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HomeMy WebLinkAboutweekly newsletter Date: September 14, 2012 To: Mayor & City Council From: Mark A. Rohloff, City Manager WEEKLY NEWSLETTER Subject: SLOW NO WAKE ZONE PETITION WITHDRAWN 1.: The petitioner for the Slow No Wake Zone, from the Butte des Morts Bridge to the mouth of Lake Winnebago, has withdrawn his petition. The Advisory Parks Board had unanimously recommended against the petition at their th meeting on Monday, September 10. With the withdrawal of the petition, this item will no longer be forwarded to Council for consideration at this time. The petitioner did advise that he may submit a request in the future to consider a Slow No Wake Zone from the Wisconsin Street Bridge to the Oregon/Jackson Street Bridge. He intends to meet with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources to get further input from them. If you have any questions with regard to this matter, please contact Parks Director Ray Maurer. AMBULANCE RATES SURVEY 2.: Please find enclosed a memo and report from Fire Chief Tim Franz regarding a survey of ambulance rates. The survey indicates that the Oshkosh Fire Department’s ambulance rates are near or at the lowest in most categories throughout the survey area. As we have not updated the rates since 2009, Chief Franz is recommending that we raise our rates by November, 2012, so that we may begin realizing the full impact of an updated rate structure in 2013. It should also be noted that reimbursement rates for Medicare patients are based upon an area average. As a result, all ambulance services in this area receive a lower reimbursement from Medicare because of our low rates. An increase in rates is also warranted because the cost of providing this service continues to rise. Staff felt that this policy should be discussed with the Council separate from the budget discussions so that the Fire Department can explain some of the other reasons behind the proposed rate increase, as well as to plan for the full benefit of the rate increase in the 2013 budget. If you have any questions after reviewing this information, please contact Fire Chief Tim Franz in advance of placing this item on an upcoming Council Agenda. PROPERTY OWNERS SEEK SOLUTIONS TO LOCALIZED STORM WATER 3. PROBLEMS : This week, I had the opportunity to accompany Storm Water Engineer James Rabe on two separate visits to property owners who have been negatively impacted by localized storm water problems in recent years. Despite the relatively dry summer, these property owners pointed out that during large storm events, such as we experienced on May 3, 2012, there remains localized flooding that not even storm water detention ponds will resolve. While a lot of attention is paid to our larger projects and planning for watershed improvements, engineering and street crews remain vigilant in addressing these problems as they are brought to our attention. Of course, these localized issues need to be prioritized and scheduled just like any work. Weekly Newsletter September 14, 2012 Page 2 Some of these problems can be immediately addressed through maintenance, such as clearing our culverts. In those cases, we rely on property owners to notify us of these localized flooding problems as they typically go away within hours of a storm event, and may be undetected to us. At the same time, some of the problems have taken place because inadequate protections were put in place to insure that developers installed drainage improvements as shown on drainage plans. In recent years, Council has approved changes to our code that allow us to exercise greater control over these potentially problematic drainage issues. Specifically, we are now requiring drainage easements through properties so that we have the right to enter and correct storm water problems as they are identified. Furthermore, we also are requiring that most, if not all, drainage improvements be made prior to individual lots being sold in subdivisions. Our experience has been that property owners are largely unaware of the need and value of grading plans, and often do not consider grading plans in the context of overall storm water drainage once their home has been constructed. The property owners expressed a great deal of frustration and sought the city’s intervention on some of these issues. However, the reality is that many of these problems have been self-imposed, and while we want to address them, we have to correct them within our authority and within the context of our other storm water management priorities. You may hear complaints from time to time that we are not adequately addressing these issues, and we certainly want to be responsive to these problems. I wanted to point out these situations and ensure the Council that storm water management staff will continue to work on localized flooding issues in the context of the larger storm water management program. If you have any questions regarding staff’s approach to these issues, please contact Public Works Director David Patek or me. NUTCRACKER DONATED TO CITY HALL 4.As you may know, the Oshkosh Area : Community Foundation, Paine Art Center, and Grand Opera House Foundation held a fundraiser last Saturday evening to auction off the nutcracker art pieces that had been designed by area artists and have been on display for the past year. I had the opportunity to attend the auction and spoke with RDA Member John Bermingham, whose law firm had sponsored a nutcracker with the “Oshkosh, Wisconsin’s Event City”, theme. Mr. Bermingham asked if the city would be willing to accept the nutcracker if he bid on it that evening. I indicated that we would certainly look for an appropriate place in City Hall, and he suggested that it be placed near the lion art piece that had been donated in recent years. As a result of our conversation, Mr. Bermingham was the successful bidder on the “Event City” themed nutcracker. The nutcracker is now proudly displayed in the City Hall lobby, opposite the elevator, just outside my office door. In case you were wondering where the nutcracker came from, please know that I accepted it on behalf of the city, and please thank Mr. Bermingham when you have an opportunity to do so. GROUP SEEKS GREATER SHARE OF GAS TAX DOLLARS FOR CITIES 5.: I was recently contact by Ed Huck, the former Executive Director of the Wisconsin Alliance of Cities, who is representing a group that is advocating for a greater share of gas tax dollars for local roads. Mr. Huck has been asked by the Fair Share Coalition to present to cities ideas to allocate one-half of gas tax dollars to local roads. The proposal from the Fair Share Coalition is that a constitutional amendment be adopted to specify that one-half of the transportation fund revenues be returned to local units of government. I am concerned whenever someone proposes a constitutional amendment to take care of issues that could normally be addressed through the legislative process. Mr. Huck acknowledged that concern, and suggested that perhaps the Council would be willing to consider supporting the effort to allocate one-half of the transportation fund revenues through legislation rather than a constitutional amendment. Weekly Newsletter September 14, 2012 Page 3 He felt that this is an appropriate discussion point for the Council. Mr. Huck has been asked by the Fair Share Coalition to address City Councils, and Mr. Huck asked if the City of Oshkosh would be willing to listen to his presentation within the next couple of months. I discussed this issue with Mayor Tower, and Mayor Tower was interested in having Mr. Huck address the Council, and suggested that the best time for a presentation would be at the beginning of a Council Meeting where the Long Range Finance Committee members would also be invited to listen to the presentation and ask questions. I wanted Council to be aware of the issue and be prepared to th discuss formally inviting Mr. Huck to a meeting on October 24. We can discuss this at the th September 25 Council Meeting. If you have any questions regarding this proposal, please contact me. DEPARTMENTAL REPORTS & UPDATES 6.: Other items I’m enclosing with today’s Newsletter include an invitation to the Horizon Village dedication at the University of Wisconsin- st Oshkosh. It takes place next Friday, September 21, at 3:00 p.m., at 635 Elmwood Avenue. Please let Jackie know if you will be attending. Pam will notice this event in case there is a quorum of Council Members. Insofar as minutes are concerned, I’m enclosing the following: The thth minutes of the September 4 Plan Commission meeting; the minutes of the August 16 nd Downtown BID Board meeting; the minutes of the August 2 Museum Board meeting; the st minutes of the August 1 Long Range Finance Committee meeting; the minutes of the September th 11 Traffic Review Advisory Board meeting; and the meeting notice, agenda and background th material for the September 19 Transit Advisory Board meeting. I’m also enclosing is the latest issue of The Wisconsin Taxpayer, which provides a recap of 2011-2012 property taxes in the state. The last items I’m enclosing are the implementation timeline and automated garbage collection information sheet for our proposed automated garage collection beginning the week of October th 29. This information is also posted on our website. If you have any questions concerning our anticipated automated garbage collection, please contact Public Works Director David Patek. th UPCOMING MEETINGS 7.: Meetings I have scheduled for the week of September 17 include th the following: On Monday, September 17, at 7:30 a.m., I’ll be attending the Chamber of Commerce Governmental Affairs Committee meeting. At 10:00 a.m., I will be attending the new Transit brand unveiling at the Transit Center. This event has been noticed in case a quorum of Council Members is present. At 12:00 noon, I will be attending the Winnebago Conflict th Resolution Center Board meeting. On Tuesday, September 18, at 7:30 a.m., I will be attending the UW-Oshkosh Community Breakfast, at which time Mayor Tower and I will accept an award from the University regarding community collaboration will them. At 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday, I will be at the Osthoff Resort in Elkart Lake to address the incoming Leadership Oshkosh class. th On Wednesday, September 19, at 7:30 a.m., I will be attending the Economic Development th Marketing Committee meeting at the Oshkosh Chamber. On Thursday, September 20, at 4:00 p.m., I will be hosting a bus tour with the League of Women Voters, at which Council Members and Board and Commission Chairs have been invited to attend as well. In addition to the above meetings, I will be holding budget meetings throughout the balance of the week in preparation for the 2013 budget. If you have any questions regarding my schedule, please do not hesitate to contact me. MAR/jdc Enclosures