HomeMy WebLinkAboutWeekly Newsletter
Date: March 19, 2010
To: Mayor & City Council
From: Mark A. Rohloff, City Manager
WEEKLY NEWSLETTER
Subject:
GRAND OPERA HOUSE UPDATE
1.: Please find enclosed a memorandum from General
Services Director Jon Urben, which provides an update on the Grand Opera House renovation and
repair project. As Jon states in his memo, the project is on schedule and is approximately 90%
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complete. During the week of April 19, staff from Conrad Schmitt Studios will be installing the
decorative art elements within the hall, which includes the cherubs mural, the Shakespeare mural,
the Grand Opera House mural, and the cove flowers. With the artwork completed, the Grand will
look and feel rejuvenated. Mr. Urben anticipates compl eting this project under budget. He will
keep us apprised of any new developments as the project heads toward completion.
WAPC HALL OF FAME
2.: Speaking of Jon Urben, he has been chosen by the Wisconsin
Association of PEG Channels to be inducted into the WAPC Hall of Fame. I am enclosing a letter
from WAPC to Mr. Urben, informing him of their 2010 choice. As the letter states, "Community
television in Wisconsin owes a huge debt of gratitude to Jon, whose strong leadership and
amazing organizational skills set the standards for everyone who came after him". This is a great
honor for Jon and everyone involved with OCMS over the years. Co ngratulations go out to him
for this well-deserved accolade.
UNDERGROUNDING OF UTILITIES REMAINS A HOT TOPIC
3.: As a follow up to my
State of the Cit y address on Monday, Peter Jungbaker of Alexander and Bishop contacted me
about the city’s commitment to that portion of the Visioning Study that discussed the burying of
utility lines. If you will recall, Mr. Jungbaker had address ed the Council at a CIP Budget
Workshop to suggest that the city postpone street projects on Harney and Frankfort, as well as
Shorelane Drive, to give the city time to consider using one of these streets as a pilot project for
undergrounding utilities. Mr. Jungbaker indicated th at he will be contacting property owners to
gauge their interest in postponing this work. I do not know what the outcome of his efforts will
be, but staff is continuing to work on the plans to do street work in these areas in 2010, unless
otherwise directed by Council. You may see a request and/or petition coming from residents in
the coming month.
Weekly Newsletter
March 19, 2010
Page 2
Along similar lines, please be aware that on Tuesday’s Agenda, a request is coming from
Winnebago County to place fiber optic lines to the former Oshkosh B’Gosh building. The Plan
Commission recommended that these lines be buried, in keeping with the Visioning Study. The
county is concerned that the cost and additional planning for such work may delay the relocation
of their Health Department. Similarly, which Public Works recognizes as the goals of the Vision
Study, there may actually be a disadvantage to only burying one set of fiber optic cable without
relocating other utilities at the same time. It may make sense to consider the relocation of all
utilities at a later time, when all utility lines may be buried in a coordinated fashion. Because the
undergrounding of utilities remains a topic of interest, it is important to plan this out in a
coordinated fashion and avoid piecemeal improvements that may actually be more costly in the
long run.
TRAFFIC SIGNAL AT STH 44 & UNIVERSAL DRIVE
4.: I am enclosing a letter from
Transportation Director Chris Strong to the Wisconsin Department of Transportation, asking the
DOT to investigate whether traffic and safety conditions at the intersection of STH 44 and
Universal Drive warrant the installation of a traffic signal. Mr. Strong's office and my office have
been receiving a number of inquiries and comments concerning a traffic signal at this intersection.
BICYCLE/PEDESTRIAN PLAN
5.: I am enclosing a draft issue of the city's 2010
Bicycle/Pedestrian Plan. This 20-year plan intends to develop sound strategies for improving
bicycle and pedestrian transportation throughout the Oshkosh area for users of varying abilities.
The planning area includes the City of Oshkosh and surrounding extraterritorial areas as illustrated
on the maps located in the plan. Oversight on this project was provided by the Bicycle and
Pedestrian Steering Committee – a committee formed of interested citizens, representatives from
various organizations and city departments. Please note that this is a draft prepared by the
consultant. Several suggestions may yet be changed based upon input from the Committee, staff,
Council and public. The Committee was responsible for providing direction and review of plan
components through a series of committee meetings. The process also included a public hearing
and two public informational meetings. If you have any questions regarding this plan, or would
like extra copies of it, please contact Principal Planner Dav id Buck in our Community
Development Department.
OSHKOSH POLICE DEPARTMENT ON FACEBOOOK
6.: Please find enclosed an e-mail
from Police Chief Scott Greue l, announcing that the Oshkosh Police Department is now on
Facebook. As Chief Greuel states, the OPD intends to post messages about important events,
crime prevention tips, and other critical and timely information that the Police want to get out to
their stakeholders. The link for OPD's Facebook account is posted on this e-mail.
PLUMBING INSPECTOR APPOINTED TO STATE BOARD
7.: Please find enclosed a letter
from the Wisconsin Department of Commerce, informing our Plumbing Inspector, Mr. Paul Wolf,
that he has been appointed to the Wisconsin Plumbing Advisory Code Council. I appreciate Paul's
willingness to serve on this board and as the letter states, his technical expertise will help keep the
Wisconsin administrative codes current, viable and reasonable.
Weekly Newsletter
March 19, 2010
Page 3
DEPARTMENTAL REPORTS & UPDATES
8.: Other items I'm enclosing with today's
Newsletter include the latest issue of The Wisconsin Taxpayer, which features an article on
Wisconsin's public workforce. Insofar as minut es are concerned, I'm enclosing the following:
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The minutes of the March 9 Traffic Review Advisory Board meeting; the minutes of the
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February 22 Housing Authority meeting; and the minutes of the March 10 Parking Utility
Commission meeting.
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UPCOMING MEETINGS
9.: Meetings I have scheduled for the week of March 22 include the
following: On Monday morning, I have a block of time set aside when Allen Davis joins us for
his first day as Community Development Director. On Monday, at 2:00 p.m., I'll be meeting with
city staff regarding review of a new version for the city's website. We hope to release the new
version very soon. On Tuesday, at 10:30 a.m., staff and I will be meeting with Mr. Nash Gill and
representatives of the City Center Hotel for continued discussions on their project and the need for
possible public assistance. On Wednesday morning, at 7:30 a.m., I will be attending the monthly
meeting of OAEDC. On Wednesday, at 1:30 p.m., I will be attending a meeting regarding the
Community Branding Project, as being undertaken by the CVB, Chamber, the city, and other
agencies. On Thursday morning, at 7:00 a.m., I'll be attending a meeting of the Chamco Board of
Directors. If you have any questions regarding any of these meetings, please do not hesitate to
contact me.
MAR/jdc