Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutweekly newsletter Date: April 20, 2012 To: Mayor & City Council From: Mark A. Rohloff, City Manager WEEKLY NEWSLETTER Subject: SPECIAL EVENTS INSURANCE 1.: Recently, it was brought to staff’s attention that one of the special events in the city had difficulty complying with the city’s requirement that participants in athletic events and other contests not be included in an event’s coverage. Staff worked with the event organizer, and the event organizer was able to procure the required coverage for their event. However, while reviewing this event, it came to staff’s attention that there had likely been other events which also did not comply with that requirement, but simply had not indicated the exclusion for athletic participants on the insurance certificate that was submitted to the city. Staff contacted the city’s insurance consultant, a local insurance agency who handles a number of events held within the city, and spoke with individuals from other municipalities who were also reviewing their requirements related to this same issue. The information gathered from all of these sources indicates that while most of the requirements of the current policy are easily complied with, the requirement that participants in athletic events and other contests not be excluded from coverage is difficult for event organizers. Because of the inherent risk of injury while participating in an athletic contest or other contest, most insurance policies exclude athletic participants from coverage, and events must seek out specialized insurance policies to cover their events. While in some cases these specialized liability policies are easily obtained, in other cases, they are more difficult to obtain, if even obtainable, and can be costly to even organizers. Based upon staff’s review and research related to this, we anticipate bringing forward a resolution at the th Council’s May 9 meeting to amend the special events insurance requirements related to this issue. If you have any questions concerning this matter, please contact City Attorney Lynn Lorenson. 2012 CITY BORROWING 2.: Please find enclosed a memo from Finance Director Peggy Steeno regarding the upcoming city borrowing for 2012, which includes the financing of approximately $18,000,000 in existing city debt. The Finance staff and our financial advisors routinely review our existing debt to determine if there are any advantages to refinancing the debt each year. We’ve identified this potential refinancing, as explained on the attached memo, with an approximate savings of $539,000 in today’s dollars. If you have any questions after reviewing the attached memo, please contact Finance Director Peggy Steeno. Weekly Newsletter April 20, 2012 Page 2 STATUS OF TIF FOR HOTEL RENOVATION 3.: Community Development, Legal, and Administrative staff are working with the representatives of the former City Center Hotel regarding the proposed Tax Incremental Financing (TIF) District for the hotel. We anticipate that th this item will come before the Council at your May 9 meeting. We are currently going through the process to review their revised request for an upfront TIF of approximately $2,000,000, along with a provision to provide an additional $1,000,000 in a “PAY-GO” TIF once the project can demonstrate its ability to support the $2,000,000 upfront TIF. As was mentioned to Council previously, the new hotel owners have identified an approximate project cost of up to $14,000,000, which demonstrates a more significant investment than previous hotel developers had anticipated. These additional costs result in a better quality project, with more long term benefits. These additional costs may also translate into a greater need for TIF support. Staff is reviewing both the financial ability of this TIF to be supported with this development, along with the need for the project to warrant such funding. We are going through the final analysis of these financial documents so that we can provide this information to the Plan Commission, the Council, as well as the Joint Review Board. Once we have the final analysis completed, we will forward that information to Council. In the meantime, if you have any questions regarding this proposed TIF, please contact Community Development Director Allen Davis. SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION ON CENTRAL GARAGE LOCATION 4.: In addition to information in your Agenda packet, I am providing Council with other relevant information regarding the potential location of the Central Garage on the existing Witzel site. Included in this information is an analysis of average drive times and distances between snow plow route destinations and each of the two proposed sites. We are also including some color maps and a comparative analysis of the two sites that will give you background on staff’s recommendation. Please bring this supplemental information with you to Tuesday’s meeting. If you have any questions, please contact Public Works Director David Patek. BOARD OF PUBLIC WORKS RESOLUTION 5.: Please find enclosed a Board of Public Works Resolution, declaring an emergency situation to waive bids and authorize the replacement of the existing sanitary sewer main and laterals under Oshkosh Avenue within the Wisconsin Department of Transportation construction limits. During the reconstruction of the USH 41 and STH 21 interchange, a conflict with the existing sanitary sewer mains and laterals was discovered. Due to elevation changes of STH 21, including significant under-cutting depth and stone backfill needed to support the pavement, the existing sanitary sewer and laterals would have been in conflict with the new road construction. The sanitary sewer main and laterals need to be lowered to avoid damage and/or failure. Failure to lower the mains prior to the excavation would lead to sanitary sewer backups. The age and condition of the main and laterals also warrant replacement. The emergency was declared because the continued progress of the USH 41/STH 21 interchange required prompt action on the city’s part to keep the DOT and its contractors working and on schedule. If you have any questions concerning this situation, please contact Assistant Public Works Director Steve Gohde. DEPARTMENTAL REPORTS & UPDATES 6.: Other items I’m enclosing with today’s th Newsletter include the meeting notice, agenda and background material for the April 25 Transit Advisory Board meeting. I am also enclosing three press releases issued this week on the th Menominee Park Master Plan meeting (April 25); the automated garbage collection cart selection strd forms due date (May 1); and the start of the city’s north side street construction (April 23). The last item I’m enclosing is Museum Director Brad Larson’s weekly letter to the Museum Board. Weekly Newsletter April 20, 2012 Page 3 rd UPCOMING MEETINGS 7.: Meetings I have scheduled for the week of April 23 include the following: On Monday, at 7:30 a.m., I will be meeting with Mayor Tower to review Tuesday’s Council Agenda. On Monday, at 10:00 a.m., I am meeting with representatives of Archer Daniels Midland Corporation regarding the former Olsen Feed Mill facility they purchased on STH 91 and its impact on the Southwest Industrial Park. At 2:00 p.m. on Monday, I am meeting with Public Works and representatives of Kueny Architects to discuss the central garage project. On Wednesday, at 1:00 p.m., I am meeting with UW-Oshkosh Vice Chancellor Tom Sonnleitner regarding parking in the University area. On Thursday, at 7:30 a.m., I will be attending the Chamco Executive Committee meeting. If you have any questions regarding my attendance at any of these meetings, please do not hesitate to contact me. MAR/jdc Enclosures