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HomeMy WebLinkAbout02.02.24 Newsletter TO: Honorable Mayor and Members of the Common Council FROM: Mark Rohloff, City Manager DATE: February 2, 2024 RE: Weekly Newsletter 1. CHANGES PROPOSED TO DOWNTOWN PERMIT PARKING STALLS: The Oshkosh Business Improvement District (BID) and the Transportation Department have had ongoing discussions regarding downtown parking lot policies for many years. The BID is looking for additional short-term parking stalls and the ability to lease 24-hour parking stalls. The Transportation Department would like to see a greater use of parking stalls and improved compliance with parking regulations, while also providing adequate parking for downtown visitors and guests. The groups have recommended converting some of the City’s designated permit stalls to free, 2-hour parking; additionally, they have recommended that the City sell 24-hour leased stalls for $50/month or $500/year. The Transportation Committee agrees with these recommendations. More information will be included with the proposed ordinance changes. The proposed changes will be on the February 13th (first reading) and February 27th (second reading) Council agendas. If you have any questions about this, please contact Transportation Director, Jim Collins. 2. PARKING FINES BEING EVALUATED: The City evaluates and updates our schedule of fees and charges annually. During this annual review, it was discovered that our current parking fines are outdated. The most recent update was in 2020, but most parking fines have not changed since at least 2009. A study of peer cities shows that our fines are significantly lower than our peers. The Police and Transportation departments receive a significant number of complaints related to illegal parking from residents and businesses. One way to better manage parking supply is to encourage the purchase of parking permits and leased parking stalls while also deterring illegal parking. Currently, parking enforcement is limited based on resources. Under our current fine and enforcement structure, we are aware that some drivers choose to park illegally and risk receiving a relatively low $15 citation rather than purchase a permit. Staff believes that updating parking fines will encourage drivers to purchase parking permits and deter illegal parking. The additional revenue generated will help dedicate additional resources to consistently enforce parking restrictions. The Business Improvement District (BID) Board is one entity that has expressed an interest in more consistent enforcement of parking policies in the downtown public parking lots. More information and the proposed fee updates will be on the February 13th (first reading) and February 27th (second reading) Council agendas. If you have any questions about this, please contact Finance Director Russ Van Gompel or Transportation Director Jim Collins. 3. GO TRANSIT’S TRANSIT DEVELOPMENT PLAN PROGRESSING: With the assistance of the East Central Wisconsin Regional Plan Commission (ECWRPC) and SRF Consultants, GO Transit has been working over the last year on an update to their Transit Development Plan. A Transit Development Plan is a transit agency’s strategic plan and is updated approximately every 5 years. The Plan takes a holistic look at the system, including schedules, routes, fares, and short- and long-term recommendations. A draft of the updated plan was presented to a stakeholder group on January 25th. The draft will be presented to the Transportation Committee on February 13th. Feedback received from these groups will then be considered as final recommendations are developed. The final recommendations are scheduled to be presented to the stakeholder group and Transportation Committee in March. The Transportation Committee meetings are open to the public. SRF Consultants will give a short presentation of the recommendations at the April 9th regular Common Council meeting, where Council will consider the approval of a resolution adopting the plan. If you have any questions about this, please contract Transportation Director, Jim Collins. 4. PUBLIC INFORMATION SESSIONS ON REPLACING SPECIAL ASSESSMENTS: Finance Director Russ Van Gompel and I hosted three public information sessions to distribute information and answer questions about the City’s proposed plan to replace special assessments. Oshkosh Media carried the sessions live on Gov TV, with one session streamed live on the City of Oshkosh Government Facebook page accompanied by a live Q&A on social media and email. All three sessions are available on-demand on Oshkosh Media’s YouTube channel. A frequently asked questions (FAQ) document is available under “Hot Topics” on the City website’s home page. A special assessment is a fee collected by the City for improvements or special services that benefit a property. Special assessments are the funding mechanism for street reconstruction, initial construction of sanitary sewers, water mains, utility laterals, sidewalk, and driveway aprons. The proposed method of funding is a balanced approach that seeks to collect the funds needed to replace pavement-related special assessments. The major benefit is that the burden of paying for improvements will not impact the abutting property owners as it currently does. The policy change benefits all residents by creating a sustainable funding source to ensure high-quality streets for residents, businesses, emergency services, and others. Anyone with questions or comments is encouraged to reach out via email at VRFcomments@oshkoshwi.gov. 5. OSHKOSH MEDIA AND LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS BRING FORUM TO VOTERS: Staff from Oshkosh Media worked with the League of Women Voters of Winnebago County to produce a candidate forum for Winnebago County Circuit Court Branch 1 Judge on Wednesday night. The forum appeared live on Oshkosh Media Gov TV, which can be viewed on Spectrum Cable channel 10, AT&T U-verse channel 99, and streaming live on Oshkosh Media’s free Roku, Amazon Fire TV and Apple TV channels. The event also streamed live on the Oshkosh Media YouTube channel and is available there now on-demand. Click here to watch on YouTube. Voters will see the three candidates for Winnebago County Circuit Court Branch 1 on their primary ballot on February 20. The top two vote getters will appear on the ballot for the April election. For more information, voters can go to www.MyVote.wi.gov. 6. BOWEN STREET RECONSTRUCTION DESIGN PROGRESSING: The City of Oshkosh is working with AECOM Technical Services (AECOM) to complete the design for the reconstruction of Bowen Street from Otter Avenue to East Parkway Avenue. Construction is currently anticipated in 2027 and will be completed as part of the State of Wisconsin Surface Transportation Urban Program. As part of this design process, AECOM is assisting the City in obtaining feedback from the public regarding design concepts. A postcard mailer is scheduled to be delivered within the coming days to those within the construction corridor and nearby properties. This mailer will inform residents and property owners how they can become more involved in providing feedback to the City and the project design team, as well as how they can continue to be informed about the Project’s design progress and any upcoming public meetings. For more information, check the project webpage at: https://www.oshkoshwi.gov/PublicWorks/BowenStreetReconstructionProject.aspx If you have any questions, please contact Engineering Division Manager / City Engineer, Justin Gierach. 7. LEADING TIFFANY STUDIOS EXPERT VISITED OPM FOR RESEARCH: The Oshkosh Public Museum recently hosted leading Tiffany expert, Lindsy R. Parrott, from The Neustadt Collection of Tiffany Glass (New York). This collaboration marked a significant milestone as Ms. Parrott brought her unparalleled expertise to delve into the intricate details of Tiffany Studios interiors inside the Historic Sawyer Home and Oshkosh Public Museum. Lindsy R. Parrott, the Executive Director and Curator of The Neustadt Collection of Tiffany Glass, is widely recognized for her extensive knowledge and dedication to the glass and art of Louis C. Tiffany. Her visit to the Oshkosh Public Museum presented a unique opportunity for in-depth research and shed light on the exquisite craftsmanship and artistic nuances of OPM’s Tiffany Studios design. During her stay, Ms. Parrott engaged in a thorough examination of the Museum's Tiffany Studios interiors. This research endeavor will enrich understanding of the Tiffany Studios interiors of the Historic Sawyer Home. The Oshkosh Public Museum has been housed in the Historic Sawyer Home since 1924. Today, the Historic Sawyer Home is the last original Tiffany Studios commission that is open to the public to visit and enjoy worldwide. The collaboration between The Neustadt and the Oshkosh Public Museum underscores a commitment to preserving and promoting the cultural heritage embodied in Tiffany's iconic works right here in Oshkosh. For media inquiries, please contact: Kate Stel at 920.236.5763 or kstel@oshkoshwi.gov 8. 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.oshkoshwi.gov/BoardsAndCommissions/ 9. 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.oshkoshwi.gov/ 10. LOOKING AHEAD: Among the meetings I have scheduled for the upcoming week include the following: on Saturday, February 3rd at 9:00am, I will be the guest on a local podcast hosted by former DEI Committee member Timber Smith. Mr. Smith’s podcast is titled “THE KOSH.” On Monday morning, I will be at Lakeshore Park’s new Four Seasons Building to welcome focus group participants who will be providing the City with input on our strategic plan. On Tuesday, I will meet with supervisors and department heads to continue work on our strategic plan. On Wednesday afternoon, I will travel to Madison to attend the League of Wisconsin Municipalities’ Urban Alliance meeting and events through Thursday. I will be out of the office on Friday. If you have any questions about my upcoming schedule, please do not hesitate to contact me.