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HomeMy WebLinkAbout09.06.24 Newsletter TO: Honorable Mayor and Members of the Common Council FROM: Mark Rohloff, City Manager DATE: September 6, 2024 RE: Weekly Newsletter 1. CITY OF OSHKOSH AWARDED $8,061,592 GRANT FOR PEDESTRIAN AND BICYCLE BRIDGE OVER INTERSTATE 41: City staff received exciting news from US Senator Tammy Baldwin’s office that the City of Oshkosh has been awarded $8,061,592 in federal funding to design and construct a bicycle and pedestrian bridge over Interstate 41 in order to improve multimodal connectivity and safety for pedestrians and bicyclists in the city! Funding for this project is from federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law through the United States Department of Transportation’s (US DOT) Safe Streets and Roads for All grant program. We have heard many concerns over the years on the difficulty bicyclists and pedestrians face navigating the roundabouts surrounding Interstate Highway 41 and the safety of all users. A pedestrian bridge over Interstate 41 has been recommended in multiple versions of the City’s adopted Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan in order to provide dedicated pedestrian and bicycle access over Interstate 41 without having to use the existing access through the roundabouts. City staff engaged Strand Associates Inc. to work on possible locations and preliminary concepts in 2023 in preparation for future grant opportunities. City staff then worked with the East Central Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission (ECWRPC) to include the project in the Comprehensive Safety Action Plan, which fulfilled the Action Plan requirements set forth by the US DOT and allowed the City to be eligible to apply for this grant. City staff will be working with the US DOT to start the process of implementing the grant and will keep the Council engaged in the progression of the project. The City is extremely grateful to Senator Baldwin’s office for her efforts in securing this funding for our community. We are also grateful for the efforts of ECWRPC in starting early on the Comprehensive Safety Action Plan so that the City would be eligible for this funding. We would also like to recognize the efforts of the city’s consultant, former Community Development Director Allen Davis, in preparing the City’s application for this funding, and working closely with US DOT staff to submit a great application. Please contact Director of Public Works James Rabe, Director of Transportation Jim Collins, or Director of Community Development Kelly Nieforth if you have questions. 2. 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: BID Board Board of Review Board of Zoning Appeals Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Committee Landmarks Commission 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 our boards and commissions webpage. If you have questions about current openings, please contact the City Manager’s Executive Assistant, Kami Zuercher, at 920-236-5002 or kzuercher@oshkoshwi.gov. 3. 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. 4. LOOKING AHEAD: Throughout the week of September 9th, I will be continuing the operating budget review process, meeting with department heads, staff, and the Finance Department. The other meetings of note for the week include the following: on Tuesday at 7:30 a.m., I will attend the Chamber of Commerce’s Community Sounding Board meeting; at 10:00 a.m., I will meet with Finance Department staff to review the status of our ARPA infrastructure projects; and at 3:00 p.m., I will meet with staff and members of The Grand Oshkosh Board of Directors to continue conversations regarding the Grand Opera House’s annex renovation project. On Thursday at 7:30 a.m., I will attend the Greater Oshkosh Economic Development Corporation’s Executive Committee meeting; at 9:00 a.m., I will meet with Fire Chief Stanley, Mayor Mugerauer, staff, and representatives from local townships regarding the projected per capita rates for our emergency medical services contract. Thursday afternoon and into Friday, I will be attending the board meeting for the League of Wisconsin Municipalities Mutual Insurance. If you have any questions about my upcoming schedule, please do not hesitate to contact me.