OSHKOSH (NBC 26) — Oshkosh residents gathered at the Oshkosh Convention Center Monday night, to meet with officials from roughly two dozen city departments to discuss projects in the community, and hear what's happening next.
Attendees had about half an hour to meet with officials and tour exhibits highlighting the work of City Departments before the program formally got underway. City Manager Mark Rohloff delivered his "State of the City" address in which he talked about upcoming and ongoing projects, and urged people to "reengage with our community."
In his speech Rohloff outlined four goals for the upcoming year:
- Addressing Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in city policies
- Special Improvements policies
- Addressing Homelessness
- Improving Fiscal Relationships within the state
He also acknowledged concerns about raising property taxes to pay for such improvements and argued that doing so is not the proper solution.
Rohloff also highlighted a wide variety of upcoming infrastructure projects such as improvements to roads and storm sewers but emphasized that projects like these are not what makes Oshkosh special.
"While I'm certainly proud of storm sewer and water, we become a community of choice for all the other stuff; good parks, great libraries, great public museums, great school system...all of these things are what make Oshkosh a community of choice," said Rohloff.
Paulette Feld is part of the neighborhood association for Oshkosh's Historic Sixth Ward and said she's excited to see a significant number of new projects springing to life in her neighborhood.
“We’re looking at the early plans for some apartment buildings in our neighborhood and also the hospital that’s proposed in our neighborhood," said Feld. "It’s kind of exciting to see things happening in our part of the city.”
As he ended his address, Rohloff said that when city council, staff and the community at large work together, the sky's the limit for Oshkosh.
“[With] those three together we can do anything when we work together toward common goals," Rohloff said.
