Oshkosh Herald January 16, 2019
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*****************ECRWSS**** PRST STD U.S. POSTAGE POSTAL CUSTOMER PAID SHAWANO, WI PERMIT NO. 135 JANUARY 16, 2019 x OSHKOSHHERALD.COM VOLUME 2, ISSUE 2 INSIDE Road work fee method promoted City moves from vehicle fee to finance street projects Hot hand By Tom Ekvall Herald contributor West guard Thomas The city’s Long Range Finance Com- lighting up court mittee is recommending a transportation Page 12 utility fee for property owners instead of a vehicle registration fee to finance street and sidewalk improvements. The committee voted 6-0 at its Jan. 9 Guest rules meeting to recommend the fee to the Room tax requirements Common Council. Members concluded this approach, which was implemented in get council hearing Neenah this year, would be a more equi- Page 2 table means to replace special assessments for road reconstruction. The new fee would be based along the lines of the city’s stormwater utility fee us- ing the impervious surface standard, with Child safety a residential rate of less than $4 per month added to the monthly bill, according to City Manager Mark Rohloff. The billing cases bound unit would be called a development area unit (DAU), similar to the Equivalent Runoff Unit (ERU) used for stormwater by state rules fees, with a maximum of 100 DAUs. The committee and council had pre- By Miles Maguire Photo by Michael Cooney Special to the Herald viously been exploring whether the city should charge a “wheel tax” that would Reports are mandated by law in cases of Winter farming pay for street improvements, eliminating “child death, serious injury or egregious Olden Organics co-owner Dick Vinz works in one of his four passively solar heated the economic impact to owners of sin- incident” that may be tied to maltreat- greenhouses that produce a continuous crop of arugula, spinach, and Asian and gle-family and two-family dwellings for ment. But a review of these records for mixed greens for farmers markets in Oshkosh and Milwaukee. One greenhouse the special assessment. That plan would Winnebago County shows just how tricky is above a buried 2,500-gallon insulated water tank. Vinz said cold weather can still require owners of multiple family it can be to evaluate instances of suspected add to the quality and flavor of the greens. “So long as the soil is above freezing the dwellings, businesses and industries to child abuse. plants are productive and send extra sugars to the leaves during the day,” he said. pay the street improvement special assess- Sometimes the appearance of child Olden Organics is east of Ripon and grows and sells a variety of other produce. SEE ON PAGE 16 abuse can be deceiving, the reports show, Road work while in other cases a fatal tragedy has oc- curred after repeated warnings and assess- ments. Last April an 8-month-old Hispanic Shutdown impact makes steady crawl male was found dead at his home, which programs, namely Medicare, would be the he shared with his mother, father and Local hardships not apparent Online help next direct financial burden for residents 2-year-old brother. A criminal investi- but will add up over time that kick in when costs exceed total reve- gation was opened and the Winnebago Federal Funds Information for States provides details on specific programs nue raised during the period of legislation County Department of Human Services By Dan Roherty at www.ffis.org/shutdown_guidance. approved by Congress. White House of- determined initially that the 2-year-old Oshkosh Herald ficials have said they won’t order up that was at risk and needed to be placed under first scheduled round of cuts in some ben- The ongoing partial shutdown of the impasse continues. a “protective plan,” according to state re- efit programs later this month if the shut- federal government continues to place the The state’s flow of federal funds during a cords. down lingers. most visible hardship on federal workers shutdown varies by agency and program. But the medical examiner found “no Many programs are exempt from fund- who are no longer getting their paychecks. Automated payment systems stay opera- signs of maltreatment or trauma to the in- ing freezes, including Medicaid, Social Se- Local businesses and individuals are less tional to ensure grant payments and fund- directly affected but inevitably will feel SEE Child protection ON PAGE 6 ing are not interrupted. SEE Shutdown ON PAGE 11 the financial heat in different ways if the Across-the-board cuts to health care JANUARY $11 $13 $26 GetGet youryour BREAKFAST THREE-COURSE THREE-COURSE bibsbibs ready!ready! 24-30 OPTIONS LUNCH SPECIALS DINNER SPECIALS Celebrate food as dozens of local restaurants offer excellent food at OshkoshEatWeek.com The most delicious week of the year! special rates for one week only. #OshkoshEatWeek PAGE 2 x OSHKOSHHERALD.COM JANUARY 16, 2019 City airs new guidelines for room tax fees By Tom Ekvall bring financial penalties. the city pledge up to $12,500 in matching Herald contributor The Short-Term Rental Ordinance will support toward making public transpor- require those renting rooms or homes tation available, based on $1 contributed Property owners looking to offer their 923 S. Main St. Suite C for more than 10 days annually to obtain for every $2 raised from private funds, not homes as a vacation rental will need to Oshkosh, WI 54902 a permit from the city’s Community De- including any government grant supports. obtain a permit from the city and collect velopment Department. They will need a 10 percent room tax fee under proposed He was absent when the measure was General information/customer a Winnebago County Tourist Rooming first considered due to a conflict and took service: Julie Vandenberg ordinances guided by state statutory re- House License or a Winnebago Coun- quirements. issue upon arriving when the council [email protected] ty Bed and Breakfast License through its failed to reconsider its action to hold off Phone: 920-508-9000 The Common Council held a public Health Department, a seller’s permit from on the resolution. The council plans to Website: www.oshkoshherald.com hearing Jan. 8 on the proposals that in- the state Department of Revenue, a room clude a state sales tax for each day a person meet with members of the Board of Ed- tax permit and an inspection compliance ucation in the near future to discuss the News tips and story ideas stays at a home on a rental basis regardless for public health and safety by the coun- [email protected] of the duration. Previously only hotels and issue, with members stating they wanted ty’s Health Department. to wait until after that meeting. motels collected room and sales tax fees. One public speaker asked whether the Advertising Pech said that he was attempting to get Planning Services officials said the time period could be extended on the [email protected] the city on board with supporting the free changes redefine a vacation rental as a minimum number of days, noting that Andrea Toms: 920-508-0030 transportation concept. short-term rental if made available for a some vendors at EAA’s AirVenture reside Samuel Kieckhafer: 920-508-0084 “Someone has to take a leadership role,” period of 11 to 28 consecutive days. longer than 10 days. For room taxes, every property own- he said, adding that nothing has come out Classified Advertising The city is attempting to work with er renting out a home will be required to home rental service Airbnb to consolidate of joint meetings so far with the school [email protected] board. 920-508-9000 obtain a room tax permit at no cost from reporting and remittance of room taxes the city to remit room tax revenues on a using that application. The motion to bring back the item failed with Pech, Mayor Steve Cummings and All advertisements are subject to monthly basis. The room tax proceeds are Airbnb paid more than $2.5 million in the applicable rate card, copies of used to support tourism in the city. occupancy tax revenue in the first year of Debra Allison-Aasby voting to reconsider which are available from our Ad- The 10 percent tax would include 2 its tax agreement with the state that ended and council members Matt Mugerauer, vertising department. All ads are percent for long-term debt obligations July 1. Lori Palmeri, Jake Krause and Steve Her- subject to approval before publica- associated with the Oshkosh Convention In other action, the council delayed dis- man voting against the motion. tion. Oshkosh Herald reserves the Center, 2 percent toward operations and cussion of a proposal by council member The council approved a 3.63 percent right to edit, refuse, reject, classify maintenance of the Convention Center Tom Pech Jr. that the city participate in pay increase to City Manager Mark or cancel any ad at any time. Errors and other costs to support city tourism, a public/private partnership to help pro- Rohloff that would raise his 2019 salary must be reported in the first day and 6 percent paid to the Oshkosh Con- vide free bus fares for students in the Osh- to $154,000, based on his yearly perfor- of publication. Oshkosh Herald vention and Visitors Bureau. Failure to ob- kosh Area School District. mance evaluation. Rohloff’s current salary shall not be liable for any loss or tain a room tax permit or remit fees would Pech had proposed a resolution that is $148,600. expense that results from an error in or omission of an advertisement. No refunds will be given for early Community news briefs cancellation of an order.