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Home My WebLink Aboutweekly newsletter Date: January 27, 2012 To: Mayor & City Council From: Mark A. Rohloff, City Manager WEEKLY NEWSLETTER Subject: WORKFORCE MOBILITY ACT 1.: An article in today's Northwestern talked about the Workforce Mobility Act, a bill to be introduced in the State Legislature on Monday by State Senator Jessica King, State Representative Gordon Hintz, and others. If passed, this bill would restore the ten percent reduction in state operating assistance cuts that were included in the adopted state budget. The cuts would be paid for by funds currently available in the state's transportation fund. If passed, this would lead to perhaps $140,000 in increased funding to Oshkosh Transit System operations in 2012. The 2012 transit budget adopted by the Oshkosh City Council preserved fixed route service without an across-the-board fare increase, while absorbing the ten percent reduction. To do so, our budget made a number of critical assumptions about future costs in personnel, contractual services and fuel. If these assumptions prove wrong, we may be required to consider services reductions later this year. Other transit systems in the state have already seen significant contractions in service and/or fare increases on their bus routes due to the reductions in state operating assistance. The impact of reduced operating assistance is even more significant for 2013. That is the year when 2010 census data regarding population is expected to be used in federal funding formulas. Because the Appleton and Green Bay service areas will each exceed 200,000 in population, those transit systems will no longer be eligible for federal operating assistance. Because of the formulas by which the state distributes federal transit operating assistance, this will mean a reduction in federal operating assistance to other systems in the state, including Oshkosh. Without a restoration of state operating assistance to previous levels and/or changes in federal legislation, it becomes even more likely that service cuts will be necessary. Because of the importance of state operating assistance in sustaining our current transit system operations, staff is tracking this legislation pretty closely. If you have any questions concerning this issue, please contact Transportation Director Chris Strong. FUTURE WATER PRESSURE NEEDS 2.: Two potential developments on the south end of the city are causing staff to review our long term water distribution needs. As Council may be aware, Fox Valley Technical College is proposing a referendum that, if adopted, will fund the purchase of property in the vicinity of Poberezny Road near their current welding facility. This area is not currently served with municipal water, but would need municipal service for future expansion. Meanwhile, there are discussions regarding the possible development of an Aviation Industrial Park on the south end of town, on South Oregon Street. While water service is available to this area, staff wants to review long term water distribution needs in this area, particularly system pressure. Utility staff had previously hired a consultant to analyze this area to determine future water pressure needs. Weekly Newsletter January 27, 2012 Page 2 With these additional development possibilities on the horizon, I have asked staff to incorporate these future water needs into this previous water distribution system analysis. We want to make sure that as future developments are planned in the south end of the city, we have appropriately addressed water pressure needs. This continues to fall under the goal of minimizing the amount of time a development project needs to go from project conception to completion. Proper planning of our utilities will definitely help shorten this timeframe. As we conduct this study and identify the results and future needs, we will share this with the Council and incorporate it into future capital improvement programs. If you have any questions regarding this review, please contact Public Works Director David Patek. FARMERS MARKET GETS A DONOR FOR SPECIAL EVENT COSTS 3.: For Council's information, in the aftermath of Council's decision to support staff's recommendation not to waive the special event fees for the Farmers Market, it turns out that Mr. Gary Lerch, owner of Service Oil at 2531 Omro Road, has agreed to donate $2,500 to the Farmers Market this year. The intent of this donation is to cover the costs incurred by the Farmers Market for the city's extraordinary costs with the special event permit. I am certainly appreciative to Mr. Lerch for this generosity, and I'm not surprised by this gesture given the success of the Farmers Market in bringing the community together. The feedback that I've received is that most people understand the reasoning behind staff's recommendation and Council's position on the fee waiver. At the same time, I think everyone recognizes that the Leathermans' efforts to the Farmers Market have been significant and people wanted to genuinely provide some support to them for their success. COMMUNITY PARTNER AWARDS 4.: As Council may recall, last year at the State of the City event, we presented Community Partner Awards to groups that have worked with the city on a variety of efforts. Last year's recipients included the Altrusa Club, the Oshkosh Community Foundation, and the Celebration of Lights Committee. I am again seeking suggestions, ideas, and nominations for the 2012 Community Partner Awards. If you have any suggestions or ideas on individuals or groups that have successfully partnered with the city for either individual projects or long term projects, please pass those suggestions along to Communications Coordinator Dean Leisgang or me. We will review all of the suggestions th made to us and develop a list of award recipients for the March 19 State of the City event. If you have any other questions about this year's event, please contact Dean Leisgang. MUNICIPAL VOTING WARD PLAN 5.: Every ten years, Wisconsin State Statutes require cities such as the City of Oshkosh to adopt a municipal voting ward plan and establish voting districts following the completion of each Federal Census. Hence, this year, our voting wards rd and polling sites have changed. Because we have three elections this year (April 3, August thth 14, and November 6), it is important that we educate our citizens on the changes. Please find enclosed a map that we will be including in all utility bills to be distributed in January, February and March, which details the voting changes. The changes will also be advertised on our web site, the Cable Access Channel, and will be posted in various areas around town such as the Oshkosh Public Library and Oshkosh Seniors Center. In addition, this information will be included in the recycling calendars that will be distributed to every home in the city by our Public Works Department sometime during the month of February. If you have any questions on the changes, please contact City Clerk Pam Ubrig. Weekly Newsletter January 27, 2012 Page 3 DEPARTMENT REPORTS & UPDATES 6.: Other items I'm enclosing with today's st Newsletter include a notice for the Workshop meeting to be held next Tuesday, January 31, at 5:00 p.m., for a Health Department consolidation update. I am also enclosing a notice for the st Special Meeting on January 31, at 6:15 p.m., to discuss the City Manager's performance evaluation. An Agenda for that meeting is also included. Insofar as minutes are concerned, th I'm enclosing the minutes of the December 15 Library Board meeting; the minutes of the thth January 18 Transit Advisory Board meeting; the minutes of the December 12 Housing Authority meeting; and the meeting notice, agenda and background material for the February th 8 Parking Utility Commission meeting. I'm also enclosing Museum Director Brad Larson's weekly memo to the Museum Board. The last item I'm enclosing is a thank you note to Parks Director Ray Maurer from the Oshkosh Celebration of Lights Committee, which includes some incredible information on their success last year. th UPCOMING MEETINGS 7.: Meetings I have scheduled for the week of January 30 include the following: On Monday, at 1:30 p.m., I will be meeting with Mr. Harold Eichstadt regarding the vacation of property on Walnut Street, near Murdock Avenue, near Mr. st Eichstadt's house. On Tuesday, January 31, at 2:30 p.m., I will be meeting with staff and NeighborWorks representatives on a future presentation they will be making to the Council. On Wednesday, at 12:45 p.m., I will be attending the DARE graduation ceremony at Roosevelt Elementary School. At 2:30 p.m. on Wednesday, I will be meeting with Professor Karl Nollenberger to discuss this year's questions for the 2012 Citizen Survey that will be conducted by Professor Nollenberger's Public Policy Analysis class. On Thursday, February nd 2, at 9:00 a.m., I will be meeting with Assistant City Manager/Director of Administrative Services John Fitzpatrick, our consultant, Charlie Carlson, and Council Member Jef Hall regarding his questions regarding the Classification and Compensation Study. If you have any questions regarding my attendance at any of these meetings, please do not hesitate to contact me. MAR/jdc Enclosures