Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutWeekly Newsletter Date: May 21, 2010 To: Mayor & City Council From: Mark A. Rohloff, City Manager WEEKLY NEWSLETTER Subject: FEDERAL STIMULUS IMPACT IN OSHKOSH 1.: Last evening, I participated in a presentation hosted by Citizens for a Strong Oshkosh and other community groups to discuss the impact of the Federal Stimulus Package on Oshkosh and the surrounding area. I was joined in the discussion by County Executive Mark Harris, Interim School Superintendent Bette Lang, UW-O Economics Professor Kevin McGee, and Becky Lund, a CPA with Schenck Business Solutions. The individual presentations by the government representatives merely identified the stimulus dollars that were awarded to our respective jurisdictions. One point in the overall presentation was that the Stimulus Package was meant to benefit a broad range of individuals, business, and governmental entities. Following the one-hour presentation, there was a lengthy one-hour question and answer period that evolved into a discussion of state funding for local governments. My presentation pointed out that the city's stimulus dollars have been primarily used for capital and other one-time investments. In contrast, both the county and the school district received funds to make up operating shortfalls in state aid that would have otherwise occurred. As a result, counties and school districts are in an uncertain situation as they look to their 2011 budgets, because the state no longer has the stimulus funds available to make up the continuing shortfall in state aid. The Q & A session essentially became the focus of the evening, and the group agreed that the 2011 budget was going to remain a challenge for all of the participating governmental entities. Because of the educational nature of this presentation, the Oshkosh Community Media Services staff taped the program for later viewing on Cable Channel 10. We will try to create a smaller, one-hour version that contains only the presentation portion of this meeting. I encourage Council Members to review this presentation at your leisure when it is rebroadcast on Cable Channel 10 or via the OCMS website. CDBG FILING EXTENSION 2.: Council Members may have read an article in this week's Oshkosh Northwestern regarding the city's late filing of its 2010 Action Plan for its Community Development Block Grant. Planning Director Darryn Burich has sent the enclosed letter to the local Housing and Urban Development (HUD) office, requesting the extension and providing the reasons for the extension request. Weekly Newsletter May 21, 2010 Page 2 We received a call yesterday, acknowledging receipt of the letter and that we would be receiving a formal response within the next two weeks. The local HUD representative complimented Mr. Burich on the letter that was used to request the extension, and has asked for our permission to use this letter as a model for other communities that typically request extensions. While we certainly want to stay ahead of deadlines that we have for programs such as this, the city's CDBG funding is not jeopardized by this late filing. With staff vacancies gradually being filled, we believe that we will be able to meet these deadlines as we did in the past. If you have any questions regarding the filing of these Action Plans, please contact Community Development Director Allen Davis. DOWNTOWN STREETSCAPE IMPROVEMENTS 3.: As the Council is aware, the downtown streetscape plan, prepared several years ago by JJR, Inc., included provisions for streetscape improvements along Main Street once reconstruction took place. The streetscape improvements anticipated in the plan included benches, trash receptacles, bike racks, planters, and decorative banners hanging from lightposts. While there was concensus on including these provisions in the final streetscape design, these items were not included in the DOT's bid package for the Main Street reconstruction. These are items that were anticipated to be provided at the local level, separate from the reconstruction project. I had an opportunity within the past week to meet with representatives of the Downtown BID, and they asked what the city's plans were to implement this streetscape program. I explained that funds have not been budgeted this year for any of these improvements. We discussed different options that may be available to fund these improvements. Although we did not come to any conclusions, it was estimated that the costs to implement the improvements that have been identified would run in the range of $100,000 to $150,000. Obviously, much of this can be staged so as to spread out the financial impact. I encouraged the BID to identify what private funding sources may be available before the city is approached with any funding requests. As we are approaching the 2011 budget and preparation of our 2011-2015 Capital Improvements Program, I wanted the Council to be aware that this item was out there for discussion. FVTC TO CONSTRUCT WELDING CENTER IN OSHKOSH 4.: Fox Valley Technical College (FVTC) recently solicited proposals to locate a new training facility for its welding program here in Oshkosh. The city was not a party to the proposal solicitation, but we did field questions from various property owners that were seeking to make a proposal to FVTC. It appears as though FVTC has settled on occupying a new building on a vacant parcel along the east side of USH 41on Poberezny Road in the Town of Nekimi. This facility is in the city's growth corridor under our draft boundary agreement with the Town of Nekimi. This facility would require utilities, which are not immediately available to the site at this time. As staff understands it, a developer would build the facility and lease it back to FVTC for approximately 10 years. I believe it is the hope of the developers that this would help spur additional development along this corridor, which would serve as an entryway for drivers arriving in Oshkosh from the south. The challenge with this development lies in the fact that without readily accessible utility service, FVTC must either find a way to get utilities extended to this area, or use a well and a holding tank until such time that utilities are available. Weekly Newsletter May 21, 2010 Page 3 In the city's utility plans, we have planned to serve this area through a lift station that would have a force main going under USH 41 to an interceptor that runs parallel to and west of Washburn Street. None of these facilities are in place at this time, nor are they currently in our five year CIP. During our discussions with the developers and FVTC, we agreed that we would begin planning for this type of facility to accommodate future growth of the city. This would entail properties east of USH 41 being annexed into the city so that we may begin the appropriate planning process. The developers and FVTC will continue their discussions on how they want to proceed with this project. Meanwhile, the meeting itself pointed out the necessity to continue dialogue amongst staff to identify these growth corridors and plan appropriately so that we invest properly in the infrastructure necessary to accommodate future development along these corridors. If you have any questions regarding our approach to planning in this area, please contact me. TRAFFIC SIGNAL AT STH 44 & UNIVERSAL STREET 5.: In response to inquiries we received from a number of citizens, Transportation Director Chris Strong wrote to the Wisconsin Department of Transportation earlier this year, asking the DOT to investigate whether traffic and safety conditions at the intersection of STH 44 and Universal Street warranted the installation of a traffic signal. The DOT completed their analysis and found that the intersection did not satisfy any of the warrants. I'm enclosing a copy of the letter from the DOT for your information. If you have any questions concerning this issue, please contact Transportation Director Strong. DEPARTMENTAL REPORTS & UPDATES 6.: Other items I'm enclosing with today's Newsletter include a press release from the Oshkosh Public Museum, announcing their new summer exhibit, "Sherlock Holmes and the Clocktower Mystery". I'm also enclosing a brochure concerning the exhibit, which is sure to attract a lot of attention during the summer months. th Insofar as minutes are concerned, I'm enclosing the minutes of the May 11 Traffic Review th Advisory Board meeting, and the minutes of the May 17 Grand Opera House Advisory Board th meeting. I'm also enclosing a listing of the traffic restrictions in the city for the week of May 24. The last item I'm enclosing is a memo from Principal Planner David Buck regarding the Acanthus Awards that will be presented at next Tuesday evening's Council Meeting. th UPCOMING MEETINGS 7.: Meetings I have scheduled for the week of May 24 include the th following: On Monday, May 24, at 9:00 a.m., I will be meeting with Ms. Tina Haffeman, who is representing ESTHER, an interfaith advocacy organization that would like to talk to me about what their organization is doing to address homelessness in Oshkosh. On Tuesday, at 12:00 noon, I will be attending a meeting sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce and the West Side Association regarding an update on construction issues in the vicinity of USH 41/SH 21. On Tuesday, at 2:30 p.m., I will be meeting with staff to discuss addressing the issues related to resolving the ownership and maintenance issues associated with the City Center Hotel garage. On Wednesday, at 5:00 p.m., I will be attending the Leadership Oshkosh graduation ceremony. On th Thursday, May 27, at 7:30 a.m., I will be attending the bi-monthly Chamco Board meeting. On Thursday, at 3:00 p.m., I will be meeting with Finance Director Steeno to begin discussions on the th first meetings of the Long Range Finance Committee. On Friday, May 28, at 8:00 a.m., I will be addressing the Oshkosh Mid-Morning Kiwanis Club at Becket's Restaurant. If you have any questions regarding my attendance at these meetings, please do not hesitate to contact me.