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HomeMy WebLinkAbout01.12.24 Newsletter TO: Honorable Mayor and Members of the Common Council FROM: Mark Rohloff, City Manager DATE: January 12, 2024 RE: Weekly Newsletter 1. CITY FACING SHORTAGE OF LIQUOR LICENSES: Currently, the City of Oshkosh has issued all but two (2) available Combination Class B liquor licenses with 2 pending applications and at least one forthcoming. This type of license is required for all full-service bars, restaurants, and any establishments selling beer and liquor for on-premise consumption. There is no path to obtain more licenses from the state. The recent shortage has caused concern among some local businesses and new liquor license applicants, and City staff are looking for opportunities to free up additional licenses. Until these issues have been resolved, the City Manager has held up bringing forward any additional licenses for Council consideration. The State of Wisconsin is in the process of rewriting the licensing rules required for liquor licensing and operator (bartender) licensing, among other rules. A portion of this rewrite addresses the issue of fermented malt beverages. Under the new law, these items have been added to the federal definition of "beer" under fermented malt beverages, meaning now most popular seltzers will be able to be sold with a Class "B" (beer) license. Also, the rewrite states that that a "Class C" (wine) license no longer has the requirement of only being issued to restaurants. Due to these changes, it would be beneficial for businesses to examine the type of license they have to ensure it is appropriate for their business. This review could “free up” unused licenses and allow their re-distribution to other businesses. Renewal notices are scheduled to be mailed mid-March with the renewal period ending June 30th. The new law is expected to take effect May 1st and municipalities throughout Wisconsin will be seeing a lot of guidance coming from the Department of Revenue (DOR) on the new rules, which will give municipal clerks a short amount of time to initiate the changes before the end of the renewal period. Staff will be looking for direction from Council to develop strategies, tools, and resources to include in the renewal notice that ensures business owners are informed and liquor licenses are properly allocated. In the meantime, holding off on issuing Class B licenses is the most prudent path. 2. CITY MANAGER TESTIFIES AGAINST URBAN TOWNS BILL: On Wednesday of this week, I attended a hearing of the Wisconsin State Senate Committee on Transportation and Local Government to speak against SB691, commonly known as the Urban Towns bill. This bill would create a new category of towns and eliminate much of the collaboration that is currently encouraged between cities and towns in an effort to avoid conflicts and possible lawsuits. While there are certainly some issues that need to be addressed regarding annexations and extraterritorial zoning between some cities and towns, we are fortunate to enjoy the benefit of long-standing boundary agreements with most of our surrounding towns. Clearly, that is not the case everywhere, as some testimony identified approximately three situations in the state where this does not exist. While I was primarily concerned about the annexation and extraterritorial zoning changes in the bill, there were multiple features in the bill that would eliminate our ability to manage connections to our utility systems from the many surrounding towns and sanitary districts with whom we currently work. These provisions would effectively undo all of the work we have been pursuing with our master sanitary sewer agreement. By the time that these issues were discussed with the Senate committee, the bill sponsor stated that he was prepared to remove these provisions from SB 691. While we remain opposed to the other provisions in the Urban Towns bill, the offer to remove the utility language was a much-needed relief for us. The League of Wisconsin Municipalities will continue to monitor this to make sure that the utility provisions are removed. Meanwhile, we will remain opposed to the Urban Towns bill because it effectively discourages the collaboration that currently exists. My testimony to the committee, which is included as Attachment 1, encouraged them to pursue initiatives that promote collaboration, rather than those that create animosity and the potential for lawsuits. I will keep you posted as this bill makes its way through the legislature. 3. ANIMAL LICENSES: 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. 4. CITY OF OSHKOSH TAX BILL DUE DATES: For Real Estate Property Tax, the 1st installment is due by January 31, 2024 For Personal Property Tax, the payment is due by January 31, 2024 5. NEW CHESS CLUB AT THE LIBRARY: The Oshkosh Public Library is hosting a new Chess Club and inviting chess enthusiasts of all ages to join in the fun. Sessions are held every Thursday from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM on the library’s second floor. This is the perfect opportunity for people to come together, make new friends, and refine their chess skills. Participants can drop in at their convenience. Call (920) 236-5205 for more information. 6. OSHKOSH PUBLIC MUSEUM STREAMLINES VISITOR HOURS: The Museum is streamlining its open hours. As of January 2024, the Museum is open to the public Tuesday through Saturday from 10:00 AM – 4:30 PM. Here’s to a great year ahead! 7. NEW EVENT: DATE NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM: Bring your Valentine (or Galentine) for an evening at the Museum on Friday, February 9th. We’ll provide the hors d’oeuvres and history. Good conversation provided by you! More information and tickets at oshkoshmuseum.org. 8. NEW PUMPER IN SERVICE: The City of Oshkosh Fire Department is pleased to announce that our new 2023 Pierce Velocity pumper is now in service as Engine 18. Located at Bowen and Murdock, this truck serves the northeast side of the city with a crew of three. This acquisition will allow the Fire Department to remove a 1997 Pierce pumper from its active roster. 9. OFD WELCOMES SPRING INTERNS: Oshkosh Fire Department would like to welcome the 2024 spring interns. We’ll be hosting Fire interns Levi Otto and Tessa Wilson, along with Fire Medic intern Rylee Bartel from Fox Valley Technical College. They will all be with us through May 2024. 10. 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/ 11. 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/ 12. LOOKING AHEAD: Among the meetings I have scheduled for the week of January 15th include the following: on Wednesday at 7:30 AM, I will attend GO-EDC’s Board of Directors meeting; at 1:30 PM, I will meet with Finance staff and representatives from Ehlers, Inc. to discuss our 2024 borrowing; and at 3:00 PM, I will attend a meeting to plan for WCMA’s summer conference. On Thursday at 5:00 PM, I will attend the Chamber of Commerce’s Annual Meeting. On Friday at 9:00 AM, I will meet with staff and our strategic planning consultants to continue plans for our upcoming strategic planning sessions. If you have any questions about my upcoming schedule, please do not hesitate to contact me.