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HomeMy WebLinkAboutweekly newsletter Date: May 11, 2012 To: Mayor & City Council From: Mark A. Rohloff, City Manager WEEKLY NEWSLETTER Subject: CVS PROJECT REVIEW PROCESS 1.: Staff is reviewing comments received at Thursday evening’s neighborhood meeting regarding the CVS project. Staff will review comments from the meeting and incorporate them into recommendations that they make to the Plan Commission at th their Tuesday, May 15 meeting. Following action by the Plan Commission, the Traffic Review th Advisory Board will take up the issue of the relocation of 7 Avenue at Koeller Street, as well as th th the proposed closing of 7 Avenue, at their June 12 meeting. Once both the Plan Commission and Traffic Review Advisory Board have provided their comments and recommendations to the th th Council, the Council is expected to take up the issue at your June 26 meeting. The June 26 meeting will include a review of the planned development of the CVS project, as well as the first th reading of the ordinance for changing the 7 Avenue and Koeller Street intersection. The second th th reading of the ordinance for the 7 and Koeller traffic changes would take place at the July 10 meeting. Although this process is taking longer than other similar projects, I believe that this provides the residents and the applicant with sufficient time to review each other’s comments and provide feedback so that by the time this issue comes before the Council, all stakeholders in this project have had an adequate opportunity to provide their comments. If you have any questions regarding how this project is being reviewed, please contact Community Development Director Allen Davis. STORM WATER & SANITARY SEWER RATE INCREASE 2.: Please find enclosed a memo from Finance Director Peggy Steeno, outlining the need for ra te increases with our two sewer utilities. During my discussion of the city’s actions related to storm water and sanitary sewers, I mentioned that staff had recommended a 15% increase in storm water rates to the Storm Water Committee last month, which they have recommended to the Council. Furthermore, staff is also recommending a 10% increase in sanitary sewer fees. Both of these increases are necessary to not only meet our operation al requirements, but to fund our aggressive Capital Improvements Program, as well as meet revenue coverage requirements for the outstanding debt of the utilities. Finance Director Steeno’s memo provides thi s information in greater detail. For additional reference, I am including a financial summary that was previously provid ed to the Storm Water Committee. I am also enclosing a letter I received today from the Chairman of the Personnel and Finance Committee of Winnebago County, concerning the rate hike. If you have any questions after reading the enclosed memo and letter, please contact Finance Director Steeno. Weekly Newsletter May 11, 2012 Page 2 REVIEW PROCESS FOR DOWNTOWN HOTEL TIF 3.: As the Council is aware, the management agreement approved by Council at Tuesday night’s meeting means that the Oshkosh Investors Group will assume management responsibility of the Convention Center on Monday, th May 14. Staff will be conducting a walk-though of the site with the CVB and the Supple Group prior to the changeover, as well as a walk-through with the Oshkosh Investors Group upon their assumption of management. We are working through the final title work that is required to transfer riverfront land from the hotel to the city in order to construct the River Walk. The hotel group is cooperating very well in this regard, and we expect to begin preliminary site work immediately near the hotel next week as the first phase of this River Walk project takes place. Staff and the Oshkosh Investors’ representatives met yesterday to discuss some final details of the development agreement. We believe we have worked through all of the issues, including the financial guarantees, and should be ready to finalize that agreement next week. This puts us on nd track to have the approval of the TIF and the development agreement on the May 22 Council Agenda. We will schedule the final Joint Review Board meeting immediately after that. Meanwhile, the Oshkosh Investors Group will be able to take the approvals from the Council and incorporate them into their financial figures so that they may assure future investors and lending institutions that they have all of the necessary approvals in place from the city in order to make this project succeed. If you have any questions regarding how the TIF review process is being conducted, please contact Community Development Director Davis. ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT SPECIALIST POSITION FILLED 4.: I am pleased to report that Kelly Nieforth has assumed the position of Economic Development Specialist, effective th Monday, April 30. Ms. Nieforth comes to us from Calumet County where she served as a Planner, with a focus on economic development. Ms. Nieforth is an Oshkosh native and a graduate of UW-Oshkosh, so she is familiar with many of the issues facing us, both from a planning and economic development standpoint. Ms. Nieforth will be filling the role of “Economic Development Expeditor” that we had envisioned with our reorganization. She will work closely with our Inspections Division, as well as other departments that are involved in the development review process. She will also serve as a go-between between the city and applicants to facilitate the processes that the applicants go through. We are happy to welcome Ms. Nieforth to our staff. I will be introducing her at an upcoming City Council Meeting so that you may become familiar with her. 2011 RECYCLING ANNUAL REPORT 5.: Per the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources requirements, the Department of Public Works is required to submit an annual report of our recycling program each year in April. I am enclosing a copy of an e-mail we received from Waste Management Specialist Jennifer Huffman with regard to our program. Our Single Stream Recycling Program saw a modest 1.6% increase in the tonnage of materials that were recycled (2011=4,435 tons/2010=4,364 tons). However, the Single Stream Recycling Program continues to show much higher collection rates and yearly increases in recycling tonnage in comparison to opposite results for the previous Blue Bag Program. If you have any questions concerning this program, please contact Public Works Director David Patek. Weekly Newsletter May 11, 2012 Page 3 DEPARTMENTAL REPORTS & UPDATES 6.: Other items I’m enclosing with today’s Newsletter include the Oshkosh Public Library Highlights for April, 2012. I am also enclosing the 2011-2012 Committee on Aging accomplishments at our Seniors Center. Insofar as minutes are st concerned, I’m enclosing the following: The minutes of the May 1 Plan Commission meeting; th th the minutes of the April 17 Downtown BID Board meeting; and the minutes of the May 8 Traffic Review Advisory Board meeting. th UPCOMING MEETINGS 7.: Meeting s I have scheduled for the week of May 14 include the following: On Monday, at 7:30 a.m., I will be attending a meeting of the Chamber of Commerce Governmental Affairs Committee. Finance Director Steeno, Public Works Director Patek and I will be making a presentation to the group regarding the proposed increase in the storm water rates, which is of great concern to the business community. Following that meeting, I will be meeting with Mayor Tower to discuss issues related to the following week’s City Council th Meeting. At 6:45 a.m. on Tuesday, May 15, I will be attending the employee recognition breakfast at the Street Division. I will be hosting a simi lar one for the Sanitation Division on Wednesday at the same time. On Tuesday, at 3:30 p.m., I will be attending a meeting of the Fox Valley Technical College Board, which is meeting in Oshkosh that day. On Wednesday, at 2:30 p.m., I will be attending the Police Memorial Ceremony that will be held in front of City Hall. I encourage all Council Members to attend. On Thursday, at 7:30 a.m., I will be attending the annual United Way breakfast. Following that, I will be attending the employee recognition program at the Water Distribution Plant. At 10:30 a.m. on Thursday, I am meeting with Melissa Hunt, the new Regional Account Manager with the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC). Finally, at 7:45 p.m. on Thursday evening, Public Works Director Patek rd and I will be appearing on “Eye on Oshkosh” to discuss the city’s response to the May 3 storm and the city’s storm water management efforts. If you have any questions regarding my attendance at any of these meetings, please do not hesitate to contact me. MAR/jdc Enclosures