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HomeMy WebLinkAbout05.19.23 newsletter TO: Honorable Mayor and Members of the Common Council FROM: Mark Rohloff, City Manager DATE: May 19, 2023 RE: Weekly Newsletter 1. LAKE BUTTE DES MORTS DRIVE – RED EARTH LLC DEVELOPMENT: City Staff has been working with the Red Earth development team to evaluate the feasibility of developing Phase I of their project with three-story buildings, as approved by Council, instead of the four- story buildings, as originally proposed. Staff has provided preliminary comments on the revised draft plans, and while the footprints of the buildings have changed somewhat, the revised plans are consistent with Council’s approval of Red Earth’s amended Specific Implementation Plan (SIP). The developers have indicated the revised plans have increased costs and resulted in lost revenue for the project; as a result, the developer has inquired about TIF assistance. City staff will keep Council informed on the status on the project. If you have further questions, please contact Planning Services Manager, Mark Lyons, at mlyons@ci.oshkosh.wi.us. 2. COMMUNITY COLLABORATION – OSHKOSH TINY HOME VILLAGE: Last year the City of Oshkosh worked closely with the Oshkosh Kids Foundation, T.J. Rodgers and his team, and other community partners on an idea to construct tiny homes for homeless families in Oshkosh. The idea has become a reality and families have moved into the tiny homes and are thriving. The tiny homes provide transitional housing to families in need, support from various social services agencies, and requires participation in programming to help the families become independent. Mr. Rodgers and his team led the effort to move this project forward and have supported the project from the very beginning. Please see the attached article from the Silicon Valley Business Journal regarding Mr. Rodgers’ investment in the tiny home project here in Oshkosh. 3. MUSEUM WELCOMES FIRST-EVER CURATOR OF EDUCATION: Join the City of Oshkosh and the Oshkosh Public Museum (OPM) in welcoming Neal Matherne, the Museum’s first-ever Curator of Education! Dr. Neal Matherne is a heritage professional with a proven track record of helping institutions and communities understand each other through outreach, programming, and education. He comes to the City of Oshkosh from the Cherokee Strip Regional Heritage Center (Oklahoma Historical Society) in Enid, OK, and has previously worked in museum education, research, and outreach at Skidmore College, The Field Museum of Natural History, and the University of California, Riverside. As OPM’s Curator of Education, Neal will formalize OPM’s Education Program through interpretation, outreach, and programming opportunities. Welcome, Neal! 4. MUSEUM HOSTING NEW CONTEMPORARY NATIVE AMERICAN ARTIST: The Oshkosh Public Museum is excited to announce that Jennifer M. Stevens is the 2023 Featured Contemporary Native Artist. Stevens is an Oneida and Oglala Lakota potter, historian, instructor, and artist who creates Haudenosaunee (Iroquois-Six Nations) – style pottery. Her pieces blend traditional techniques with contemporary style. “I am thrilled and honored to be working with the Oshkosh Public Museum and to be part of the People of the Waters exhibition,” says Jennifer. Her more than twenty-five-year career has created expertise in recreating historic (1400’s- 1600’s CE) and prehistoric pots (1,100’s-1300’s CE). She is also a visual artist, opera singer, and composer. Her pottery is now on display in the Living Cultures section of People of the Waters. 5. MUSEUM PARTNERS WITH PARKS DEPT. FOR NEW RIVERSIDE CEMETERY TOUR: The Oshkosh Public Museum (OPM) continues to partner with the Parks Department to offer Riverside Cemetery Tours in the spring and fall seasons. This spring and early summer, OPM & Parks will introduce a new tour: Extraordinary Women of Oshkosh. This tour explores Oshkosh history through the stories of ten extraordinary women. Tickets are required and still available at www.oshkoshmuseum.org. 6. LAW ENFORCEMENT TRIBUTE: The Oshkosh Police Department held a Law Enforcement Tribute on Monday, May 15, 2023, in recognition of National Police Week (May 14-20). National Police Week pays special recognition to those law enforcement officers who have lost their lives in the line of duty serving and protecting others. The Oshkosh Police Department honored the Oshkosh Police Officers that were killed in the line of duty since 1853: Louis Hardy, George O’Connor, and Walter Spiering, along with those officers that have died in 2023 in the State of Wisconsin: Peter Jerving, Emily Breidenbach, Hunter Scheel, and Katie Leising. National Police Week is also a time to recognize the great men and women who serve and protect our communities each and every day. 7. OPD 7TH ANNUAL AWARDS CEREMONY: The Oshkosh Police Department held their 7th Annual Awards Ceremony on Thursday, May 18, 2023, at The Waters. Department employees and citizens were recognized for their exceptional performance, achievements, and service to the Oshkosh community during the 2022 year. The Awards Ceremony is about more than the reflection of the pride and dedication of those who strive to make a difference in our community; it is also about the strong partnerships that are built and recognized by our community businesses and leaders. We express our sincere appreciation to Tom & Penny Harenburg and The Waters for their generosity and sponsorship in support of making the Annual Awards Ceremony such a success! 8. 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/ 9. 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/ 10. LOOKING AHEAD: The meetings I have scheduled for the week of May 22 include the following: On Monday at 10:00 AM I will be meeting with Purchasing staff to discuss the current Food and Beverage Policy. At 2:00 PM I will be meeting with Lu Scheer, Winnebago County Housing Grant Specialist, to discuss homelessness initiatives in Oshkosh. On Tuesday I will be attending the Urban Alliance/League of Wisconsin Municipalities Lobby Day in Madison, at which, I have confirmed meetings with Representative Palmeri and Senator Feyen. I will be returning for the Council portrait at 5:30 PM and attending the Council meeting at 6:00 PM. On Wednesday at 3:30 PM I will be meeting with Parks Director Ray Maurer to discuss future ideas of the former Committee on Aging members. At 5:00 PM I will be attending the Discussion on Fire Service at the Whitburn Center. On Thursday at 10:30 AM I will be participating in the rating call with Moody’s Investors Service. At 3:00 PM I will be attending the Arts and Beautification Committee meeting. At 5:00 PM I am attending the Leadership Oshkosh Graduation Ceremony. I will be out of the office on Friday, May 26. As a reminder, City offices are closed the following Monday, May 29 in observance of Memorial Day. If you have any questions about my schedule, please do not hesitate to contact me.