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HomeMy WebLinkAbout06.09.23 Newsletter TO: Honorable Mayor and Members of the Common Council FROM: Mark Rohloff, City Manager DATE: June 9, 2023 RE: Weekly Newsletter 1. SENIORS CENTER RECEIVES GRANT FOR “CONNECT THROUGH TECH”: The Oshkosh Seniors Center will offer new training courses for older adults impacted by the digital divide through a $10,000 additional funding contribution for a Speaker Series this Fall that expands the “Connect Through Tech” program. This grant comes from the AT & T Foundation. The contribution allows the Center to provide additional classes hosted by experts on topics of interest to older adults this year including the following: hearing aid technology, smart homes, automotive technology, how to avoid scams, and voice activation technologies. “Our mission is to help enrich the quality of life for adults 50 and over, and a big part of that is connecting them to the technology that powers our society,” said Jean Wollerman, Senior Services Manager for the Oshkosh Seniors Center. “With this funding from AT&T, we are excited to offer new classes for our older adults that will help them overcome digital divide barriers and access emerging technologies that can better their lives.” Since May 2020, the “Connect Through Tech” program has provided personalized technology training for adults 50 and older. Over 575 older adults have participated in the program so far, and the Oshkosh Seniors Center hopes the new classes and AT&T funding will help attract at least 125 new individuals from our community. “Older adults are the demographic least likely to be online due to various factors, from cost to access to low confidence,” said Paul Weirtz, State President of AT&T Wisconsin. “But we know technology can make life more convenient, safe, and connected to loved ones for our older adults. We are proud to provide this AT&T contribution to help the Oshkosh Seniors Center bridge that digital divide for individuals who could benefit the most.” The Oshkosh Seniors Center’s mission is to enrich the quality of life for adults aged 50 and older, including offering classes and training to bridge the digital divide. To learn more, please contact Jean Wollerman, Senior Services Manager, at 920.232.5300 or visit the link below to explore the Center’s “Connect through Tech” programs. https://www.ci.oshkosh.wi.us/SeniorServices/Newsletters/June2023.pdf. 2. WISCONSIN POLICY FORUM FOCUS ON THE COST OF MANAGING DIRTY WATER: In 2021, Wisconsin municipalities spent $1 billion, or nearly 14.9% of their total outlays, on handling dirty water through sanitary and stormwater sewers. Sanitary and storm sewers are two of the most basic and important services provided by local governments. Sewers safeguard public health, limit flooding, and protect natural resources, yet their sizable cost is often overlooked when discussing local finance. However, as new challenges emerge, such as increased flooding from climate change, these underappreciated public services and their cost are receiving more attention. Wisconsin Department of Revenue (DOR) data on local spending show the costs of managing dirty water grew steadily over the past two decades. Spending on sanitary sewers grew at a 3.3% annual rate over that period, from $451.8 million in 2003 to $816.7 million in 2021. Most sewer systems are paid for through special proprietary funds financed with user fees. Over the same period, overall local government spending on operations and capital projects grew at a lower rate of 2.2% a year. Total capital and operating spending on stormwater management shows an increase of 2.6% annually, slower than sanitary sewers. However, two somewhat different components of stormwater management showed diverging trends. Outlays for stormwater drainage that are mostly funded from fees increased at a rate of 6.5% annually, rising from $51.2 million in 2003 to $158.0 million by 2021, while spending on storm sewers financed by revenues such as the property tax declined by 2.1% per year, from $86.3 million to $58.5 million in 2021. The City of Oshkosh has received some comments and concerns about our cost to treat both stormwater and sanitary sewers. Please see the link below to read a brief from the Wisconsin Policy Forum. According to the report, the range of annual residential stormwater fees in 2022 ranged between $10.30 to $244, with a statewide average of $69.11. While Oshkosh is not the highest annual fee, we are near the top with our 2022 annual fee for residential use at $210.66. https://wispolicyforum.org/research/peering-down-the-pipe/ 3. OSHKOSH FIRE DEPARTMENT HAPPENINGS: The Oshkosh Fire Department (OFD) celebrated the retirement of Captain Craig Downs on Thursday, June 1, 2023 after 31 years of service. Craig started with the Oshkosh Fire Department in 1992 and worked his way up through the ranks of the department. Enjoy your retirement, Craig! OFD will be utilizing the Webster Stanley Elementary school for hands-on firefighter training the week of June 12-16. 4. 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/ 5. 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/ 6. LOOKING AHEAD: Among the meetings I have scheduled for the week of June 12 include the following: June 12 represents the beginning of my review of departmental requests for capital improvement projects (CIPs). I will spend a good part of the week meeting with departments in advance of our CIP budget meeting with Council on Wednesday, June 28. On Monday at 3:00 PM I will be heading to Madison to attend an event for UW Oshkosh’s Whitburn Center. On Wednesday at 3:00 PM I will be accompanying Community Development Director Nieforth and Museum Director Phillips to the Landmarks Commission meeting to discuss the assignment of Public Museum staff to the Landmarks Commission. On Thursday at 10:30 AM I will be meeting with staff to discuss the financial status of our various tax increment districts. On Friday at 9:00 AM I will be meeting with staff to prepare for the June 27 Council workshop on implementing our housing study recommendations. Finally, I will be attending the Chief Oshkosh plaque dedication at Menominee Park on Friday morning at 10:00 AM. I encourage Council Members and staff to attend this dedication ceremony if they can. City staff and representatives of the Menominee tribe have put a great deal of effort into what should be a wonderful event to honor Chief Oshkosh and the Menominee people. If you have any questions about my schedule, please do not hesitate to contact me.