Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout12.08.23 Newsletter TO: Honorable Mayor and Members of the Common Council FROM: Mark Rohloff, City Manager DATE: December 8, 2023 RE: Weekly Newsletter 1. WATER FILTRATION PLANT INTAKE CLEANING: City staff have been working with Jacobs Engineering Group, Inc. (Jacobs), the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR), and Northern Divers USA, Inc. (Northern Divers) to develop an inspection and cleaning plan for the primary raw water intake pipe at the Water Filtration Plant (WFP). The primary intake pipe is a sixty-inch (60”) diameter pipe that supplies water to the WFP from Lake Winnebago. The beginning of the intake pipe is approximately 2,600’ from shore. An initial assessment inspection was performed in May of this year and revealed the intake pipe is significantly blocked (50% - 60%) by sediment. While not an immediate threat in warm weather, the blockage causes velocities in the pipe to increase and can lead to the formation of frazil ice during the winter. The City of Oshkosh (City) suffered from an ice blockage during the winter of 2015-2016. At that time, the WFP had two 24” backup intake pipes that were used to supply water to the plant. Since then, ice shoves have damaged one (1) of these backups, restricting the capacity of the pipe. City staff and Jacobs worked with the WDNR and various contractors to prepare for cleaning the intake. Northern Divers has been hired to complete the cleaning. Much of the equipment and staging will occur in Menominee Park, near the navigation channel into Millers Bay. During the cleaning, equipment will be operating around the clock to prevent freezing. The work may also require lane restrictions or the closure of Lake Shore Drive to through traffic. The work is scheduled to begin as soon as possible with an anticipated completion date of December 31, 2023. The work will not impact the archaeological sites located in the park. If you have any questions, please contact Steve Gohde, Assistant Director of Public Works / Utilities General Manager or James Rabe, Director of Public Works at (920) 236-5065. 2. CITY OF OSHKOSH UTILITY BILLING CALENDAR: The City of Oshkosh Utility Billing Calendar has been released for 2024. The City of Oshkosh is divided into three utility billing districts and districts are billed monthly, one week apart. Customers are always billed for 30 days, but actual billed dates will vary. Utility bills are due 20 days after the mail date. To track your water usage, our Aquahawk software is free and available at https://oshkwi.aquahawk.us. The billing schedules are attached to this newsletter (Attachment 1). 3. TAX BILLS BEING MAILED THE WEEK OF DECEMBER 11TH: The City of Oshkosh will be mailing real estate and personal property tax bills the week of December 11, 2023. The city encourages residents to mail in their tax payments or use the drop box outside the main doors of City Hall. Residents are also encouraged to use the online payment option at www.OshkoshBillPay.com. Payments can be made in person with cash or check at City Hall, if necessary. City Hall’s business hours are 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. City Hall is closed on December 25th, 26th, and January 1st. In addition, the City is designating Community First Credit Union (1492 South Park Ave., 2424 Westowne Ave., and 2772 Oregon St.) and Associated Bank (10 W. Murdock Avenue and 1765 W 20th Ave) as authorized payment locations for in person payments through January 31st. Tax payments must be made during regular business hours in the credit union and bank lobbies. Individuals are asked to help avoid congestion in City Hall by considering other payment methods before deciding to pay taxes in person this year. Please help us to maintain a safe environment for everyone’s good health. In order to be credited with a 2023 tax payment, the payment must be received, paid in person at any location, or placed in the drop box located by the main entrance to City Hall by December 31, 2023. For tax payment information, please visit https://selfservice.ci.oshkosh.wi.us/mss/citizens/RealEstate/Default.aspx . 4. ANIMAL LICENSE RENEWALS FOR 2024: The Finance Department is currently accepting payment for 2024 dog and/or cat licenses. Licenses are valid through December 31, 2024. Renewals can be purchased online at www.oshkoshBillPay.com. A copy of the current rabies vaccination certificate must be attached. Once submitted and confirmation of payment from the online portal, a tag number will be assigned and sent out in the mail. Payments are also accepted at City Hall. An additional penalty is added for licenses issued after March 31, 2024. More information can be found on the attached 2024 Animal License Renewal Notice (Attachment 2). 5. GET INVOLVED IN A BOARD OR COMMISSION: If you are interested in serving your community, please consider becoming a member of one of the City’s citizen advisory boards, commissions, or committees. To learn more about the boards and commissions, or to complete an application to serve, follow the link below: https://www.ci.oshkosh.wi.us/boardsandcommissions/ 6. 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/ 7. LOOKING AHEAD: I will be out of the office on Monday, December 11th. The meetings I have scheduled for the remainder of the week include the following: on Tuesday at 11:30 AM, I will meet with staff and our strategic planning consultant to continue preparations for our 2025- 2026 strategic planning cycle. On Wednesday at 3:00 PM, I will attend the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new Parks Administration building. On Thursday at 7:30 AM, I will attend GO-EDC’s Executive Committee meeting. If you have any questions about my upcoming schedule, please do not hesitate to contact me.