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HomeMy WebLinkAbout02.10.23 Newsletter TO: Honorable Mayor and Members of the Common Council FROM: Mark Rohloff, City Manager DATE: February 10, 2023 RE: Weekly Newsletter 1. SAVE THE DATE FOR STATE OF THE CITY: Oshkosh State of the City 2023 will be held on Monday, March 13 at the Oshkosh Convention Center (2 N. Main St.). Doors open at 6:00 pm and the program begins at 6:30 pm. Learn about how we’re re-engaging with the community, and get a preview of what’s planned for 2023 in Oshkosh. Following the presentation, we’ll honor some community partners and individuals whose efforts help make Oshkosh a great place to live, work, and play. Plus, the City Exhibit Expo returns with displays from City departments and partner organizations where attendees can learn about city programs and services. Light refreshments will be provided. Join your friends and neighbors for this is a FREE event! 2. AQUAHAWK – YOUR 24/7 MONITORING APP: The Aquahawk water monitoring app, a free service available to City of Oshkosh utility customers, went live on June 1, 2021. During the first 20 months approximately 1,800 customers signed up, that is about 6.9% of our customers. This service allows registered customers to monitor their water consumption and receive alerts when their usage meets certain user-defined thresholds. Aquahawk information inserts have been included with utility bills a number of times in the past and will continue to be sent out occasionally in the future. To register for Aquahawk, go to https://oshkwi.aquahawk.us. 3. OFD USING VEHICLE LOCATING TECHNOLOGY TO DISPATCH VEHICLES: On February 1, 2023 the Oshkosh Fire Department started using Automatic Vehicle Locating (AVL) for dispatching. AVL uses real-time GPS signals from our rigs to determine which are closest to a particular call. That information is shared with the Computer Aided Dispatch program, or CAD, to dispatch the closest appropriate units based on the call type. Vehicle distance to calls is measured by travel time, not as the crow flies, and road closures can be programmed into the system to truly recommend the rigs that will arrive first. The Oshkosh Fire Department is excited to use this technology to improve our response times to better serve the community. 4. OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE: Each year the Wisconsin Park and Recreation Association (WPRA) honors community partners and professionals in the field at the annual conference. Jenny McCollian, Revenue Facilities Manager from the City of Oshkosh Parks Department, received the prestigious 2022 Park Section Outstanding Professional of the Year Award at the WPRA Annual Conference held February 1st-3rd. Jenny has been in the profession for twenty years. Her involvement with WPRA is extensive, and she has served WPRA in the following roles; Conference Committee in 2014 and 2018, Secretary and Treasurer for Aquatics from 2016 to 2017, she represented the WPRA Region 2 on the WPRA Board of Directors from 2020 to 2022 and is currently on the Leadership Academy Committee. In addition to her involvement with WPRA, as the Revenue Facilities Manager for the City she oversees operational efforts at Menominee Park Zoo’s concessions and gift shops, the boat launch program, Pollock Community Water Park’s concessions and admissions, and the Parks Department special events at the Leach Amphitheater. She is responsible for organizing and running Zooloween Boo, Breakfast with the Bunny, Brews on the Bay, Live at the Leach Free Tuesday Night Concerts, and many more family-friendly events that attract the community to the parks in the City of Oshkosh. Congratulations to Jenny McCollian on your recognition as the Park Section Outstanding Professional of the Year. 5. MISS AMERICA 2023 TO MAKE PUBLIC APPEARANCE: Grace Stanke, Miss America 2023 will be visiting The Oshkosh Public Museum on Sunday, February 19 as part of her official Homecoming Celebration with the Miss Wisconsin Scholarship Organization. Sunday, February 19 from 1 – 3 PM, the public is invited to meet Grace Stanke, Miss America 2023 at the Oshkosh Public Museum, surrounded by the incredible beauty of the Historic Sawyer Home, one of the last remaining original commissioned interiors from the prestigious Tiffany Studios. This event is included with general admission to the OPM on Sunday. Doors open at 1 PM. This meet-and-greet event also celebrates the public opening of the exhibition at the Oshkosh Public Museum. This special exhibition invites visitors to share in the crowning moments of Grace Stanke, Miss America 2023, from Wausau, WI, and features her Miss America Competition gown. On view in the Historic Sawyer Home Parlor February 19 – July 31, 2023. Special thanks to Discover Oshkosh for supporting this event. 6. WELCOME TO THE OFD TEAM: The City of Oshkosh Fire Department is pleased to welcome 3 new firefighters; Andrew Browning, Dustin Lofy and Eric Theel to start their Fire Academy training! We look forward to being fully staffed to better serve the Oshkosh community. 7. MEMBERS WANTED SPREAD THE WORD: If you are interested in serving your community, please consider becoming a member of a Board, Commission or Committee. The Long Range Finance Committee, Landmarks Commission, and Transit Advisory Board, 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! 8. 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/. 9. LOOKING AHEAD: Among the meetings I have scheduled for the week of February 13, include the following: On Monday at 8:00 AM I will be meeting with Mayor Palmeri to discuss Tuesday’s agenda. At 3:00 PM I will be meeting with Finance Director Van Gompel and Public Works Direction James Rabe on our goal of addressing special assessments. On Tuesday at 7:30 AM I will be attending the Economic Outlook Breakfast. On Thursday at 7:30 AM I will be attending the GOEDC Executive Committee meeting. At 6:00 PM I will be appearing on our local episode of Eye on Oshkosh. On Friday at 9:00 Am I will be meeting Chief Stanley to discuss various OFD initiatives. If you have any questions about my schedule, please contact me.