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HomeMy WebLinkAboutWeekly Newsletter Date: October 29, 2010 To: Mayor & City Council From: Mark A. Rohloff, City Manager WEEKLY NEWSLETTER Subject: CITY RECEIVES FAVORABLE EECBG BIDS 1.: Purchasing staff opened bids this week for energy efficiency projects that will be funded t hrough the Energy Efficiency Block Grant (EECBG) program, one of the Federal Stimulus programs for which the city received funds. All of the projects bid out will be able to be funded, along with water efficiency projects that will be bid out separately. Facilities Management staff will present this information to the Sustainability st Advisory Board (SAB) at their November 1 meeting. Following the SAB's review, Council is th scheduled to award these bids at your November 9 meeting. Council will be forwar ded the information on the projects prior to the meeting. If you have any questions regarding the city's EECBG program, please contact General Services Director Jon Urben. CITY MAINTENANCE AT CATHOLIC CEMETERIES TO END IN 2011 2.: As was mentioned last e vening, the Green Bay Diocese has directed its local parishes to assume maintenance responsibilities for the local Catholic cemeteries. The city has maintained the Calvary Cemetery and the Catholic Cemetery within our Riverside Cemetery for many years. Because we are losing approximately 25% of our maintenance area, we have no choice but to eliminate a full-time position within the Cemetery Division. We will eliminate a position depending upon other personnel moves within the department (e.g. requirements) in 2011. While we have no choice but to accept the decision of the Diocese, I believe that they will soon discover that we provided a great service for an excellent value. Should the Diocese realize this after the fact, I am not sure if we want to get into a cycle of entering into and out of this arrangement from year to year. Once the decision is made to terminate the service, we should leave the arrangement once and for all. NEIGHBORWORKS MEETING SCHEDULED 3.: NeighborWorks representatives will be meeting with various city representatives on Thursday, November 11, 2010, from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., to tour neighborhoods and review possible strategies for revitalization in Oshkosh. This is a preliminary meeting to identify issues, educate, and plan fo r 2011. City staff will be in attendance, along with Community Foundation representatives. If you have any questions concerning this meeting, please feel free to contact Community Development Director Allen Davis. Weekly Newsletter October 29, 2010 Page 2 SALARY SCHEDULE FOR NON-REPRESENTED EMPLOYEES 4.: At last evening's Council Workshop on the 2011 budget, Council Member Tower requested information regarding the salary schedule for non-represented employees. I have enclosed this information for your review. As I had explained at last evening's meeting, the midpoint of the range reflects the market value for this position. The bottom of the scale is approximately 12.5% below the midpoint to give the employee the opportunity to grow in the position until he/she reaches a competency that reflects the market. Wage steps above the midpoint compensate the employee for his/her increasing expertise, and provides an incentive to remain with the organization. If you have any questions about the wage scale, please contact Mr. Fitzpatrick or me. TH SIGNAL AT 9 & WESTHAVEN 5.: FYI, Transportation Director Chris Strong had the subject signals unbagged and re-energized on Wednesday morning. As with any new signal, we had the signals put on flash, and they will rem ain that way until today (Friday). The signals will resume full operating mode sometime today, in time for Sunday services at the churches in the vicinity. NEIGHBORHOOD MEETING REGARDING SITE PLAN FOR RECENT REZONING 6.: Earlier this week, the Council app roved the rezoning of property on the northwest corner of Osborn and Mason from manufacturing to residential, multi-family. The owners, Gabert and Rusch, have scheduled a neighborhood meeting for November 9, 2010, at 7:30 p.m., at 1180 Osborn Avenue, to review the draft Site Plan. Staff sent meeting notices to neighbors this week and staff will be in attendance at this neighborhood meeting. The owners have also submitted the draft Site Plan for Plan Commission review at the Plan Commission's November 16, 2010 meeting. The Plan Commission would then forward their recommendation to the City Council for final action. MAIN STREET UPDATE 7.: Based upon our most recent information, Main Street is scheduled th to open no later than 12:00 noon on Saturday morning, October 30. The actual opening still depends upon the weather conditions for traffic markings that were due to take place on Thursday and Friday. If the markings get done earlier, the street may be opened as early as Friday afternoon. Thanks to everyone for their patience throughout this process. INVITATION TO SUSTAINABILITY ADVISORY BOARD MEETING 8.: Please find enclosed an e-mail from the Chairman of the Sustainability Advisory Board, Justin Mitchell, to the st City Council, inviting you to attend their next meeting on Monday, November 1, at 4:00 p.m., in Room 404 of City Hall. As you can see from the e-mail, the Board is hosting a special guest, Ron Kean, who is the Wisconsin Extension Poultry Specialist. He will be at the meeting to discuss the issue of urban (backyard) chickens. Two representatives from our Health Department will also be present, along with a family living outside of Oshkosh that raises backyard chickens. This should be an interesting and informative meeting, which will be televise d on Cable Channel 10 and available on-line. If you have any questions concerning this meeting, please contact Director of Planning Services Darryn Burich. Weekly Newsletter October 29, 2010 Page 3 DEPARTMENTAL REPORTS & UPDATES 9.: Other items I'm e nclosing with today's Newsletter include the preliminary draft of the 2011-2015 Capital Improvements Program. This is the version going to the Plan Commission for their mandated review. A version that includes a financial analysis will also be provided t o Council later. I am also enclosing a monthly report from the Library, which is a new item we're including that talks about the Library's activities during the month of October. I am also enclosing the latest FOCUS newsletter, published by the Wisconsin Taxpayers Alliance, which features an article on the federal debt. Insofar as minutes th are concerned, I'm enclosing the following: The minutes of the October 19 Plan Commission st meeting; the minutes of the September 1 Long Range Finance Committee meeting; the minutes th th of the August 25 Board of Health meeting; the minutes of the September 14 Special Board of th Health meeting; the minutes of the October 4 Sustainabililty Advisory Board meeting; the th minutes of the October 12 Traffic Review Advisory Board meeting; the minutes of the October th th 13 Parking Utility Commission meeting; and the minutes of the September 27 Housing Authority meeting. The last item I'm enclosing is the latest issue of The Wisconsin Taxpayer, which features an article on Wisconsin's jobs and wages. If you have any questions on any of this material, please feel free to contact me. st UPCOMING MEETINGS 10.: Meetings I have scheduled for the week of November 1 include the st following: On Monday, November 1, at 8:15 a.m., Mayor Es slinger and I will be on WOSH Radio as part of the Mayor's monthly radio spot. At 5:00 p.m. on Monday, I will be attending the Chamber of Commerce Annual Banquet. On Tuesday, at 7:30 a.m., I will be attending the Community Sounding Board meeting at UW-Oshkosh, which consists of representatives from the City of Oshkosh, OASD, Winnebago County, UW-Oshkosh, FVTC, and the Chamber, discussing issues of community relevance. On Wednesday, at 7:30 a.m., I will be attending the OAEDC th Executive Committee meeting. On Thursday, November 4, at 7:00 p.m., Finance Director Steeno and I will be holding the public informational meeting on the 2011 budget in the Willow Room at the Seniors Center. Finally, on Friday, at 11:00 a.m., I will be attending a meeting of the Oshkosh Area Community Relations Board, at which representatives of public safety meet with administrators from the area's corrections and other public institutions to discuss issues of mutual concern. If you have any questions about my attendance at any of these meetings, please do not hesitate to contact me. MAR/jdc