Council unanimously approves partnership with NeighborWorks

Recent News from the Oshkosh Northwestern

Council unanimously approves partnership with NeighborWorks
By Jeff Bollier • of the Northwestern • November 24, 2010

The Oshkosh Common Council unanimously approved an agreement to provide neighborhood revitalization programming in Oshkosh once remaining framework is laid.

Councilors approved, 7-0, the partnership with Neighborhood Housing Services of Southeast Wisconsin, a NeighborWorks chapter based in Racine, that will allow the group to extend similar housing and neighborhood support programs into Oshkosh under the Great Neighborhoods Program.
Councilors also approved a $250,000 allocation for the Great Neighborhoods Plan in its 2011 Capital Improvement Program on Tuesday while the Oshkosh Area Community Foundaiton has allocated $50,000 to help launch the effort.
Domenick Martinelli, the Racine group’s executive director, said the same agreement will be considered at his board of directors December meeting and that the national NeighborWorks organization has indicated no opposition to the service expansion.
He also said his staff will identify key measures and conditions in Oshkosh to use as a baseline to evaluate the program’s progress going forward.

Bill Wyman, an east side resident, will serve as chairman of a steering committee that will oversee the program locally and direct allocations. The committee will be established in the coming weeks and will include seven to 10 people.

Wyman said the committee’s first task will be to hire a director.

"Once we hire someone, we’re going to get to work," Wyman said.

Extending the NeighborWorks chapter to Oshkosh was key to the agreement because it can acquire Federal Housing Authority properties, rehabilitate them and sell them to home owners to help fund ongoing NeighborWorks operations in Oshkosh.

Oshkosh Area Community Foundation Executive Director Eileen Connolly-Keesler said she identified several grants Great Neighborhoods might be able to apply for to increase funding as well.

-- Jeff Bollier: (920) 426-6688 or jbollier@thenorthwestern.com.