HomeMy WebLinkAboutWeekly Newsletter
Date: June 14, 2013
To: Mayor & City Council
From: Mark A. Rohloff, City Manager
WEEKLY NEWSLETTER
Subject:
SHORELINE BUFFER PLANTINGS
1.: I have been made aware that there have been
some recent questions with regard to the shoreline buffer plantings that are ongoing at the
north end of Menominee Park. The approved restoration plan initiated in 2010 by the
Sustainability Advisory Board has been underway in several phases. The project area, as
approved, encompasses 0.35 acres, and 0.17 acres of this area was initially planted with
prairie seed, cover crop and live plant plugs. Volunteers conducted these plantings under
the supervision of City Forester Bill Sturm and Marshland Aquatic Nursery, who has
offered consulting services at no cost. The cost of the plant materials has been funded
through various private donors and the Winnebago County Land and Water Conservation
Department. On June 8, 2013, we continued the work to place the mesic prairie and
aquatic plants in the riparian zone of this initial area as these plants are best installed in
the spring. Currently, other funding is being sought through grants to install plant
material through the 0.18 acres remaining un-planted during the earlier phases. During
discussion of the Menominee Park Master Plan at the Park Advisory Board level, a
decision was made to assess the current project area after a three-year trial period prior to
implementing any further plantings of this type in other areas of the park. The volunteers
that have been involved in the project thus far have been performing maintenance
weeding and care, and have maintained communication with the Parks Department
regarding these efforts. If you have any further questions regarding this project, please
contact Parks Director Ray Maurer.
WEDC APPROVES SITE ASSESSMENT GRANT FOR MORGAN DOOR/JELD-
2.
WEN SITE
: The city submitted a Site Assessment Grant (SAG) on behalf of the new
owners of the Morgan Door/Jeld-Wen property, Six Rivers Investments, LLC, to the
Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) last month. We have learned
this week that WEDC has approved the grant. The WEDC grant of $149,840 will be
matched by $643,160 in private funds from the Six Rivers Investments LLC. The city
will administer the grant funds. The new owners of the Morgan Door/Jeld-Wen property
will use the grant funds and private funds to investigate environmental conditions,
demolish buildings, and remediate the site as soon as possible. The general schedule for
the site is:
Demolish existing buildings by the end of 2013
Complete investigation activities by the end of 2013
Project planning and design – 2013 and early 2014
Begin building construction in late 2014 or early 2015
The SAG funds and private investor funds will be used largely in 2013 for:
Environmental assessments – asbestos and other hazardous materials
Site investigation
Asbestos removal/abatement
Demolition of buildings, footings and foundations
There are no city funds included in the SAG grant application or the implementation. Six Rivers
Investments, LLC will be paying for the city’s staff time for grant administration, namely the
grant draws. If you have any questions regarding the grant, please contact Community
Development Director Allen Davis.
3.USH 41 DESIGNATION AS AN INTERSTATE HIGHWAY:
For those of you who
attended Tuesday’s dedication of the USH 41 Causeway, you may have heard comments
from Transportation Secretary Mark Gottleib regarding the hopeful conversion of the
highway to interstate status within the next couple of years. One of the issues holding up
the possible designation is the weight restrictions that would be in place as an interstate
highway. As the Council is aware, USH 41 has weight restrictions placed on it by the
State of Wisconsin, which are not as stringent as federal interstate standards. Similar to
what was done with the redesignation of USH 51 to Interstate 39 in the Wausau area, The
State of Wisconsin successfully lobbied the US Department of Transportation to continue
using Wisconsin weight limits on Interstate 39. Recently, the Council passed the
resolution of support for maintaining the same weight limits. As a result of efforts
throughout the State, please find attached a letter from Governor Walker to the ranking
members of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. It is our hope that
this coordinated effort amongst all Federal, State and Local officials in Wisconsin will
enable us to convince the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee of the need
to maintain these limits. If you have any questions regarding this matter please do not
hesitate to contact me.
MENOMINEE PARK BOAT LAUNCH AND REETZ BALL FIELDS:
4. As the
Council is aware, the parking lot at Menominee Park boat launch and Reetz Ball Fields is
heavily used by the various park user groups (adult softball, youth softball, pleasure
boaters, fisherman, etc.). Similar to other parking lots at boat launches throughout the
city, there are “single stalls” to accommodate vehicles that are not towing a boat trailer
and there are “double stalls” to accommodate vehicles that are towing a boat trailer.
There are signs posted at the launches stating that vehicles with trailers must use the
double stalls and vehicles without trailers must use the single stalls. With this being
some of the best fishing opportunity of the year at the same time that softball leagues and
tournaments take place, it is also the time of the year when we notice the most violations
of the parking rules which leads to increased contacts from park users who receive
parking tickets. Through the Special Events Permit process and review meetings, we
communicate to event organizers the need for them to be sure and communicate to their
participants and spectators the specific parking rules and regulations. For those groups
that effectively communicate parking rules, we see fewer problems. However, others get
tickets because they do not heed warnings. This is especially true for people who have
not seen enforcement take place at other times and expect lax enforcement during busy
times. The recently approved Menominee Park Master Plan includes recommended
improvements to the parking lot to provide additional parking opportunities for all park
users. We have included these improvements in our 2014 – 2018 CIP Program and the
projects will need to be considered and prioritized by the Common Council as the
CIP is considered. Parks Director Maurer has also asked Jenny McCollian, Revenue Facilities
Manager, to meet with police department staff to see if there are options we can consider to
improve the existing parking conditions/concerns. We will also be installing additional signage
at the parking lot with the current rules and regulations. If you have any questions, feel free to
contact Director Maurer at 236-5080.
DEPARTMENTAL REPORTS & UPDATES
5.: Other items I’m enclosing with today’s
Newsletter include an invitation to the Grand Re-Opening of The Outlet Shoppes at
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Oshkosh on Thursday, June 20, at 10:00 a.m. I will have City Clerk Pam Ubrig notice
this meeting in the event that a quorum of Council Members is present. I am also
enclosing the Annual Assessor Report. Insofar as minutes are concerned, I’m enclosing
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the following: The minutes of the June 4 Plan Commission meeting; the minutes of the
ndst
May 2 Museum Board meeting; the minutes of the May 21 Downtown BID Board
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meeting; and the meeting notice, agenda and background material for the June 20
Bicycle & Pedestrian Advisory Committee meeting.
6.UPCOMING MEETINGS:
Amongst the meetings I have scheduled for the week of
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June 17 include the following: at 8:15 a.m. on Monday, June 17 I will be on the
WOSH radio to have my monthly conversation with Bob Burnell about city issues. At
2:15 p.m. on Monday, I will be at UW Oshkosh making a presentation to the Badger
Girls State contingent. On Tuesday at 7:30 a.m., I will be meeting with Deputy Mayor
Herman to discuss issues related to the format of my upcoming review. On Wednesday at
7:30 a.m., I will be attending the Chamco Executive Committee Meeting. On Thursday at
10:00 a.m., I will be attending the Grand Reopening Celebration at the Outlet Shoppes.
On Friday, June 21 at 9:00 a.m., I am meeting with Chancellor Wells to discuss various
city/university issues. At 2:30 p.m. on Friday, I will be meeting with representatives of
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Alro Steel to discuss issues in and around their immediate area on 10 and Main.
Following the work on Friday, many of us will be going to Oblio’s Lounge to celebrate
Jackie Challis’ retirement after 35 years of service to the City. Finally on Saturday, June
22, I will be a participant as a celebrity chef for the “Men Who Cook” event sponsored by
the Christine Ann Center. This event will be taking place at Reeve Union on the UW-O
Campus.
(Side Note: If anybody is interested in buying tickets to the event, please consider purchasing
them from me!). If you have any questions regarding my attendance at any of these meetings,
please do not hesitate to contact me.
MAR/jab
Enclosures