HomeMy WebLinkAbout04.29.16 Newsletter
Date: April 29, 2016
TO: Honorable Mayor & Common Council
FROM: Mark Rohloff, City Manager
SUBJECT: WEEKLY NEWSLETTER
1.DEVELOPERS PROPOSE TIF FOR BEACH BUILDING: Staff in Community Development has received an
application for a Tax Increment Financing District (TID) from the new owners of the Beach building.
The Beach building is the vacant building immediately next door to City Hall at 240 Algoma Boulevard that
was formerly used an office building. The applicants, a local development group including Eric Hoopman and
Chet Wesenberg, are proposing to convert the former office space into a variety of retail and commercial uses
on the ground floor, and 22 residential units on the upper floors. The analysis by staff indicates that in today’s
market, the project would not be financially viable without TIF support based on an initial low rate of return
for the project of less than 1%.
The support for this project is proposed to be in the form of a developers agreement, in which a “Pay as you
go” (“PAYGO”) TIF agreement would provide a development incentive in an amount not to exceed 75% of the
new tax increment generated over the life of the TIF, which is estimated to be $292,831. No other support is
proposed, and no upfront financing is proposed or planned.
In accordance with state law, this matter must go to the Plan Commission for review, followed by a waiting
period before it is to be considered by the Common Council, and finally by a Joint Review Board (JRB)
consisting of representatives from the taxing entities. (City of Oshkosh, Winnebago County, OASD, FVTC and
one citizen member selected by the JRB). At its May 3, meeting the Plan Commission will consider the TIF
district plan.
I encourage Council to read the enclosed copy of staff’s analysis and report on this request. In the meantime,
if you have any questions regarding the proposed redevelopment project, or the proposed TIF district plan,
please contact Community Development Director Allen Davis or Planning Services Manager Darryn Burich.
2.DOR TO MAKE GOOD ON WALGREENS CHARGEBACK: Please find attached a copy of a letter from the
Wisconsin Department of Revenue notifying us that the chargeback claim we had made regarding the
Walgreens assessment case will now be processed. You may recall that the city had initiated a court action
against the Department of Revenue to process our chargeback request. At the same time, League of
Wisconsin Municipalities Executive Director, Jerry Deschane, and I met with Revenue Secretary Chandler to
explain our situation and requested DOR’s cooperation if they could not administratively approve our
chargeback request. Thanks to the efforts of the League and our local legislators, new legislation now clarifies
that chargeback requests similar to ours were valid and must be processed by the Department of Revenue. I
certainly appreciate the efforts of our legal team, including City Attorney Lynn Lorenson and attorney Stan
Riffle, in getting the information together that helped get this legislation passed. In addition, the efforts of the
League should not be understated. Our investment in the League is approximately $10,000 annually, and with
this chargeback of $200,000, we have a return on our League dues for the next 20 years. I believe this
demonstrates that our active participation with the League will continue to achieve positive results. Thanks to
all of the staff, legislators, and state officials for making this outcome as positive as it was.
Mark A. Rohloff
City Manager •
City Hall, 215 Church Avenue P.O. Box 1130 Oshkosh, WI 54903-1130 920.236.5002 http://www.ci.oshkosh.wi.us
3.UWO STUDENT SENATE INDICATES SUPPORT FOR RENTAL REGISTRY: Last week, I had the opportunity to
address the UW Oshkosh Student Senate. I had been invited to talk with the group about current issues in the
City, particularly those that relate to the University and the student population. During our conversation, we
discussed the Rental Registry Program, its need to provide safe and healthy housing for students, and to
provide information to enable students to be better consumers of rental housing. I advised the Senate that
because of a student’s short stay at the University, it is important to have good information that can be
collected by current students and passed on to future students. The rental registry program will be the vehicle
by which students can forward their knowledge. I believe that the Student Senate recognized this
responsibility, as they indicated their willingness to work with us to review the draft ordinance and provide
comments to improve the document. As I stated at Tuesday’s Council meeting, Council will be receiving this
draft ordinance by the May 10 Council meeting, followed by a workshop at the May 24 Council meeting. At
that point, it would be appropriate to distribute the draft to a wider group of stakeholders to gather more
input. I view the UW Oshkosh Student Senate as one of those key stakeholder groups. Meanwhile, if you have
any questions regarding the rental registry ordinance, please contact Community Development Director Allen
Davis.
4.NORTH MAIN STREET UPDATE: The Wisconsin Department of Transportation has notified the City of
Oshkosh that all paperwork has been approved for the North Main Street reconstruction project. The contract
was executed Wednesday, and the Notice to Proceed was issued on Thursday. The contractor, PTS
Contractors, Inc., will start construction on Monday, May 2, 2016. Residents are reminded if they wish to
receive regular updates on this project, that they may subscribe to the contract update mailing list by sending
a blank email to: contract1602-subscribe@lists.ci.oshkosh.wi.us, a link to sign up for this service is also
available on the Public Works section of our website. They will receive a return email with further instructions
on how to complete the subscription process.
5.WORLD RELIEF REACHES OUT AS IT PREPARES FOR MORE REFUGEES: World Relief Fox Valley, (WRFV) with
its primary office in Oshkosh, is the coordinating agency for refugee relocation services in the Fox Valley. Ms.
Tami McLaughlin gave Mayor Cummings and I a tour of their facility and an overview of the services that they
provide. One of the services that WRFV values most from the City of Oshkosh is our transit system, as new
arrivals typically do not have transportation available to them, and they use our transit system for education
and work-related purposes. Ms. McLaughlin shared with us a chart identifying the number of refugees that
have relocated to this area since 2012, along with a distribution of the refugees between the Oshkosh and
Appleton areas. In recent years, Oshkosh has taken the bulk of the refugees assigned to this area. Our broad
social service and transportation network have been cited as reasons for that distribution. What is most
important to note is the increased number of refugees assigned to this area, and the likely growth over the
next few years. For example, there were 135 refugees relocated in 2015. This number is expected to grow to
190 in 2016 and 230 in 2017, with final numbers determined by the US Department of State. Many refugees
have been forced to leave their home country, and while they would have preferred to return home, their
status is such that their lives will be threatened if they do so. Meanwhile, Ms. McLaughlin inquired about the
impact that we have noticed due to the influx of refugees. From my observations, the impact on city services
has been minimal, as the refugees have used the transit system, but typically shy away from other
government services. If there are any government services being utilized, they are likely coming from
Winnebago County or Public Safety. Of course, the impact on the social service agencies is probably greater
on the city. Ms. McLaughlin asked that I share this information with you so that you are aware of the refugees
that will be relocating to the Fox Valley area in the coming years. WRFV will be planning to distribute these
refugees equally between the Oshkosh and Appleton areas. If you have any more questions, please contact
me, and I will relate your questions to Ms. McLaughlin.
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6.FIRE DEPARTMENT SUMMER SAFETY: Starting next week the Oshkosh Fire Department, working in
partnership with Oshkosh area elementary schools, will begin presenting Summer Safety programs to
students throughout the city. This program focuses on bike, pedestrian, and passenger safety along with fire
and firework safety and water safety. These presentations will continue through the remainder of the school
year as we work to help keep our children safe during their summer vacation. We would like to offer a special
thank you to all of the schools that participate giving us the time to present this possibly lifesaving
information to their students.
7.BICYCLE RODEO & FAMILY BIKE RIDE: The Oshkosh Fire and Police Departments will be hosting a Bicycle
Rodeo & Family Ride on Saturday, May 7, 7:30 AM – 12:00 PM at the Sunnyview Expo Center. This event is for
both adults and children. There will be bike and helmet fittings (not giveaways), safety presentations by
Firefighter John, and a bike rodeo. Activities will conclude with a family bike ride through Winnebago County
Park.
8.PEDESTRIAN CROSSING GETS FLASHY: The transportation electrical department has begun the installation of
rectangular rapidly flashing beacons (RRFB’s) at the pedestrian crossing of Algoma Boulevard at the
intersection of West Bent Avenue and Arboretum Drive. RRFBs increase driver awareness of pedestrian
crossings. Currently, there are flags on both sides of the crossing that pedestrians and bicyclists can use to
make themselves more visible when crossing. This crossing links the neighborhoods to the east of Algoma
Boulevard to the WIOUWASH Trail. Improving the safety of this intersection has been a priority of the
neighborhoods in this area. The electricians working on the project have received positive feedback from the
neighbors as they worked on the initial installation. The final installation of the poles with the LED lights will
be done after the Paine completes the planned move of a house from near their property to the corner of
Arboretum Drive and Algoma Boulevard next month. This project was funded by the traffic signal CIP budget.
If you have any questions about this, please contact Electric Traffic Division Manager, Dan Kussman or
Transportation Director, Jim Collins.
9.TEEN SAFE DRIVING: School Resource Officers Ian Seaholm and Dave Maas in conjunction with the
Winnebago County Sheriff's Office and the Wisconsin State Patrol brought attention to the topic of teen safe
driving in the week leading up to prom at Oshkosh North and Oshkosh West High Schools. The campaign
included posters in the hallways, a distracted driving display, and a distracted driving simulator for students to
use. In addition, the Wisconsin State Patrol displayed the "choose your ride" vehicle at each school along with
the wreckage from a previous accident scene. Targeted police enforcement was conducted after school at
North and during the lunch hour at West. Students were rewarded for positive driving behaviors with prizes
while those who committed law violations were stopped and counseled about the dangers of unsafe
driving. School Resource Officers Seaholm and Maas will be continuing to spread this important message by
delivering the Impact Teen Drivers curriculum in the Driver’s Education classes on a quarterly basis. Please
take a moment to educate your children about being a safe driver AND a safe passenger.
10.CONGRATULATIONS!
On Thursday, April 28, OPD celebrated the retirement of Office Manager Jim Burrows after 18 years of
dedicated service. Jim’s wealth of knowledge and expertise made him an invaluable asset to the
Oshkosh Police Department. OPD thanks Jim for his years of service and commitment – we wish him a
long, healthy, and happy retirement!
With the retirement of Office Manager Jim Burrows, Mai Nue Khang was hired as his replacement.
Mai Nue is originally from Wisconsin Rapids, graduated from UW-Oshkosh, and has been working the
past 8 years in the banking industry – most recently as a Workflow Coordinator and Business Analyst
for US Bank. Mai Nue enjoys cooking and playing soccer with her three children.
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OPD also welcomed its newest Community Service Officer, Danielle Jo Burns, on Wednesday, April 20.
Dani Jo grew up in the Oshkosh area, graduating from Oshkosh West in 2013. Currently, Dani Jo is
enrolled in the Criminal Justice program at FVTC where she also works as a Security Officer.
Congratulations and welcome to the OPD Team!
11.DEPARTMENT REPORTS & UPDATES: Please find enclosed the following: Meeting minutes from the Plan
Commission, Sustainability Advisory Board, and Traffic Review Advisory Board information.
12.UPCOMING MEETINGS: I will be taking a few days of vacation on May 2-4; therefore, I have no meetings
scheduled for that time. Prior to my departure on Saturday April 30, I will be at Professors Karl Nollenberger’s
Policy Analysis Class to see the results of the 2016 Oshkosh Citizen Survey. I will provide Council the survey
results next week. Upon my return, I will be meeting with staff at 11:00 AM on Thursday to discuss the
YMCA’s downtown expansion plans and their impact on Roe Park. On Friday, May 6, I will be attending a
meeting at the East Central Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission to discuss the progress on the
Department of Defense Grant. On Saturday, May 7 at 8:45 AM, I will be giving the welcoming address to the
Toastmasters International/Wisconsin Chapter Conference at the Best Western Hotel. If you have any
questions regarding my attendance at any of these meetings, please contact me.
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