Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout01.17.25 Newsletter TO: Honorable Mayor and Members of the Common Council FROM: John Fitzpatrick, Interim City Manager DATE: January 17, 2025 RE: Weekly Newsletter 1. TEMPORARY POLLING SITE RELOCATION: Due to construction at the Sacred Heart School, 515 Knapp St (St. Jude / Leannah Hall), the polling location for District 13 is unavailable for the 2025 election cycle. The new temporary location is the Oshkosh Senior Center located at 200 N. Campbell Ave. This change is effective beginning with the primary election on February 18, 2025, lasting through the spring election on April 1, 2025. The City Clerk’s Office has carefully chosen this alternative location to make sure it is convenient and fully equipped to handle all the needs of the voters. The Senior Center is fully accessible and complies with all voting rights regulations, ensuring everyone can participate without barriers. As with all elections, there are voting alternatives available: • Early In person Absentee Voting: Voters can opt for early voting to avoid potential election day congestion. Please see the City Clerk's web page for details on early voting in Oshkosh. • Mail/Absentee Voting: Absentee ballots are available for those preferring to vote by mail. Visit MyVote Wisconsin for step-by-step instructions and deadlines to apply for an absentee ballot. As always, please verify your polling location before you head out to vote. Simply visit MyVote Wisconsin's "Find My Polling Place" page to verify your polling location. Also, please help us reach others by sharing this update with friends and family, especially those who may not have easy access to this information. The Clerk’s Office is committed to providing support and information for all your voting needs and we appreciate your understanding and patience as we navigate this challenge. For questions or additional information, please contact the City Clerk’s Office at 920-236-5011. 2. PROCEDURE FOR COUNCILORS TO PLACE ITEMS ON AGENDA: Following discussion at Tuesday’s meeting regarding the procedure for placing items on the agenda, staff thought it may be helpful to share the current process as Council considers whether to make any adjustments. If a councilor wishes to place an item on the agenda, they can contact the City Manager to research their issue and receive feedback to consider before deciding whether or not it is something they wish to pursue. If so, they can contact Executive Assistant to the City Manager, Kami Zuercher. Staff asks that items be provided no later than the end of the day on Tuesday prior to a Council meeting so it can be incorporated into the draft agenda, which is prepared Wednesday morning. The requesting councilor should provide the language they would like to appear on the agenda, which should be descriptive enough that someone in the general public could understand what subject will be discussed. Staff may need to follow up for clarification, particularly if there is any information that may be needed from us to help inform the discussion. Requested items will be placed in the “Discussion and Direction to City Manager” section of the agenda, where they can be discussed by Council. If an individual from the public wishes to make a statement about an item in this section, they have the ability to do so, just as they do for any other agenda item. If, during the course of the discussion, a councilor wishes to make a motion for action on the item to be discussed (to direct City staff to draft an ordinance, for example), they have the ability to do so. In the past, the City Manager has also at times simply indicated that, based on the feedback, staff will proceed in a specific manner without a formal vote. Because it takes staff time to research and take action on Council requests, such as drafting ordinances and resolutions, staff has found that this is the most efficient way to move forward items that have the consensus of Council. That being said, it is the right of Council to set their own rules for this process, and staff is happy to assist with that. Hopefully this will provide some clarification about the current process as we look ahead to any potential changes going forward. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to the City Attorney’s Office at 920-236-5115. 3. OPD RECOGNIZES RETIREMENTS AND WELCOMES NEW EMPLOYEES: The Oshkosh Police Department (OPD) recently recognized several retirements and welcomed three new employees. • On January 7, 2025, OPD said goodbye to Sergeant Kari Pettit, who retired after proudly serving the Department and the City of Oshkosh for 30 years. During her tenure with the Department, she performed the duties of a Patrol Officer, K9 Officer, School Resource Officer, Detective, and Patrol Sergeant. Sergeant Pettit was instrumental in developing the first OPD K9 Unit in 1999, earning her a Meritorious Service Medal in 2001. Kari went on to earn a Letter of Commendation in 2005, a Noteworthy Performance of Duty Award in 2024, along with numerous citizen commendation letters and Supervisor’s Logs for her commendable actions in the line of duty. Sergeant Pettit served as a co-coordinator of the Mental Health Resiliency Committee and was actively involved in the Big Brothers Big Sisters “Bigs with Badges” program and the Kiwanis-sponsored “Cops ‘N’ Kids” reading program through the Boys and Girls Club of Oshkosh. • On January 10, 2025, OPD said goodbye to Officer Troy Brandl, who retired after proudly serving the Department and the City of Oshkosh for nearly 29 years. Prior to becoming a Police Officer, Troy also proudly served in the United States Air Force from 1990 – 1996 and as a Community Service Officer with OPD from 1996 – 1998. During his tenure with the Department, he performed the duties of a Patrol Officer, Patrol Sergeant, Vice and Narcotics Unit Investigator and Lake Winnebago Area Metropolitan Enforcement Group (MEG) Investigator for the past 4 years. Officer Brandl served as a former member of the SWAT, Mobile Field Force, and Honor Guard Teams, a Firearm Instructor, Field Training Officer, Defense Technology Chemical Instructor, and a Professional Communication Instructor. Troy received a Distinguished Service Medal in 2006; Noteworthy Performance of Duty Awards in 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019; a Department Commendation Award in 2023; and a Police Officer of the Quarter Award in 2023, along with numerous Supervisor Logs for his commendable actions in the line of duty. • OPD said goodbye to Captain Becky Kaiser on January 16, 2025. Captain Kaiser proudly served the Department and the City of Oshkosh for nearly 29 years, serving over 7 years as a Captain. She started as a Community Service Officer in 1996 and was a Telecommunications Clerk before becoming a sworn officer in 1998. During her tenure with the Department, she performed the duties of a Patrol Officer, School Resource Officer, Detective, Patrol Sergeant, Criminal Investigation Sergeant, Criminal Investigation and Professional Standards Division Lieutenant, Captain of Administration, Operations Bureau Captain, and Criminal Investigation Division Captain. Captain Kaiser is a 2020 FBI National Academy graduate and 2017 Wisconsin Law Enforcement Command College graduate. She completed numerous specialized training courses and served as a former D.A.R.E. Instructor and as a member of the Crisis Negotiator Team. Becky received a Letter of Commendation in 2004, a Noteworthy Performance of Duty Award in 2024, and several Supervisor Logs for her commendable actions in the line of duty. We sincerely thank Captain Kaiser, Sergeant Pettit and Officer Brandl for their many years of exceptional service and dedication to the Oshkosh Police Department and to the City of Oshkosh. We wish them the very best for a happy and healthy retirement. OPD also welcomed new Community Service Officers Evelyn Hoetschl and Mitchell Gonnering, and part-time Telecommunications Clerk Aspyn Rafac-Escobar. • Aspyn Rafac-Escobar currently resides in Oshkosh. She is a pre-law student at the University of Wisconsin – Oshkosh. In addition to her Telecommunications Clerk duties, Aspyn works as an Accessibility Assistant for the Center for Accessibility and Disability Resources at UWO. • Mitchell Gonnering is originally from Oshkosh, graduating from Winneconne High School. He is currently enrolled at Fox Valley Technical College in the Criminal Justice Program. Prior to becoming a Community Service Officer, Mitchell was employed with Scheels Sporting Goods working in asset protection. • Evelyn Hoetschl currently resides in Neenah. She is enrolled in the Fox Valley Technical College Criminal Justice Program. Previous to becoming a Community Service Officer, Evelyn was employed with U.S. Bank. Congratulations and welcome to the OPD team. 4. COFFEE WITH A COP: Behavioral Health Officer Scott Sopata and K9 Gema kicked off this year’s “Coffee with a Cop” series, holding events at three local schools. Oshkosh West High School hosted “Coffee with a Cop,” Oshkosh North High School hosted “Java with Gema,” and Carl Traeger Middle School hosted “Cocoa with a Cop.” Students enjoyed meeting K9 Gema and spending time with officers. Our officers love starting off their day by talking with our young leaders of the future. “Coffee with a Cop” is a great opportunity for officers to build stronger relationships with our community, “One Cup At A Time!” Our goal is to visit all of the middle and high schools by the end of this school year. 5. 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. 6. 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.