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HomeMy WebLinkAbout06.30.23 Newsletter TO: Honorable Mayor and Members of the Common Council FROM: Mark Rohloff, City Manager DATE: June 30, 2023 RE: Weekly Newsletter 1. PARKS DEPARTMENT’S SUMMER PROJECTS: Summer is here, a time when the Parks Department operates on all cylinders to provide the community with safe and quality experiences in our parks. Recent and upcoming projects for the department include the installations of memorial benches at the Menominee Park Zoo, in Stevens Park, and the Garden Club Park. At the Zoo, the construction of the new Bear and Fox exhibit is underway, and the progress is exciting to watch. In May, the new self-service kayak rentals were installed in Millers Bay. Outdoor enthusiasts can download the app Rent.Fun to secure a kayak, paddles, and life jacket. The reconstruction and restoration of the Roe Park playground are done. Next time you are at the library or Downtown YMCA, check out all the new equipment and the poured-in-place rubber surfacing, which increases safety and is fun for the kids to play on in this quaint, downtown park. Take advantage of summer; enjoy our parks and open spaces. If you have any questions regarding park projects, please contact Chad Dallman, Assistant Parks Director, at (920) 236- 5080. 2. FAMILY EVENTS HAPPENING AT PARK FACILITIES ALL MONTH: Summer is in full swing at the Oshkosh Parks Department and we are excited to offer great family events at our facilities this summer! We have so much to offer: you can visit us at Pollock Community Water Park, check out the Menominee Park Zoo and see what great programs we are running for the day, or stop on over to the Children’s Amusement Center on the weekend to take a train ride. Like us on Facebook to keep up with all the great offerings. Throughout the month of July, we will be offering many family-friendly events! If you have any questions regarding these events, please contact Jenny McCollian, Revenue Facilities Manager, at (920) 236-5080. Pollock Community Water Park: Open 7 days a week. 10:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. is lap swimming, lazy river walking, and tot time, followed by open swim from 12:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. Special Events at Pollock:  July 12th: Yoga at the Pool with Inner Sun Yoga Studio (must pre-register by stopping at the pool or calling (920) 236-5086)  July 13th: Pirate Ship Shake-up, 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.  July 17th-21st: Fun in the Sun Kids Camp for ages 7-9, 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. (must pre-register online or stop at the pool and sign up)  July 27th: Ducky Days, 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. Children’s Amusement Center: Open Friday-Sunday from 11:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.  July 12th: Carnival Day, 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. Leach Amphitheater:  July 18th: Boogie and the Yo-Yoz, 6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.  July 21st: Family Movie Night with American Underdog playing. Gates open at 6:30 p.m., movie starts at dusk. Bounce house, family entertainment, and food trucks will be available. Brews on the Bay:  July 12th: Tuesday @ 5 Band plays from 5:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. at Menominee Park Kiwanis Shelter. Serving local craft beers, food trucks, and more! 3. OSHKOSH RECEIVES GRANT TO TRANSFORM ALLEY: The city of Oshkosh is receiving a $30,845 Vibrant Spaces grant from the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) to fund the transformation of an underused alley space into a functional public gathering space in downtown Oshkosh. City staff worked with the Downtown Oshkosh Business Improvement District (BID) in the grant application process. The BID raised matching funds for this project. The Vibrant Spaces grant program is designed to help cities and towns revitalize underused spaces to build community and attract future residents. To encourage economic and community growth in downtown Oshkosh, WEDC’s Vibrant Spaces grant will fund the reimagination of a downtown alley into a public gathering space. This project, located in the 400 block of Main Street, will bring public art to the community and enhance the image of the area. Additionally, this project is set to bring visitors and future residents to the 10 businesses and 15 residential units surrounding the space. The spot will serve as a place for community events, including pop-up galleries and the local musical groups weekly meetings. “By beautifying and activating underutilized public spaces throughout our Central City, we are encouraging foot traffic and activity which makes spaces like the Algoma Alley safer and more inviting for visitors and residents of Downtown Oshkosh,” said Jessica Meidl, Manager of the Downtown Oshkosh BID. The Vibrant Spaces Grant program is an initiative within WEDC’s Community Development and Investment (CDI) grant program. Successful projects demonstrated that they would benefit the local district, nearby businesses, and the community as a whole. Communities were required to match grant funds and begin construction this summer. For more information about the Vibrant Spaces grant that Oshkosh is receiving, please contact John Zarate, Economic Development Specialist, at (920) 236-5028 or jzarate@ci.oshkosh.wi.us. Additional information on the grant can be found online at: https://wedc.org/programs-and- resources/vibrant-spaces/. 4. COMMUNITY DONATIONS SPUR TREE PLANTING: The City of Oshkosh, in partnership with the Oshkosh Area Community Foundation, is planting 245 trees in terraces throughout the City this spring and early summer to replace those lost to the Emerald Ash Borer, and your community donations are driving this effort! Among many benefits, trees reduce stormwater runoff, enhance property values, improve health and well-being, provide aesthetic benefits, reduce air pollution, and provide wildlife habitat. Funding for this project has been raised through the Taking Root II campaign. Please consider donating to this fund that helps us grow and maintain the urban tree canopy in our community: https://www.oshkoshareacf.org/fund/taking-root-fund/. Over 15 different species are being planted, keeping overhead and underground utilities in mind. Here's a tree tip from the Landscape Operations Division: newly transplanted trees need water to thrive. Please water any recently transplanted tree. Water slowly and let it soak into the ground daily or twice a week. Early morning is best, but anytime will work if you apply water directly to the soil and keep the leaves and trunk dry. This spring and summer are turning out to be extremely hot and dry. While trees can withstand short periods of drought, where the amount of water available in the soil declines to a point where the tree's roots aren't capable of absorbing moisture, the fine hair-like roots, whose primary function is to absorb moisture, begin to die back. Newly transplanted trees need a little help getting through a drought due to the number of roots lost during the transplanting process. If you have questions, please contact Travis Derks, Landscape Operations Manager, at (920) 236-5080. 5. PREVENTING FALLS WITH THE SENIORS CENTER: Falls should not be a part of aging, and the Oshkosh Seniors Center and the Oshkosh Fire Department want you to be aware of the preventative measures available in your community. Here are some of the startling statistics published on the Wisconsin Institute for Healthy Aging website relating to falls:  Wisconsin has the highest death rate due to falls for older adults of any state in the country.  Every 11 seconds, an older adult somewhere in the U.S. is admitted to an emergency department for a fall. Every 19 minutes, an older adult dies due to injuries from a fall.  In Wisconsin and the nation, one out of every four adults falls annually.  One out of every five falls results in an injury such as a broken bone or head trauma.  In Wisconsin, 40% of people who enter nursing homes had a fall in the 30 days before admission.  Falls cost Wisconsin over $1 billion each year. The Oshkosh Seniors Center encourages you to be proactive in preventing a fall in the future. Through the month of August, anyone over 50 years old can book a free balance screening at the Center. Just call us for an appointment at (920) 232-5300. In addition to determining your personal risk, the Center will recommend exercise programs and home safety strategies to reduce your risk. The funding for this program came from the Wisconsin Institute for Healthy Aging, which is another excellent resource for fall prevention. Find more information on their website: wihealthyaging.org/. Since January, the Center has assessed the fall risk of 128 people, and many are taking positive steps to reduce their personal risk. If you want more information about the Center, please call Jean Wollerman, Senior Services Manager, at (920)232-5300. You may find the Center’s program newsletter, including evidence- based fall prevention exercise classes, on our website: ci.oshkosh.wi.us/SeniorServices/ 6. OFD CONDUCTS TRAINING EXERCISES: The Oshkosh Fire Department would like to thank the Oshkosh Area School District for allowing OFD to hold training exercises last week, Tuesday through Friday, at Webster Stanley School. Some of the things covered were hose movement, forcible entry, fire attack, and search and rescue. 7. FIRE DEPARMENT RECEIVES GRANT FOR CAR FIRE BLANKET: The Oshkosh Fire Department thanks Capital Credit Union for their generous grant of $3,230 to purchase a car fire blanket. In 2020, there were 6,310 electric vehicles registered in the State of Wisconsin. That increased to 9,330 in 2021. It is expected that this number will continue to rise dramatically. While electric vehicles have many benefits, they also create additional risks. Fires in electric vehicles powered by high-voltage lithium-ion batteries pose the risk of electric shock to emergency responders from exposure to the high-voltage components of a damaged lithium- ion battery. A further risk is that damaged cells in the battery can experience uncontrolled increases in temperature and pressure (thermal runaway), which can lead to hazards such as battery reignition/fire. The risks of electric shock and battery reignition/fire arise from the "stranded" energy that remains in a damaged battery. A car fire blanket provides the quickest and most effective way for firefighters to extinguish a car fire by removing oxygen supply. Toxic gases and smoke are stifled immediately in fossil fuel cars. The same immediate result is achieved in electric cars, whose batteries have not been affected by the fire. This project will not only protect the firefighters of Oshkosh, it can also be a resource to our surrounding communities. Through our existing mutual-aid agreements, the blanket could be taken to neighboring fire departments to help them extinguish electric vehicle fires safely as well. The impact of the project would be very far reaching and dramatically improve firefighter safety in the area. 8. WATCH FOR EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS INFORMATION: Be on the lookout for monthly emergency preparedness information inserts in your monthly water bills. The Oshkosh Fire Department is looking to raise awareness about the importance of preparing for disasters and emergencies that could happen at any time. We’re committed to putting people first and reaching communities where they are. 9. 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/ 10. 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/ 11. LOOKING AHEAD: Tuesday is the July 4th holiday, and I will also be out of the office from Wednesday through Friday on vacation. Due to the holiday and my vacation, there will be no newsletter on July 7th. If you have any questions about my schedule, please contact me.