HomeMy WebLinkAbout04.07.23 Newsletter
TO: Honorable Mayor and Members of the Common Council
FROM: Mark Rohloff, City Manager
DATE: April 6, 2023
RE: Weekly Newsletter
1. GO CONNECT OFF TO A SUCCESSFUL START: GO Connect, the new micro transit pilot
started Monday. This is a shared ride taxi service that takes riders from the Oshkosh
Downtown Transit Center to the Neenah Transit Center and vice versa. The first few days of
the program have seen 11 rides a day scheduled mostly for employment purposes. The rides
cost $5 each way. If you have any questions about GO Transit, Please contact Transportation
Director, Jim Collins or Transit Operations Manager, Steve Tomasik.
2. I-41 JURISDICTIONAL ENFORCEMENT: In January, the Winnebago County Sheriff's
Office announced that it would 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 as well.
Through discussions with the Winnebago County Sheriff, the Oshkosh Police Department
came to the agreement that the City of Oshkosh would begin taking over enforcement efforts
on I-41 from the south of Waukau to north through the 21 roundabout. This does not, however,
include the Butte Des Morts Causeway.
The initial transition phase took place January – March with training and the addition of
requisite equipment needed for officers to safely conduct law enforcement activities in this
area. Beginning in April – June, the department transitions 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 has begun 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.
3. CONGRATULATIONS: On Monday, April 3, 2023, the Oshkosh Police Department said
goodbye to Captain Kevin Konrad who retired after proudly serving the Department and the
City of Oshkosh for 33 years. During his tenure with the department, he has performed the
duties of a Patrol Officer, Police School Liaison Officer, Crime Prevention Sergeant, Patrol
Sergeant, Professional Standards Division Lieutenant where he served for 8 years as the
Department’s Accreditation Manager, a Lieutenant in the Patrol Division, and most recently
served as Captain of the Operations Bureau, which is comprised of the Patrol Division and the
Criminal Investigation Division. Captain Konrad has served as a Field Training Officer and a
member of the Mobile Field Force and SWAT Teams, as well as the Honor Guard Team,
earning a Service Award in 2020 for his 28 years of dedicated service to the Honor Guard.
Throughout his career, he has received numerous letters of recognition in addition to earning
Letters of Commendation in 1991 and 2006 for his commendable actions in the line of duty.
Thank you, Captain Konrad, for your exceptional service and dedication to the Oshkosh Police
Department and to the City of Oshkosh. Congratulations on your retirement Kevin; we wish
you the very best for a happy and healthy retirement!
4. OPD PROMOTION: On Tuesday, April 4, 2023, during a Police and Fire Commission
meeting, the Oshkosh Police Department celebrated the promotion of Officer Ryan Boerner to
the position of Detective. Congratulations Ryan!
Detective Ryan Boerner has been with the Oshkosh Police Department for 21 years beginning
in March of 2002. During his tenure with the department, he has performed the duties of a
Patrol Officer and most recently a School Resource Officer assigned to Oshkosh North High
School. Detective Boerner serves as a Background Investigator, Field Training Officer, Bike
Patrol Officer, a Firearms/DAAT/Active Shooter Instructor, and served as a former member of
the SWAT Team for 15 years. He also serves as an active member of EPCOT (Emergency
Preparedness Collaborative Operations Team) in the Oshkosh Area School District.
Throughout his career, he earned a Distinguished Service Medal in 2006, a Service Award in
2020, a Lifesaving Award in 2021, Police Officer of the Year in 2021, a Community Service
Award in 2022, as well as Supervisor’s Logs for his commendable actions in the line of duty.
5. INSPECTION SERVICES: The Inspection Services Division saw a 63% decrease in permit
fees collected for the 1st quarter of 2022 vs 2023.
January
March
Building
Permits
Electrical
Permits
HVAC
Permits
Plumbing
Permits
Total Valuation
of Permits
Total Permit
Fees Collected
2022 404 186 253 355 $76,611,910 $361,414
2023 337 174 200 343 $16,539,413 $134,166
New Projects (Jan-March 2023): 2 Single Family Homes, Panda Express (570 S Koeller St).
Commercial Alterations/Additions (Jan-March 2023): EAA Gift Shop (3000 Poberezny Rd),
McDonald’s (1863 Jackson St), Nova Clinic (600 N Koeller St), Partnership Community Health
Center (550 City Center), ProEx Extrusions (3015 N Main St), Mountain Top Investments I LLC
(2840 Oregon St).
May is Building Safety Month and it’s approaching soon. This is an international campaign
celebrated to raise awareness about building safety. Please see the handout that was created
to inform citizens of the services our department provides and things they can do to make their
homes safer.
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.
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 below 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 April 9 include
the following: At 7:30 AM on Monday, I will be attending the Chamber Governmental Affairs
Committee meeting. At 3:00 PM I will be meeting with Public Works staff to discuss
sewer/water easements. At 4:00 PM I will be meeting with staff to discuss the Sanitary Districts
Master Agreement. On Thursday at 7:30 AM I will be attending the GOEDC Executive
Committee meeting. At 10 AM I will be meeting with Oshkosh Media staff to evaluate the 2023
State of the City event. At 4:30 PM I will be attending the United Way Celebration event. On
Friday at 11:00 AM I will be meeting with Community Development Director Kelly Nieforth.
If you have any questions about my schedule, please contact me.