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HomeMy WebLinkAbout02.17.23 Newsletter TO: Honorable Mayor and Members of the Common Council FROM: Mark Rohloff, City Manager DATE: February 17, 2023 RE: Weekly Newsletter 1. MEMBERS SOUGHT FOR AD HOC COMMITTEE ON CLEARWELLS AESTHETICS: The City of Oshkosh is seeking five to seven individuals from diverse backgrounds to serve on an Ad Hoc Committee to provide input for the final appearance of the reconstructed clearwell structures and landscape at the Water Filtration Plant (WFP) located at 425 Lake Shore Drive. The City must replace its current century-old underground treated drinking water storage clearwell tanks with above-grade structures that meet current regulations requirements. The new structures will be at-grade rectangular cast-in-place concrete tanks with new intermediate and high-lift pump stations. This Ad Hoc Committee will be briefed by City staff and Jacobs Engineering on the issues and regulatory requirements related to the proposed work. The Ad Hoc Committee has been given five specific tasks: 1) Provide a recommendation for the architectural finishes of the proposed clearwell tanks and pump houses on the WFP site. 2) Provide recommendation for landscaping and planting WFP onsite areas along the right-of-ways of Lake Shore Drive, Washington Avenue, and Merritt Avenue. 3) Provide recommendation for landscaping and planting the Park area east of Lake Shore Drive. 4) Provide recommendation for landscaping and improvements to the right-of-ways adjacent to the WFP site. 5) Provide a recommendation on how to incorporate educational and/or historical elements relating to water into the final project. Individuals interested in serving on the Ad Hoc Committee must submit applications or a letter of interest and be appointed by the Mayor, The group is expected to finish their work by August 1, 2023. Applications are available on the City’s website at https://www.ci.oshkosh.wi.us/BoardsAndCommissions/. Residents with questions about this committee may contact the City Manager’s office by phone at (920) 236-5002 or by email at citymgr@ci.oshkosh.wi.us. 2. STUDENT VOICES-BLACK HISTORY MONTH: Join the Oshkosh Public Museum in a Celebration of Black History Month on Thursday, February 23 at 4:30. Hear from local Oshkosh Area School District students as we celebrate Black History Month at the Oshkosh Public Museum. On a panel moderated by OASD Board Member Kristopher Karns, students will share their own perspectives on the future Vel Phillips School in Oshkosh, grounded in their own research and experiences. This program is free and open to the public. Registration required: https://tinyurl.com/n8znfk7a 3. ASSESSOR DIVISION OPEN BOOK & BOARD OF REVIEW DATES: The City’s Assessor Division will hold its annual Open Book meetings April 10-21, 2023 in Room 206 of City Hall from 8:00 am-4:30 pm. Assessment rolls will be available for public inspection with a representative of the office present to answer questions. The initial meeting of the Board of Review will be held on May 10, 2023, beginning at 9:00 am in Room 406 of City Hall. Please note that we are still looking for up to two new members for the Board of Review. Please forward your suggestions to Mayor Palmeri. 4. OSHKOSH MEDIA SPREADING THE WORD FOR NON-PROFITS: Oshkosh Media is helping local community organizations promote upcoming events on the latest installments of the Oshkosh Community Connection:  Altrusa of Oshkosh is preparing for its annual “Art in the Garden” fine art show and sale. Click here to watch the video and learn more about the event on March 25-26.  The Oshkosh Area Women’s Association is hosting a “Shamrock Dinner” fundraiser on St. Patrick’s Day at LaSure’s Banquet Hall. Click here for all of the details. Be sure to subscribe to the Oshkosh Media YouTube channel to get alerts and updates on all of the community and municipal content Oshkosh Media produces. For more information, contact Media Services Coordinator Jake Timm at 236-5261. 5. OSHKOSH COMMUNITY SURVEY RESULTS POSTED: Late last year, city staff worked with its citizen engagement consultant, Polco, to conduct a comprehensive quality of life survey for residents of Oshkosh. The instrument, known as the National Community Survey™ (NCS), allows the City of Oshkosh to compare results and benchmark residents’ opinions against other communities across the nation. The survey included questions about quality of life, important characteristics of community, services provided by Oshkosh and priorities for the future. While this was the first time Oshkosh has used the NCS, the purpose of Oshkosh’s community surveys has evolved over the years. Initially, they were intended to be a way for citizens to prioritize items for the Council’s budget considerations. While this purpose still remains true, it is also used to help measure quality of services for incorporation into performance based management and can serve as a benchmark with other cities throughout the country, . The survey is available on the City of Oshkosh website at https://www.ci.oshkosh.wi.us/CitizenSurveyResults/. The NCS was among the first scientific surveys developed to gather resident opinion on a range of community issues, and has been used in more than 350 jurisdictions across 46 states. Communities using the NCS have reported that the tool improved service delivery, strengthened communications with community stakeholders and helped leaders identify clear priorities for use in strategic planning and budget development. The NCS is the only resident survey endorsed by the International City/County Management Association and the National League of Cities. Residents with questions about the survey may contact the City Manager’s office by phone at (920) 236-5002 or by email at citymgr@ci.oshkosh.wi.us. 6. INSPECTION SERVICES UPDATE: The Inspection Services Division saw a 14% increase in permit fees collected for 2022 vs 2021 as it was another record year. BUILDING PERMITS ELECTRICAL PERMITS HVAC PERMITS PLUMBING PERMITS TOTAL VALUATION OF PERMITS TOTAL PERMIT FEES COLLECTED 2021 2,575 847 920 1,662 $161,972,616.00 $1,037,431.70 2022 2,550 896 946 1,546 $206,101,413.00 $1,185,827.32  2022 Highlights: 16,490 inspections were performed for permitted construction, 2,319 plan reviews were conducted, 2,107 people were assisted at the service counter, 28,632 phone calls were received, 89 Complaint Based Minimum Housing Cases were started which resulted in 412 violations, and 2,722 Complaint Based Code Enforcement Cases were started which resulted in 3,286 violations. 803 of the cases were received through See Click Fix.  New Projects: 64 Single Family Homes (32 Tiny Homes), 5 Duplexes, Woodstock Village (5) 8-Unit & (1) 6-Unit Apartment Buildings, Smith School Lofts (Conversion of school to 31 apartments), Scooter’s Coffee (2101 W 9th Ave), City of Oshkosh – Lakeshore Park Four Seasons (1875 Punhoqua St), Office Building (2200-2210 Algoma Blvd), Dunkin’/Baskin Robbins (1590 W South Park Ave), Valley Veterinary Hospital (2765 Jackson St), City of Oshkosh Parks Department (805 Witzel Ave), Glacier Dental (2300 Witzel Ave), Boys & Girls Club Administration Building (545 Monroe St), O’Reilly Auto Parts Store (1617 W 20th Ave), Camping World (3855 S Washburn St), OASD-Vel Phillips Middle School (1401 Kentucky St). The City of Oshkosh Inspection Services Division is dedicated to protecting the health, safety, and welfare of the community. If you have any questions please reach out to Chief Building Official, Nicole Krahn, at (920) 236-5119 or nkrahn@ci.oshkosh.wi.us. 7. SAVE THE DATE: 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! 8. 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. The public is invited to meet Grace Stanke, Miss America 2023 at the Oshkosh Public Museum. 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. Special thanks to Discover Oshkosh for supporting this event. 9. GET INVOLVED: If you are interested in serving your community, please consider becoming a member of a Board, Commission or Committee. Follow the link for to apply: https://www.ci.oshkosh.wi.us/BoardsAndCommissions/ 10. 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/. 11. LOOKING AHEAD: Among the meetings I have scheduled for the week of February 20, include the following: On Tuesday at 7:30 AM I will be attending the Chamber of Commerce’s Governmental Affairs Committee meeting. At 11:30 AM I will be attending the OASD Superintendent Advisory Council meeting. On Thursday. I will be attending the Urban Alliance meeting in Madison. If you have any questions about my schedule, please contact me.