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HomeMy WebLinkAbout06.28.24 Newsletter TO: Honorable Mayor and Members of the Common Council FROM: Mark Rohloff, City Manager DATE: June 28, 2024 RE: Weekly Newsletter 1. CLERK’S OFFICE PROCESSES ABSENTEE BALLOT REQUESTS: In preparation for the August 13, 2024 Wisconsin Primary, the Oshkosh Clerk's Office processed, stuffed, and mailed 2,510 absentee ballot requests ahead of the statutorily required June 27th deadline. Ballot requests are received through Wisconsin's MyVote system and mail-in requests. Each request is verified, cross-referenced, and validated to ensure that only eligible voters receive ballots. Working with the Winnebago County Clerk and a certified ballot printing vendor, ballots were printed last weekend and delivered to the Clerk’s office on Wednesday in order to meet the Thursday deadline. Included with the printed ballot were: • The uniform instructions for Wisconsin absentee voters; • The current hours and location for early absentee voting, which is also the location for absentee ballot drop off; and • The pre-paid return envelope Clerk’s Office staff is continuously looking for ways to improve our systems. Future actions might include additional automation, enhanced voter education, and extended absentee voting hours. The Oshkosh Clerk's Office remains dedicated to ensuring that each voter has the opportunity to cast their ballot. To register to vote, request an absentee ballot by mail, find your polling place or view a sample ballot, please visit MyVote, or scan the QR Code to the left. The State Primary is August 13, 2024. All polling locations will be open from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Please call the City Clerk’s Department at (920) 236-5011 with questions. 2. OSHKOSH SENIOR CENTER’S “CONNECT THROUGH TECH” PROGRAM TO RECEIVE CDBG FUNDS: The Oshkosh Senior Center will continue to offer their “Connect Through Tech” program to older adults in the community with the support of Community Development Block Grant – CARES Act (CDBG-CV) funds. Connect Through Tech offers classes and support to help older adults get through their tech challenges so they can connect with the things and people they love. Assisting with using cellular phones, virtual meetings, and emails are some of the activities that are supported through the Connect Through Tech program. The CDBG-CV funds are intended to assist residents with resources to offset the impacts of COVID-19. Studies have shown that older adults have been especially impacted by the social isolation that was experienced during the pandemic. The CDBG-CV funding will provide funds for staff salaries and software to continue the program. At the recent Common Council meeting, there was a discussion on whether to use ARPA funds to fund the program, but staff has identified funds through the city’s CDBG-CV funds so the Connect Through Tech program can continue. If you have any questions regarding the Connect Through Tech program, please contact the Oshkosh Senior Center. If you have questions regarding CDBG funding, please contact Emily Tardiff in the Community Development Department. 3. WILLIAM WATERS PLAZA IMPLEMENTATION UPDATE: Staff would like to provide an update about the construction occurring at the William Waters Plaza, which is located at the southeast corner of Washington Avenue and State Street. In 2016, the City began the William Waters Plaza Re-Imagined project and phase one was completed in the spring of 2019. Phase one included new sidewalks, landscaping, and seating options, some with chess boards, and was done in conjunction with the Washington Avenue reconstruction project. The next phase of the William Waters Plaza Re-Imagined project will include the construction of a covered gazebo that was designed to replicate the architectural features of the Oshkosh Public Library, which was designed by William Waters. Staff is excited to announce that construction of the gazebo is underway! A job site sign will be displayed on the property soon to help highlight the project and the community partners that are helping make this project possible. The gazebo, along with the related gazebo landscaping, is expected to be completed in the fall of 2024. This re-imagined public gathering space encourages entertainment, art exhibits, and event programming. The William Waters Plaza and the future gazebo is an amenity in the center city contributing to the quality of life, economic development, infrastructure and the strength of the surrounding neighborhoods. Please contact Associate Planner Brandon Nielsen (920) 236 -5061 if you have any questions. 4. FIRE DEPARTMENT CONTINUES TO SUPPORT LOCAL YOUTH: Recently, Read Elementary celebrated the grand opening of their fire-station-themed playground. If you missed it, check out the coverage from Fox 11. Additionally, on June 26th, the Oshkosh Fire Department’s Station 14 welcomed participants of Fox Valley Technical College’s Fire Summer Camp program. Participants are in a week- long summer camp, sponsored by FVTC, where they are exposed to firefighting careers. They toured the station, aircraft hangars, and were able to ride in the ARFF (aircraft rescue and firefighting) truck, as well as spray water on a plane fuselage. Some pictures from the visit are included below. 5. MUSEUM DIRECTOR SELECTED: I am pleased to announce that the City has selected Anna Cannizzo as the community’s next Director of the Oshkosh Public Museum. In her new position, Ms. Cannizzo will oversee the exhibitions, programs, presentations, and staff at the Oshkosh Public Museum, which has represented the history and heritage of Oshkosh and the Lake Winnebago region for 100 years. Director Cannizzo has been with the Oshkosh Public Museum for the last 10 years, serving initially as the Curator of Collections for 6 years and then as Assistant Director for 4 years, with two appointments as Interim Director. Prior to that, she served as Curator of Collections and Interim Director at the Denison Museum at Denison University in Granville, Ohio for 7 years. Additionally, she earned both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in anthropology, with an emphasis in archaeology, along with a master’s certificate in museum studies, from the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee. Overall, Ms. Cannizzo has over 25 years of experience in the museum field. Please join me in congratulating Director Cannizzo and welcoming her to her new role. 6. MUSEUM OPENS SECOND CHAPTER OF CENTENNIAL EXHIBIT SAWYER SAGA PART II: OPM has opened the second installment of the Centennial exhibit Sawyer Saga in the Historic Sawyer Parlor. From the U.S. Senate to Algoma Boulevard the Sawyer family carved a lasting legacy in business, politics, and philanthropy. Part II picks up the story with the second generation of Sawyers in Oshkosh as the family expands and business interests grow. 7. MUSEUM TO HOST STATE-WIDE WINNERS EXHIBIT: Each year, 7th and 8th grade art students in Wisconsin participate in the Helen Farnsworth Mears Art Contest. This contest has been generously sponsored by the General Federation of Women’s Clubs-Wisconsin since 1927 to honor the legacy of Oshkosh sculptor Helen Farnsworth Mears. The first, second, and third place winners from the state-level competition will be displayed in the Oshkosh Public Museum’s Sunroom from July 2nd through August 3rd. The Museum also sponsors free family passes for all winners. 8. MARKING 30 YEARS SINCE THE MUSEUM’S 1994 FIRE: Thirty years ago, the Museum was engulfed in flames. At about 11:30 a.m. on June 2, 1994, the Oshkosh Fire Department was dispatched to OPM. Maintenance work was being done on the Historic Sawyer Home’s roof, and a soldering tool accidentally started a fire. The flames spread quickly and destroyed the roof, attic, and third floor of the building. The second and first floor received smoke damage and water damage from the fire suppression system. The quick response and hard work from OFD, with support from neighboring fire departments, saved the historic building. Unfortunately, about 6,000 artifacts were completely destroyed. Among the losses were toys, dolls, folk art, swords, and firearms. Thousands of other items were able to be salvaged by dedicated staff and volunteers. The Oshkosh community rallied around the Museum with financial and volunteer support during disaster relief, clean up, and rebuilding. It took more than four years to rebuild the museum and exhibits. Today, we look back on the fire as a defining moment in OPM’s history - proving we can overcome the greatest of challenges. The Museum is forever grateful to everyone within the City of Oshkosh and the community for helping the Museum rise again from the ashes. 9. REMINDER – NO GARBAGE OR RECYCLING COLLECTION ON JULY 4TH: As a reminder, due to the City’s observance of the Independence Day holiday, there will be no garbage or recycling collection on Thursday, July 4, 2024. Collections for the remainder of the week will be one (1) day later. Garbage and recycling collection scheduled for Friday, July 5th, moves to Saturday, July 6th. Regular services will resume on Monday, July 8th. The City’s yard waste drop-off site located on West 3rd Avenue (between Idaho Street and Ohio Street) will be closed for the holiday on Thursday, July 4th. The drop-off site will reopen on Friday, July 5th. Residential curbside brush collection for July will take place on the regularly-scheduled garbage collection day the week of July 8th thru July 12th. If you have any questions, please contact Public Works Field Operations Manager, Ryan Lemke or Public Works Sanitation Manager, Eric Moran. 10. ATTACHMENT: Oshkosh Public Library’s July Calendar of Events 11. 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. There are current openings on the following boards and commissions: Board of Review Board of Zoning Appeals Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Committee Long Range Finance Committee Plan Commission Sustainability Advisory Board To learn more about the boards and commissions, or to complete an application to serve, visit oshkoshwi.gov/BoardsAndCommissions/. If you have questions about current openings, please contact the City Manager’s Administrative Assistant, Kami Zuercher, at (920) 236-5002 or kzuercher@oshkoshwi.gov. 12. AGENDAS AND MINUTES FOR BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS: Upcoming board and commission meeting agendas can be found on our Meeting Notices web page. All meeting minutes are uploaded to the City’s page for boards and commissions upon approval. 13. LOOKING AHEAD: City Hall will be closed on Thursday, July 4th for the holiday. I will also be out of the office on Friday, July 5th and there will not be a newsletter published. For the week of July 8th, I will be out of the office on Monday. On Tuesday, I will meet with representatives from UW-Oshkosh and the Convention and Visitors Bureau at 1:00 p.m.; at 2:30 p.m., I will meet with staff to continue our conversations regarding lessening the impact of homelessness on City departments. On Wednesday at noon, I will attend East Central Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission’s meeting of the Economic Development Committee. At 4:00 p.m., I will attend the Rotary Club of Oshkosh’s Board meeting. On Thursday at 7:30 a.m., I will attend the Greater Oshkosh Economic Development Corporation’s Executive Committee meeting. Finally, on Friday at 1:30 p.m., I will meet with staff and outside counsel to review and discuss recent changes to state liquor law and its impact on our ordinances and policies. If you have any questions about my upcoming schedule, please do not hesitate to contact me.