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HomeMy WebLinkAbout04.28.23 Newsletter TO: Honorable Mayor and Members of the Common Council FROM: Mark Rohloff, City Manager DATE: April 28, 2023 RE: Weekly Newsletter 1. CONSTRUCTION BEGINS FOR WASHBURN STREET AND OSBORN AVENUE: Construction of the asphalt paving projects on South Washburn Street and Osborn Avenue are set to begin. This Project is being managed by the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WDOT). The general contractor for the Project is Northeast Asphalt (NEA). NEA plans to close both South Washburn Street and Osborn Avenue and start construction on May 8, 2023. The limits of work on South Washburn Street are from Dickinson Avenue to West 20th Avenue. The limits of the work on Osborn Avenue are from Knapp Street to the driveway entrance of the National Guard Armory site (approximately 0.6 miles west of Knapp Street). NEA will have a field office set up near the west end of the Osborn Avenue portion of the Project. The purpose of this Project is to pulverize the existing asphalt pavement, stabilize the ground, and install new asphalt pavement. No major changes are planned for location or grade of the streets, and no utility work is planned for the Project. For the South Washburn Street portion of the Project, a portion of the shoulder on the west side of the street will be paved, allowing for better utilization by non-motorized users of the street. The existing bike lanes on Osborn Avenue will be restored after paving is completed. Both projects are being funded by the Federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) which was signed into law on November 15, 2021. Utilizing the BIL funding provides the City of Oshkosh the ability to resurface some streets that would otherwise wait several years for a reconstruction project to take place. This will improve the overall condition of streets within the City of Oshkosh, addressing an age-old concern within the community, and meeting multiple goals within the City’s Strategic Plan. If you have any questions, please contact Construction Management Supervisor, Craig Ramthun. 2. KEEP THE LIGHTS ON FOR LESS MONEY: The City of Oshkosh Sustainability Advisory Board (SAB) has partnered with FOCUS ON ENERGY to host an event for residents to learn about available benefits from Wisconsin’s Focus on Energy program and the Inflation Reduction Act. This FREE event will be held on Wednesday, May 3 at 5:30 PM at the Oshkosh Public Library, 106 Washington Avenue. Attendees may bring their children, as this is a family friendly event with activity books and crayons for kids. Making one’s home more efficient can have many benefits: lower energy bills, a more comfortable home, better indoor air quality, and a lower environmental impact. The free event on May 3 will allow residents to learn: • Which energy projects to start with to save the most money • How to take advantage of Focus on Energy rebates and resources • General information on available tax credits for home energy projects There are more resources available now than ever before to lower the cost of going efficient. This event is hosted by the Oshkosh Sustainability Advisory Board in partnership with Focus on Energy. For more information, contact the Oshkosh Community Development Department at (920) 236-5059. 3. PSC APPROVES WATER RATE INCREASE: The Public Service Commission (PSC) approved a water rate increase for the City of Oshkosh on April 26, 2023 and will go into effect on June 1, 2023. The increase will be about 18.33% for a typical single-family residential customer’s water charge. The last water rate increase was on October 1, 2018. Please find the attached document for additional information. 4. SPRING HAS SPRUNG IN THE PARKS!: There are many projects taking place in Oshkosh Parks. The Bear/Fox Exhibit construction at Menominee Park Zoo has begun and memorial benches are being placed along Miller’s Bay by the walking trail. Staff will continue to install memorial benches at Rainbow Memorial Park, South Park, Garden Club Park and Menominee Park throughout the spring. Work will begin soon at Roe Park on the new playground and surfacing replacement which will continue through May. The South Park Shelter #1 interior was recently painted improving one of the most popular facilities for rent in the park system. If you have any questions regarding park projects, please contact Chad Dallman, Assistant Parks Director, at (920) 236-5080. 5. PARK FACILITIES OPENING FOR SPRING: May brings excitement for the Parks Department and the opening of our facilities. Join us on Saturday, May 6, 2023 for the opening of the Menominee Park Zoo. The zoo will then be open daily from 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM through September 24, 2023. Stop by and see what is new for the 2023 season. The Lakefly Café opens for the season on Saturday, May 27, 2023 for the season. Hours of operation for the Lakefly Café will be from 11:00 AM – 6:00 PM Monday-Friday and 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM on Saturday and Sunday. Stop by and take a look at all of the merchandise we have to offer or grab a treat. The Menominee Park Amusement Center will also open on Saturday, May 27, 2023. The Amusement Center will be open Friday-Sunday from 11:00 AM – 7:00 PM throughout the summer. If you have any questions regarding these facilities at Menominee Park, please contact Jenny McCollian, Revenue Facilities Manager, at (920) 236-5080. 6. HAPPY ARBOR DAY!: In 1872, the Nebraska Board of Agriculture established a special day to be set aside for the planting of trees. This holiday, called Arbor Day, was first observed with the planting of more than a million trees in Nebraska and is now observed throughout the nation and the world. Oshkosh celebrated Arbor on Friday, April 28 with the 4th Grade students of Franklin Elementary School by planting two trees at Garden Club Park. If you have any questions about this event or forestry-related topics, please contact Travis Derks, Landscape Operations Manager, at (920) 236-5080. 7. EVENT SEASON YEAR-ROUND: We are excited to share that there are a number of new events that are in the early stages of planning for Oshkosh this year. Of them is the Oshkosh Pride & Hope Fridge’s Community Cookout that will be hosted at the Leach Amphitheater on June 25, 2023. While not all events may require a Special Event Permit, the special events staff works closely with individuals and groups seeking locations that are ideal for their events. From finding a location perfect for entertainment, food and games, to designing routes for parades, processions and run/walks, the event staff will do their best to assess each event to help ensure the success and overall impact on the community its resources. For more information on these and other exciting events coming soon, check out the Visit Oshkosh website at: https://visitoshkosh.com/ or contact Kathy Snell, Special Events Coordinator, at (920) 236-5080. 8. WISCONSIN FIRE SERVICE ADMINISTRATION ASSOCIATION: The City of Oshkosh Fire Department and Administrative Assistant Kim Wallmuller hosted the Wisconsin Fire Service Administration Association (WFSAA) at Station 15 on Wednesday, April 26, 2023 for their quarterly meeting. Kim is a member of the WFSAA and there were Fire Service Administrative Professionals from 12 different Fire Departments located throughout the state of Wisconsin in attendance. 9. SAWDUST CITY FIRE EXPO: The first annual Sawdust City Fire Expo was held on Saturday, April 22, 2023 and had 160 firefighters from 65 different departments across Wisconsin and neighboring states. 10. 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/ 11. 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/ 12. LOOKING AHEAD: Among the meetings I have scheduled for the week of May 1 include the following: On Monday at 10:00 AM I will be meeting with councilmember Haase as part of her orientation. At 1:30 PM I will be meeting with staff regarding follow-up discussion of social media initiatives. At 3:30 PM I will be meeting with a local business regarding some new products that may be applicable for community initiatives. On Tuesday at 5:00 PM I will be attending the Senior Center volunteer appreciation event. On Wednesday at 7:30 AM I will be meeting with the Oshkosh Convention & Visitors Bureau board of directors to give them an annual update of items that may be of interest to them. On Wednesday evening I will be leaving for Madison to attend an Urban Alliance event that runs through Thursday afternoon. On Friday at 7:45 AM I will be doing a welcome to the Altrusa Club conference at the Best Western Hotel. At 9:30 AM and 2:00 PM I will be meeting with Fire Chief Stanley on collaborative initiatives with other fire departments. This will be particularly relevant given the recent discussions of state grants for inter-governmental collaborations. If you have any questions about my schedule, please contact me.