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HomeMy WebLinkAbout11.15.24 Newsletter TO: Honorable Mayor and Members of the Common Council FROM: Mark Rohloff, City Manager DATE: November 15, 2024 RE: Weekly Newsletter 1. WATER SERVICE LINE MATERIAL NOTIFICATION: This week, the Water Utility mailed approximately 11,000 notices to customers who have a confirmed lead water service line, a galvanized requiring replacement (GRR) water service line, or a water service line made of an unknown material. The notices are required under the Federal 2021 Lead and Copper Rule Revisions (LCRR). The LCRR required these notices contain specific information about the service line material, the health effects of lead, as well as information to help owners and/or occupants make decisions on whether and what actions to take to reduce their exposure to lead in their drinking water. These letters contain links to resources, including, but not limited to: • City’s online water service material inventory, also available by scanning the QR code to the right • City’s Financial Assistance program to replace lead and GRR service lines o Oshkoshwater.com and click on “Lead Service Line Information/Replacement Program” • Sign up for a water service line material inspection/identification o Oshkoshwater.com and click on “Sign up for a Free Water Service Line Inspection” • Information on lead in general at the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) website Many properties will receive multiple copies of the letter. The LCRR requires the City to notify all persons served by water services that are confirmed lead, GRR, or unknown material. These properties either have multiple water accounts with the City, some with the same mailing address, or the property may have more than one (1) water service line stubbed to the property. To ensure the City meets the EPA’s notification requirement, we are mailing notices for each service line and to each account. The Water Utility asks that letter recipients share the letter with anyone who drinks and/or cooks with water at these locations. If you have any questions, please contact Assistant Director of Public Works / Utilities General Manager, Steve Gohde. 2. WEST 15TH AVENUE RECONSTRUCTION PROJECT: West 15th Avenue from Oregon Street to Ohio Street is scheduled for reconstruction in 2025. Wisconsin Public Service (WPS) will begin reconstruction of the gas main and services on West 15th Avenue on Monday, November 18th. The WPS work will continue into early February. It is anticipated that the reconstruction of West 15th Avenue by the City will begin in February/March 2025. West 15th Avenue will be closed to through traffic for the duration of the WPS work. Motorists and pedestrians are urged to plan alternate routes and expect delays due to this closure. As always, please be cautious when approaching any construction zone. If you have any questions, please contact Construction Management Supervisor, Craig Ramthun. 3. CITY MANAGER RECEIVES WISCONSIN POLICY FORUM AWARD: Wisconsin Policy Forum (WPF), a statewide, nonpartisan, independent policy research organization, recently presented their annual awards for local government at their Salute to Local Government event on November 13th. City Manager Mark Rohloff was selected as the recipient of their 2024 James R. Ryan Lifetime Achievement Award. This award honors individuals in the public sector for excellence and lifetime achievement. In their selection, WPF noted City Manager Rohloff’s long history as a leader in local government, including 16 years with the City of Oshkosh as well as his leadership roles with the League of Wisconsin Municipalities, League Mutual Insurance, and the Wisconsin City/County Management Association. WPF also noted City Manager Rohloff’s involvement in forging the coalition of local governments that successfully advocated in 2023 for state lawmakers to increase aid to municipalities and counties via the shared revenue program. If you have any questions about this award, please reach out to Assistant City Manager John Fitzpatrick. 4. MUSEUM’S SECOND FLOOR AND NEW WALDWIC GALLERY NOW OPEN: OPM's second floor is once again open and welcoming visitors. The new Waldwic Gallery is now open with a special encore presentation of award-winning Helen Farnsworth Mears: A Genius of Wisconsin. This award-winning exhibition sheds light on details of Mears’ life and career, which unfold through sculptures and photographs. Personal stories from the OPM Archives bring life and meaning to the art of this genius of Wisconsin. Back by popular demand and winner of the prestigious Board of Curators Award from the Wisconsin Historical Society, Helen Farnsworth Mears: A Genius of Wisconsin is OPM’s first exhibition in the newly completed Waldwic Gallery. The exhibition will be on view until June 21, 2025. This special encore presentation is made possible by generous support from Shirley Brabender-Mattox. Support is also provided by the Wisconsin Arts Board and Oshkosh Area Community Foundation. 5. CITIZEN’S POLICE ACADEMY CELEBRATES 2024 GRADUATES: On Thursday, November 7, 2024, eighteen members of the community graduated from the 2024 Citizen’s Police Academy. The official kickoff was Thursday, September 19. Participants learned about the policies, procedures and personnel of the Oshkosh Police Department. They gained hands-on experience in topics such as: K9 Unit, Investigations, Drug Information and Human Trafficking, Drone, Behavioral Health Officer and K9 Gema, Project Lifesaver, Apex Officer Virtual Reality Simulator, SWAT, DAAT, Personal Safety, Crisis Negotiations, and the Oshkosh Auxiliary. A highlight of the academy is the ride along with an officer, which gives them an up close and personal look at the life of an officer on the job. The Citizen’s Police Academy helps build a stronger relationship between the Oshkosh Police Department and the citizens we serve. 6. 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. 7. 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. 8. LOOKING AHEAD: I will be out of the office on Monday, November 18th. The meetings I have scheduled for the remainder of the week include: on Tuesday at 10:00 a.m., I will be meeting with an ARPA grant recipient to discuss their project. On Thursday at 9:00 a.m., I will meet with staff to review the City Hall project, and at 10:30 a.m., I will attend the Wisconsin City/County Management Association’s Region 3 meeting. On Friday, I will meet with Fire Chief Stanley to discuss various facility projects for the Fire Department, and at 11:00 a.m., I will meet with staff to review updates in the State’s liquor license laws. If you have any questions about my upcoming schedule, please do not hesitate to contact me.