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HomeMy WebLinkAbout09.29.23 Newsletter TO: Honorable Mayor and Members of the Common Council FROM: Mark Rohloff, City Manager DATE: September 29, 2023 RE: Weekly Newsletter 1. TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE TO REVIEW PARKING ON WISCONSIN STREET: At the September 26th Council meeting, a citizen petition was presented to allow parking on both sides of Wisconsin Street between New York Avenue and Murdock Avenue. Wisconsin Street was just reconstructed from New York Avenue to Bent Avenue. Plans were developed to maintain a status quo with regard to on-street parking, which is allowed on the west side of the street but not the east. Over the last month, City staff has received calls from citizens with diverse views on this subject, some supporting parking on one side of the street and others supporting parking on both sides of the street. Due to this, the issue was already planned to be considered by the Transportation Committee at their October 10th meeting. Wisconsin Street was reconstructed at 36 feet in width, and 8 feet is needed for each side of parking. Therefore, if parking were allowed on both sides of the street, there would only be 20 feet of space allowed for vehicular travel, or 10 feet in each direction. This is very tight, and similar to North Main Street from Algoma Boulevard to Parkway Avenue. There is a strong possibility that Wisconsin Street could be reclassified as a collector street; wider traffic lanes are preferable in this case. If parking were allowed on both sides of the street, this also means that on-street, overnight parking permits could be purchased (following opposite parking regulations), which may or may not be popular in this area. We have also received requests for bike lanes on this stretch of road. If bike lanes were installed, no on-street parking would be allowed on either side, as 10 feet of space would be needed (5 feet on each side of the road). Staff is recommending on-street parking remain on the west side of the road only, along with shared-lane markings, or sharrows, which are markings indicating a bike route and that cars and bikes should share the road. Please contact Transportation Director Jim Collins at (920) 232-5342 with any questions. 2. WHAT’S LURKING IN YOUR WATER LINES? We need your help identifying Oshkosh properties that might have lead service lines. The Federal government requires the Oshkosh Department of Public Works to compile a database of lead service lines within the City by the fall of 2024. To accomplish this, all Oshkosh property owners must schedule a free inspection at oshkoshwater.com. To connect with diverse communities in Oshkosh, we have information on lead water services available in Spanish and Hmong. Para conectarnos con distintas comunidades en Oshkosh, estamos orgullosos de tener información sobre nuestras inspecciones de líneas de agua disponible en español y hmong. Txhawm rau kev sib txuas nrog rau ntau haiv neeg hauv lub nroog Oshkosh, peb zoo siab heev uas peb muaj cov ntaub ntawv sau ua lub hmoob thiab lus mev hais txog ntawm peb txoj kev soj ntsuam xyuav txog cov kav dej. 3. LIBRARY CELEBRATES OUR “FREEDOM TO READ”: Oshkosh Public Library will celebrate the Freedom to Read with an exciting array of activities as part of the nationwide observance of Banned Books Week, October 1st to 7th. This annual event, established in 1982 as a response to a surge in book challenges, unites the literary community in its support of the right to explore and express unconventional or unpopular ideas. The library will present the Freedom to Read Video Series, a sequence of short informational programs that will premier every Thursday from September 28th to October 26th on YouTube. The videos will delve into the distinction between banning and challenging books, the potential for a book to be reinstated after a ban, and the legal protection of our fundamental freedom to read. The Freedom to Read Scavenger Hunt launches Monday, October 2nd. Fifty books will be hidden at various locations throughout Oshkosh, each title representing one of the American Library Association’s Top Ten Most Challenged Books of 2022. Daily clues will be posted on the library’s Facebook page, guiding participants in their quest. On Saturday, October 7th at 7:00 PM, adults are invited to the Time Community Theater to attend a free screening of the classic 1962 film adaptation of Harper Lee's iconic Pulitzer Prize- winning novel, To Kill a Mockingbird. The library will also present a series of Freedom to Read Book Discussions under the Dome. Running from Monday, October 23rd to Friday, October 27th at 5:00 PM, each session will explore several of the most challenged books from 2022. These discussions will explore the motivations underlying the book challenges and underscore the importance of safeguarding the freedom to read. All adults are welcome to attend, regardless of whether they have read the selected book. For more information about any of these events, please visit the Oshkosh Public Library at oshkoshpubliclibrary.org. 4. NEW MUSEUM EXHIBITION FEATURES REGIONAL FOLK ART: Dive into regional folk art with Alluring Art: Collection Highlights in the Sawyer Library! These collection highlights explore the craftmanship and beauty of hand carved decoys, which have evolved from a practical tool to a recognized American folk art and gained many admirers through their unique allure. Alluring Art is presented by the Durow Trust and is on view now in the Historic Sawyer Home Library. 5. NEW SOFTWARE FOR COUNCIL AGENDAS: The City of Oshkosh is excited to announce the implementation of a new software that will help streamline the process of drafting and publishing the council agenda. The software – AgendaQuick, by Destiny Software, Inc. – is designed to improve the creation and management of agendas, record votes, track meeting minutes, and collaborate with other departments. Some of the benefits of using AgendaQuick include the ability to: • Easily create and edit agendas, even with complex items; • Assign approval workflow to agenda items, avoiding unnecessary delays in the preparation process; • Record votes in a timely manner; • Track meeting minutes and correspondence; • Collaborate with other departments and staff members on agendas and minutes; • Subscribe to notifications once an agenda is published; • Set up notifications and reminders for upcoming meetings; • Integrate with other software systems, such as Laserfiche, to continue to archive Council agenda and minutes; and • Create custom templates for agendas and minutes, with the potential for them to be used in other municipal boards and commission agendas. This new software made its debut on the City’s website with the September 12th agenda. This software is a welcome addition to the City of Oshkosh’s toolkit, as it is designed to make the process of drafting council agendas more efficient and effective. Visit https://www.ci.oshkosh.wi.us/CityCouncil/Agenda.aspx to find Council agendas, and click on the “Subscribe” button to be automatically notified when new agendas are published to the website! If you have questions about the new software, please contact City Clerk Diane Bartlett at (920) 236-5011 or Administrative Assistant Kami Zuercher at (920) 236-5002. 6. GET INVOLVED IN A BOARD OR COMMISSION: 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. ATTACHMENTS: Attachment 1: English – What’s Lurking in Your Lines? Attachment 2: Hmoob – Muaj dab tsi nyab hauv koj tus kav dej? Attachment 3: Español – ¿Qué está merodeando sus tuberías? 9. LOOKING AHEAD: As a reminder, I will be attending the International City-County Management Association’s (ICMA) Annual Conference in Austin, Texas through Wednesday, October 4th. Upon my return on Thursday, I will be meeting with staff at 9:00 AM to prepare for the following week’s Council meeting. On Friday at 10:00 AM, I will attend a meeting with the Oshkosh Chamber of Commerce, City staff, and Council Member Michael Ford to prepare for Leadership Oshkosh’s Government Day; at 6:00 PM, I will attend XRoads41’s Official Launch Event. If you have any questions about my upcoming schedule, please do not hesitate to contact me.