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District to test Shapiro site for methane; referendum outreach schedule expanded
Summary
District staff said no documentation of methane was found for the Shapiro site but will perform targeted testing and has budgeted contingency costs. Officials described six formal informational sessions and four informal Q&A sessions ahead of an April referendum.
District staff told the Oshkosh Area School District Board on Jan. 29 that planned testing will determine whether methane is present at the proposed Shapiro site and that the district has contingency funding in its project scope to cover any mitigation costs.
Julie Conrad, a district administrator overseeing referendum communications, said the district conducted due diligence and “there was no known documentation of methane on the Shapiro site.” She added that, “out of an abundance of caution…and from community members…we are going to be doing specific testing on the Shapiro site, to really gauge what the piece is. And if methane is found, we have contingency cost built in to cover the cost of mitigation, within our project, within our project scope.”
Conrad said the tests should take about a month and the district will publish results to the board and the community once they are available.
District staff also described an expanded public outreach plan in the weeks before a planned April referendum. The district will conduct six formal community information sessions (presentation plus Q&A) and four informal question‑and‑answer sessions at neighborhood coffee shops; staff said a mailer will be sent to all households and a dedicated referendum website is live with FAQs and session dates.
Local officials John Fitzpatrick and Kelly Nyforth met with district staff in a pre‑submittal meeting designed to better coordinate city and district review of project designs and zoning communications. District staff said the pre‑submittal process is intended to avoid a repeat of the South Falls Park issue that had led to confusion over zoning communications earlier.
Board members asked staff to keep the website and FAQ updated as more questions come in. Conrad said staff will track community questions and add them to the online FAQ.
