By Miles Maguire
The Common Council on Tuesday discussed the construction of some expensive eyesores on the shore of Lake Winnebago, debated whether to change the wording of an anti-bias resolution and got an update on plans to correct the historical record at the Chief Oshkosh monument at Menominee Park.
After years of delay, a project to replace underground storage tanks at the city’s Water Filtration Plant has been restarted, which is why the city’s Department of Public Works wanted to tell the council what to expect.
Construction, scheduled to begin in a year, is going to send water bills sharply higher while also reshaping the appearance of the neighborhood. The new storage tanks will be installed along Lakeshore Drive north of Washington Avenue.
“It does have a big visual impact, and it’s a big investment,” said Linda Mohr, the engineer hired by the city as project manager.
“Based on the information from our design consultant, the top of the storage tanks would be approximately 30 feet above the earthen mound that currently has the clearwell storage tanks underneath,” said Director of Public Works James Rabe. “The top of the storage tanks would be approximately 10 feet below the top of the [existing] plant building.”
Mohr explained that the project has been delayed because the Public Service Commission thought a 2017 plan was bigger than what the city needed. The commission noted that water usage has been declining as more efficient fixtures are installed in homes and businesses.
Although storage and pumping capacity is reduced in the new design, project costs have risen to $26.6 million from $17 million. But the new project includes the replacement of purification equipment that is coming to the end of its useful life, which is raising the price by several million dollars, Mohr said.
The final impact on water rates is yet to be determined, Rabe said. But the council was warned last year to expect higher rates in 2023 and 2025.
Residents will also see reduced access to Lake Winnebago during the construction phase.
Anti-Asian bias resolution
The council also voted to condemn bias against Asians but not before debating a proposal by Deputy Mayor Matt Mugeraurer to amend the language of the proposed resolution.
The Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee passed the resolution with a reference to Mayor Lori Palmeri and a quotation from her that “hate has no home” in Oshkosh.
Mugeraurer said he agreed with the sentiment but felt that the resolution should not include a personal reference. A resolution should be “about the cause, not about a specific individual or anything they have said or done.”
Palmeri said she had initially been prepared to go along with the new wording but later discussed the possible change with the DEI Committee. “It was brought to my attention that the voices that are being shared here are very concerned about the identity erasure and the voices being changed,” she said.
“It was expressed after we had that contact that they would like to maintain the language as is,” Palmeri said.
Palmeri said the committee members were aware of “what had occurred with a similar type resolution” in another community.
This was an apparent reference to a recent New York Times article out of Wausau. That story described how board members debated for a year over whether to adopt a statement describing Marathon County as “a community for all.”
Some residents argued that such a statement was racist in itself and would lead to economic benefits for minorities at the expense of white residents, the newspaper reported. In the end the “community for all” description was not adopted.
Palmeri said the DEI members wanted to avoid a situation in which the language of their proposed resolution was edited, possibly leading to a back-and-forth situation with the council.
Several council members said they had been prepared to back Mugerauer’s proposal but agreed to defer to the DEI Committee. His amendment was defeated 6-1, and then the council adopted the resolution as proposed condemning anti-Asian bias.
Chief Oshkosh monument
The DEI Committee has also been working on updating the signage at the Chief Oshkosh statue in Menominee Park. The city has already upgraded the site, which includes a grave that may contain the remains of the Indigenous leader.
A UW Oshkosh English professor, Pascale Manning, has been working with leaders of the Menominee Tribe to develop language that provides a fuller picture than the current inscription. This wording states the chief’s greatest accomplishment was to leave his name to the city and ignores his contributions as an environmentalist, warrior, diplomat and protector of his people.
“Getting this project moving forward makes a lot of sense,” City Manager Mark Rohloff told the council.
As a next step he wants to give other stakeholder groups a chance to review the proposal for expanded signage. These include the Advisory Park Board, the Landmarks Commission, the Oshkosh Public Library and the Oshkosh Public Museum.
At the same time, the city will get cost estimates for the signs, he said. “That’s really what has held it up.”
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