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HomeMy WebLinkAboutWeekly Newsletter Date: April 1, 2010 To: Mayor & City Council From: Mark A. Rohloff, City Manager WEEKLY NEWSLETTER Subject: STATE HIGHWAY #21 RETAINING WALL TO FEATURE MUSEUM ART 1.: If you happened to stop by the Museum's booth at the State of the City Expo, you may have noticed a rendering of art that is proposed to be placed on the retaining wall along STH 21 that will be crossing over the soon-to-be reconstructed portion of USH 41. This retaining wall will be built in 2012 as part of the reconstruction of the STH 21/USH 41 interchange. The state has a small portion of its landscaping budget devoted to community-oriented design for bridges and retaining walls of this type. When the DOT asked us for input on the retaining wall, I asked Museum Director Brad Larson to take the lead in developing some rendering that reflected Oshkosh's history. Mr. Larson and his staff did a wonderful job researching artwork in the Museum's collection that reflects the history of Oshkosh's water location. After showcasing a draft rendering at the State of the City, Mr. Larson and his staff took public comment and made some final adjustments to the rendering, which we have now submitted to the DOT. I am enclosing this rendering for your information. The rendering showcases the following themes of Oshkosh's water history: 1) A fishing scene taken from a 1930's WP artwork project; 2) A logger moving lumber to the sawmills in Oshkosh; 3) A sailboat, which is self-explanatory; 4) A water skier from 1936, complete with bathing cap; and 5) A steamboat that once went along the Fox River and Lake Winnebago. All of these artistic renderings come from, or were inspired by the Museum's collection. This piece of Oshkosh's history, while it will remain at the Museum, will now be out on public display for everyone to see once the retaining wall is finally constructed in 2012. Thanks to Mr. Larson, the Museum staff, and the Public Works staff for their collaboration on this unique representation of Oshkosh's history into a public works project. CITY'S CUSTOMER SERVICE TRAINING FEATURED 2.: Please find enclosed an article that was in Fox Valley Technical College's Focus magazine that is distributed to students and clients of FVTC. The article features Assistant City Manager John Fitzpatrick and me discussing the city's training program that FVTC had customized for us. As the article indicates, we will be putting all employees through our training program by the end of 2010. If you have any questions regarding our WOW (What Oshkosh Wants) Program, please contact Mr. Fitzpatrick. SPRING YARD WASTE COLLECTION 3.: Please find enclosed information from the Public Works Department regarding spring yard clean-up. This information will be distributed throughout the community over the next few weeks. Please contact Public Works Director Patek if you have any questions. Weekly Newsletter April 1, 2010 Page 2 JAMES ROAD AREA STORMWATER DETENTION BASIN 4.: Strand Associates is continuing their effort to complete the redesign of the James Road area stormwater management facility. They have obtained additional wetland information from the U. S. Department of Agriculture, and they are reviewing options to minimize the number of properties/number of acres of land that would be impacted by this detention basin construction. It is anticipated that a new layout and computer modeling for the design will be completed by mid-April. If you have any questions concerning this issue, please contact Assistant Public Works Director Steve Gohde. PUBLIC WORKS PRESENTS CONCEPTUAL PLAN FOR OSHKOSH NORTH HIGH 5. SCHOOL POND : On Wednesday of this week, Public Works staff held a neighborhood meeting with property owners in the vicinity of Oshkosh North High School regarding the proposed pond on the property that the city recently acquired from the Oshkosh Area School District. Although the turnout was small, the public indicated interest in safety and maintenance issues regarding the pond. Storm Water Engineer James Rabe provided information on the profile of a typical storm water retention pond such as what will be built at this location. Mr. Rabe demonstrated how we incorporate safety features into the pond. Specifically, the city has designed all of its wet retention ponds with a "safety shelf" that keeps the pond at a depth of approximately one foot for the first 14 feet of the pond. This is designed so that people do not inadvertently fall, and minimizes the risk for children. Although Oshkosh has many water features throughout the community, we wanted to make sure the public understands the need to responsibly monitor their children even when we have taken appropriate precautions for safety. Because of the use of safety shelves in our storm water ponds, we do not install fences around these ponds. It has been found that the safety shelves provide a more cost effective safety precaution. Please find enclosed information that was provided to the public at this meeting. If you have any questions regarding the discussions that took place at the neighborhood meeting, please contact Public Works Director David Patek. RECYCLING PROGRAM EVALUATION FROM THE DNR 6.: Please find enclosed a letter from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources to Public Works Director David Patek, applauding the city for a well-run recycling program. The City of Oshkosh has a recyclable collection volume that is well above the state standard. As stated by the DNR in reference to the City of Oshkosh's program, "The added convenience of curbside and single stream collection, your coordination with Winnebago County, and your efforts to promote recycling, appear to contribute to additional recycling activity by your residents". DEPARTMENTAL REPORTS & UPDATES 7.: Other items I'm enclosing with today's Newsletter include a press release issued yesterday, announcing the start of the construction of the Melvin Avenue storm water pump station. As you can see, the construction will begin the week of thth April 5 or during the week of April 12. The pump station is expected to be operational by st August 31 of this year, and final construction activities will be completed by October 31, 2010. nd You may see a construction crane on location as early as April 2. I am also including th information regarding curbside brush collection, which begins the week of April 5, and will continue through December on the first full week of each month. The only minutes I have to send st along today are the minutes of the March 1 Sustainability Advisory Board. Weekly Newsletter April 1, 2010 Page 3 CITY MANAGER OUT OF OFFICE 8.I will be out of the office on vacation during the week of : thth April 5. I will return to the office on Monday, April 12. Due to my absence, there will be no th formal Weekly Newsletter on April 9. Jackie may forward information to you as she deems appropriate. If you have any immediate issues that you would like addressed, please contact Assistant City Manager/Director of Administrative Services John Fitzpatrick. Jackie will also be able to get in touch with me if I'm needed for any reason. MAR/jdc