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HomeMy WebLinkAbout11.21.25 Newsletter : TO: Honorable Mayor and Members of the Common Council FROM: Rebecca Grill, City Manager DATE: November 21, 2025 RE: Weekly Newsletter 1. CITY COORDINATES TREE PLANTING EVENT IN LAKESHORE PARK: On Thursday, November 20th, the Parks Department’s Landscape Operations Division coordinated and hosted an event to plant 40 trees in Lakeshore Park. The event – a fantastic collaboration between the City; Cummins, Inc.; the Arbor Day Foundation; and the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Governors & Premiers – featured 21 volunteers from Cummins, who donated both their time and, with support from the Arbor Day Foundation, the 40 trees that were planted in the park. Special guest Governor Tony Evers even stopped by to assist with the planting. The donated trees include an impressive 24 different species, helping to build a resilient urban forest in our community. Many thanks to our Parks Department staff, as well as to the volunteers, donors, and our state and local partners for making this event possible! 2. ADVANCED LAW ENFORCEMENT ACCREDITATION: On Saturday, November 15, 2025, Chief Dean Smith and Professional Standards Division Lieutenant Mike Hotter attended a Commission hearing with the Commission on Accreditation for Law Photo Credit: Wisconsin Dept of Natural Resources Enforcement Agencies (CALEA) Commissioners for final review of our National re- accreditation during a conference in Jacksonville, Florida, where the department was granted re-accreditation. The Oshkosh Police Department earned its initial accreditation status in November 1994. This will be our tenth CALEA re-accreditation. Through this process, we will retain our Advanced Law Enforcement Accreditation. This award demonstrates the professionalism and high standards of excellence in which we serve the Oshkosh community. 3. OPD CELEBRATES PROMOTION AND RETIREMENT: During a Police and Fire Commission meeting on Tuesday, November 11, the Oshkosh Police Department celebrated the promotion of Officer Tyler Mentink to the rank of Detective. Congratulations, Tyler! • Detective Tyler Mentink has been with the Oshkosh Police Department for approximately 15 years, beginning on December 12, 2010. During his tenure with the Oshkosh Police Department, he has performed the duties of a Patrol Officer exceptionally well, earning a Department Commendation Award in 2016, Officer of the Second Quarter Award in 2016, as well as several letters of recognition and Supervisor Logs for his commendable actions in the line of duty. Detective Mentink actively serves as a member of the Drone Team, Crash Investigation Team, the Bike Patrol Unit, and serves as a Certified Search Specialist for Project Lifesaver. Tyler also served as a former Field Training Officer. On Friday, November 14, 2025, the Oshkosh Police Department said goodbye to Detective Paul Frey who retired after proudly serving the Department and the City of Oshkosh for 32 years! • During his tenure with the Department, he performed the duties of a Patrol Officer before being promoted on January 22, 2007, to the rank of Detective where he has served for nearly 19 years. In addition to his Patrol and Detective duties, Paul served six years as a MEG Unit Investigator, two years as a Drug Task Force Investigator, and two years as a Vice and Narcotics Unit Investigator. Throughout his career, Paul earned a Medal of Valor in 1997, a Commendation Medal in 2000, Commendation Letters in 2007, (2) in 2014, and (2) in 2015, Noteworthy Performance of Duty Awards in 2017, (2) in 2018, 2021, and 2024, a Department Commendation Award in 2022, Officer of the Quarter Award in 2022, Police Officer of the Year Award in 2022, along with several commendation letters and Supervisor’s Logs for his commendable actions in the line of duty. Detective Frey served as a former Field Training Officer and a former member of the SWAT Team. Detective Frey is most notably recognized for his exceptional leadership in organizing and investigating Human Trafficking in all forms, including illegal massage parlors, prostitution and pandering. In his unrelenting efforts to combat Human Trafficking, he became a valuable resource for other agencies and a unified partner with advocacy groups that provide assistance to the victims of these crimes. We want to sincerely thank Detective Frey for his many years of dedicated and exceptional service to the Oshkosh Police Department and to the City of Oshkosh. We wish him the very best for a happy, healthy retirement!! Congratulations on your retirement Paul – enjoy your journey! 4. GARBAGE AND RECYCLING COLLECTION FOR THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY: Due to the City’s observance of the Thanksgiving Holiday, there will be no garbage or recycling collection on Thursday, November 27, 2025. Collections for the remainder of the week will be one day later. Garbage and recycling collection scheduled for Thursday, November 27th will move to Friday, November 28th. Garbage and recycling scheduled for Friday, November 28th will move to Saturday, November 29th. Regular services will resume on Monday, December 1st. Additionally, the City’s yard waste drop-off center located on West 3rd Avenue (between Idaho Street and Ohio Street) will be closed for the holiday on Thursday, November 27th. The drop-off center will re-open on Friday, November 28th. The yard waste drop-off center will be open on Saturday, November 39th. If you have any questions, please contact Public Works Field Operations Manager, Ryan Lemke, or Public Works Sanitation Manager, Larry Wilkins. 5. OFD PARTNERS WITH CHAMBER FOR EVENTS: The Oshkosh Fire Department was invited to attend the FutureYOU event hosted by the Oshkosh Chamber of Commerce on Tuesday, November 11th at Sunnyview Expo Center. FutureYOU is a hands-on career fair designed to inspire Oshkosh’s 8th graders—and this year, they added high school students too! Exhibitors help students explore career paths through interactive experiences, demos, and conversations with real industry professionals. Dayne Krueger took our new ice air boat to show the kids some of the equipment we use. It was a fun and meaningful way to make an impact. In addition to the Chamber’s FutureYOU event, the Oshkosh Fire Department provided station tours for the attendees of the Chamber’s Leadership Oshkosh Government Day event on Wednesday, November 12th, at Station 15 as they learned about government in action. We appreciate our strong partnership with the Oshkosh Chamber of Commerce! 6. GET INVOLVED IN A BOARD OR COMMISSION: If you are interested in serving your community, 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 Landmarks Commission Plan Commission 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, the process of appointment, or need more information about a particular board, please contact the City Manager’s Executive Assistant, Kami Zuercher, by email (kzuercher@oshkoshwi.gov) or call (920) 236-5002.