash Borer (EAB). The City has made removal of these dead ash trees from the terrace and parks a priority. If you have an ash tree on your property, you may want start to plan on having it removed. There are many local tree services in the area. To find them you can complete an internet search for “tree service” or go to the Wisconsin Arborists Association (WAA) website at https://www.waa-isa.org/ and click “find an arborist”. There you will be able to search an interactive map and find tree services around the state. Unfortunately there are no programs in place to help financially remove these trees on private property. If you have any questions on any forestry-related matters, please contact Travis Derks, Landscape Operations Manager, at (920) 236-5080. 11. SENIOR CENTER PROMOTES FALL PREVENTION: “Don’t be in the dark about what it takes to prevent falls as you age!” The Oshkosh Seniors Center received a $7,500.00 grant from the Wisconsin Institute for Healthy Aging (WIHA) to create a community awareness campaign to educate people on how to be proactive in their efforts to prevent falling. The first 200 people to sign up will receive a free baseline balance test (using the Biodex Balance machine at the Center), information on preventing falls, and a three-pack of rechargeable motion-sensor lights to prevent falls in your home. The funding includes a promotional budget for advertising the program. The goal of the baseline test is to have a data point to monitor a person’s risk level for falling. The five-minute test measures your balance against the normative data of people your age and will categorize you as high, medium, or low risk for falling. Once the test is completed, people will be encouraged to sign up for evidence-based classes at the Seniors Center and other accredited fitness organizations. Participants are encouraged to return to monitor their progress using the Biodex balance test. The balance testing equipment was purchased for the Center by the Oshkosh Fire Department to help reduce falls through preventative measures. The program aims to assess your risk of falling and give you the tools you need to reduce your risk of falling in the future. The grant from WIHA is called “Localized Efforts To Address Falls” (LEAF). Wisconsin has the highest rate of deaths due to falls among older adults in the country, with one in four people aged 65 or older fall each year. The Wisconsin Institute for Healthy Aging (WIHA), with funding from the Administration for Community Living (ACL), is working to develop a comprehensive statewide strategy to reduce falls in the state. The LEAF grants were awarded to 12 coalitions throughout the state. The program is scheduled to start in April of 2023; if you have additional questions, please contact Jean Wollerman, Senior Services Manager, at (920) 232-5300. 12. CONGRATULATIONS: The City of Oshkosh Fire Department wants to congratulate Mike Stephens and Keith Kramer who were both promoted to Captains at the January 4 PFC meeting. 13. 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/. 14. ATTACHMENTS: OPL January Highlights 15. LINKS: OFD Hot Topics: https://www.ci.oshkosh.wi.us/fire/Resources/HotTopics/Hot_Topics_January_2023.pdf 16. LOOKING AHEAD: Among the meetings I have scheduled for the week of January 30, include the following: On Monday at 9:00 AM I will be meeting with staff to discuss implementation of the recent compensation study. At 10:00 AM. I will be meeting with Fire Chief Stanley and local officials regarding Station 14 improvements. At 2:00 PM I will be meeting with Oshkosh Media staff regarding the upcoming State of the City Event. On Tuesday at 12:30 PM I will be attending a virtual WCMA meeting. I will be out of the office Wednesday, February 1 through Monday, February 6. If you have any questions about my schedule, please contact me.