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HomeMy WebLinkAbout03.10.23 Newsletter TO: Honorable Mayor and Members of the Common Council FROM: Mark Rohloff, City Manager DATE: March 10, 2023 RE: Weekly Newsletter 1. 2023 STATE OF THE CITY MONDAY: The 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. PSCW HEARING ON WATER RATE INCREASE SCHEDULED FOR APRIL 7: The City of Oshkosh Water Utility has filed an application with the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin (PSCW) to increase water rates. The increase is necessary due to a 12.86 percent increase in gross plant investment and a 17.87 percent increase in operating expenses since the last water rate case was completed in 2018. The total increase in water revenues requested is $2,720,166 which will result in an estimated overall rate increase of 18.14 percent over the water utility’s present revenues. If the request is granted, the water bill for an average residential customer with a ⅝-inch or ¾-inch meter who uses 400 cubic feet of water per month will increase from $32.46 to $38.41, or 18.33 percent, including the public fire protection charge. A public hearing on the application has been scheduled for Friday, April 7, 2023 at 10:00 a.m. This hearing has no physical location. Parties and Commission staff appear by Zoom. Parties and Commission staff may use the telephone connection as a backup or if no practicable internet connection exists. Members of the public attend by Zoom or by audio- only telephone connection. If anyone needs assistance, City Staff will be available at the Lower Level meeting room at the Oshkosh Library to assist with participation. Join Zoom over the internet at: https://us02web.zoom.us/my/pschearings To join Zoom telephone: Dial: +1 312 626 6799 Enter Meeting ID: 809 513 2930 The Commission intends to livestream and record this hearing on YouTube. To access the livestream, go to the Commission’s website at http://psc.wi.gov, click the dropdown menu labeled “News & Events”, and select item labeled “Broadcasts”. A person may testify in this proceeding without becoming a party and without attorney representation. A person may submit this testimony in only one of the following ways: • Web Comment. File a comment on the internet. Go to the Commission’s web site at http://psc.wi.gov, click the dropdown menu labeled “Commission Action”. Select the item labeled “File a Public Comment”. On the next page select the “File a comment” link that appears for docket number 4480-WR-112. Web comments shall be received no later than the Tuesday, April 11, 2023. • Live Comment. Make a live comment at the hearing. The ALJ may receive live comments from any member of the public in attendance after the close of any party and Commission staff testimony. The ALJ will receive such comments by stating the name of each member of the public connected to the hearing one at a time and asking if they would like to comment. • Mail Comment. Send a comment by U.S. Mail. All comments submitted by U.S. Mail shall be received no later than Tuesday, April 11, 2023, and shall be addressed to: Attn: Docket 4480-WR-112 Comments, Public Service Commission, P.O. Box 7854, Madison, WI 53707-7854. To access the documents, schedule, and other information about this docket, go to the Commission’s web site at http://psc.wi.gov, select the dropdown menu labeled ‘eServices”. Select the item labeled “Docket Search (CMS)”. On the next page enter 4480-WR-112 in the spaces labeled “Case #” and select “Search”. If you have any questions, please contact the City of Oshkosh Water Utility at (920) 232-5321. 3. WPS VS CITY OWNED STREET LIGHTING ANALYSIS: At the last Council Meeting, Deputy Mayor Mugerauer asked for a cost-benefit analysis of installing city owned street lights with road construction projects. When a road is reconstructed we have two choices for street lighting: 1. Install City Owned Street Lights and underground on a meter or 2. Have WPS continue to supply street lighting via their wood pole utility lines (or pay extra for black fiberglass poles). Traditionally, the city has installed our own street lighting during road reconstructions when there are enough lights being installed/replaced to justify installing a separate meter and/or there are no WPS pole lines to place lights on. We also try to install city owned lighting to meet the aesthetics of pedestrian heavy areas. Main Street is a good example. There are no WPS overhead pole lines and we wanted the area to be pedestrian friendly and aesthetically pleasing so we installed city owned street lights. Algoma Blvd. is another good example of a pedestrian centric city owned street lighting installation. There are many variables to be considered with each project. I have attached an analysis of the cost of City vs. WPS owned street lights. Generally, the city uses aluminum (or steel in some cases) poles whereas WPS’s standard is wood poles. We incur upfront capital costs installing city owned street lighting; however over the pole’s life expectancy, cost savings are realized after approximately 35 years. Aluminum and steel poles have a life expectancy of 50 years. We have many poles that have been in service for 50 years or longer. Of course, costs increase every year with inflation but generally the city gets a good long-term payback installing city owned street lighting. If you have questions about this, please contact Transportation Director, Jim Collins or Electric Traffic Manager, Dan Kussmann. 4. EMERALD ASH BORER IS CREATING NUISANCE TREES: While there are approximately 1,500 ash trees on public property in Oshkosh, there are thousands more of these trees located on private property throughout the city. Our City Forester, Travis Derks, is informing the public of the potential hazard of dead trees on private property. Once infested with emerald ash borer, ash trees start to die and dry out, changing the physiology and strength of the wood. The process increases the chances of tree failure and the potential for property damage. The demise of the tree also increases the cost of taking the tree down. Residents can attempt to save their healthy ash trees by administering treatments if the tree is generally in good condition. These treatments need to be done biennially, every two years for the tree's life. A systemic approach, like trunk injections, has the best results and keeps all the treatment product in the tree. The treatment product is then dispersed through the tree’s entirety. More information about ash tree treatments and other related topics can be found at http://www.emeraldashborer.info/homeowners. For residents planning on having a diseased ash tree removed, they are asked to start planning sooner than later. The Wisconsin Arborist Association (https://www.waa-isa.org) has resources for finding arborists and tree removal contractors. The costs associated with removing ash trees have increased due to inflation, as well as the hazards and risks that ash trees pose. It can cost $1,500 or more to hire a contractor for removal of an ash tree. Currently, there are no financial assistance programs to help residents with the costs to remove ash trees on private property. While the City does not want to create unnecessary burdens, the City’s mission and responsibility is to ensure public safety as it relates to our troubled ash trees. Property owners with a diseased and potentially hazardous tree that has the potential to affect the public right of way (streets, sidewalks, etc.) or damage neighboring properties may receive a letter indicating that they must remove the tree. If that property owner does not comply and complete the removal of the tree, the City has the authority to have that tree removed at the property owner's expense. A sample letter and additional information for property owners is available on the City’s website at https://www.ci.oshkosh.wi.us/Parks/Forestry.aspx. If you have any questions, please contact Travis Derks, Landscape Operations Manager/City Forester, at (920) 232-5314. 5. LINKS: Oshkosh Fire Department Hot Topics: https://www.ci.oshkosh.wi.us/fire/Resources/HotTopics/Hot_Topics_March_2023.pdf 6. 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/ 7. 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/ 8. LOOKING AHEAD: Among the meetings I have scheduled for the week of March 13, include the following: On Monday at 7:30 AM I will be meeting with Mayor Palmeri to discuss Tuesday’s agenda. At 1:30 PM I will be at the Convention Center preparing for the State of the City address, scheduled for 6:00 PM Monday evening. On Tuesday at 7:30 AM I will be attending the Community Sounding Board meeting. At 9:30 AM I will be meeting with staff to discuss employee recognition. On Wednesday at 7:30 AM I will be attending the GOEDC board meeting. At 2:30 PM I will be meeting with the City Attorney regarding the Sanitary Sewer Master Agreement. On Friday the 17th through the following week I will be out of the office on vacation. If you have any questions about my schedule, please contact me.