secretary SMNA

2024-11-27 Neighorhood News & Updates

Southwest and Southeast Area Plan Kick-off

The City of Madison invites community members to participate in an in-person kick-off event or virtual meeting for the  Southeast Area Plan and a virtual kickoff meeting for the  Southwest Area Plan! The Southwest Area Plan in-person meeting took place on November 19 and included about 80 community members, many of whom contributed their feedback. The Southeast Area Plan in-person event is coming up next week, December 4, and is an opportunity to meet with staff from Planning, Engineering, Transportation, Parks, and other City departments to learn about upcoming projects and provide input on the future of the area.

Event Details:

Southeast Area Plan

Date: December 4, 2024

Time: 6:00–7:30 p.m.

Location: La Follette High School Cafeteria and Commons, 702 Pflaum Road

Childcare and Spanish interpretation will be provided. If there is a need for other language interpretation, please contact us at  southeastareaplan@cityofmadison.com.

This event will begin with a brief presentation, but community members are welcome to drop in anytime, whether for a few minutes or the full duration. Come learn about the Southeast Area Plan and share your ideas with City staff!

Virtual Meetings

Virtual meeting options are also available for both plans:

Southwest Area Plan Virtual Meetings (registration required; both sessions cover the same content):

December 3, 2024, from 12:00–1:00 p.m.

December 3, 2024, from 6:00–7:00 p.m.

Southeast Area Plan Virtual Meeting (registration required):

December 5, 2024, from 12:00–1:00 p.m.

Join us to help shape the future of Madison’s Southwest and Southeast areas. We look forward to your input!

Hundreds of Affordable Housing Units to Receive City Funding

Hundreds of proposed new income- and rent-restricted apartments will receive financial support from the City of Madison’s Community Development Division after another round of Affordable Housing Fund awards were approved by the Common Council during its meeting on Tuesday, November 26.

The 2024 Affordable Housing Fund-Tax Credits Request for Proposals (RFP) competitive process offered gap financing loans for development teams that are also seeking Low-Income Housing Tax Credits from the Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority (WHEDA). To receive City funds, applicants must secure 2025 Low-Income Housing Tax Credits from WHEDA and other financing needed to complete the project, have an ownership stake in the development, designate at least 20% of the units for those making 30% of the Area Median Income or less, adopt City-sanctioned tenant selection standards, and receive all relevant City land use and permit approvals.

Pertussis (Whooping Cough) Cases are Rising

Public Health Madison & Dane County urges everyone to be aware of the pertussis (whooping cough) outbreak as the holiday season approaches. As of November 25, there have been  281 cases in Dane County in 2024, and 1,887 cases statewide. “With the holidays approaching, many families will be traveling and gathering with friends and family. This could increase the spread of all respiratory illness, including pertussis, which has been primarily impacting teenagers and college-aged people in recent months,” said Amanda Kita-Yarbro, Epidemiologist for Public Health Madison & Dane County. Pertussis is a persistent cough illness. It is a respiratory infection caused by a bacteria and spreads easily. Anyone at any age can get it, but it can be particularly serious and even deadly to infants and people with a compromised immune system.

Streets Division Drop-off Sites Changing Hours

The Streets Division drop-off sites are changing to winter hours.  The Olin Avenue site will be closing for the winter season on December 1.  The South Point Rd. and Sycamore Ave. sites are switching to winter hours on Friday, December 6. 

Check the Streets Division website to find out the drop-off site hours before loading your car.  Drop-off site information is www.cityofmadison.com/DropOffSites.

secretary SMNA

2024-11-18 Updates from Alder Wehelie

Public Information Meetings

  • In-Person Open House: Southwest Area Plan kickoff event – Tuesday, November 19, 2024: Join Planning, Engineering, Transportation, Parks, and others at an open house on Tuesday, November 19, 2024, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at Akira Toki Middle School, 5606 Russett Road. There will be a brief presentation at the start. Feel free to drop in and stay for a few minutes or the entire time.  Learn about the Southwest Area Plan and other upcoming projects in the Southwest Area.
  • Upcoming events/meetings
  • Announcements
    • Information About a Pilot Program for Event and Commuter Parking Charges at Some City Parks
      • You may have seen news recently that the 2025 City Budget authorizes a pilot program for Madison Parks to explore charging fees to park at some City parks. The idea came from Madison Parks’ 5% cut scenarios during the preparation of the 2025 Operating Budget as a potential strategy to address part of the structural deficit. This pilot program is not intended to charge Madison residents for their use of our public parks, but rather to explore charging fees for special events like home-field Badger games or for limited, designated parking spaces for commuters. Here is how Madison Parks describes the scope of the pilot program:
      • “Initial ideas for the pilot program suggest charging to park a vehicle during home Badger football games, in the north lot of Vilas Park, while continuing to provide the south lot as free three-hour parking.  Other concepts include fee-based parking for a limited number of reserved commuter parking stalls during peak hours in popular lots such as Garner, Olin or Burr Jones. This concept allows park visitors plenty of free parking to visit a park throughout the day. It is unlikely that all of these concepts will be a part of the experiment in 2025, but these and other ideas will be considered by the Board of Park Commissioners.  As the pilot program takes shape, we welcome and encourage community feedback.”
      • Any proposal to implement this pilot program will be reviewed by the Board of Park Commissioners, which will include an opportunity for residents to provide comments and input. I will watch for this on the Board’s agendas and will share more information in future weekly blog posts.
    • Greater Madison MPO Secures $1 Million to Enhance Roadway Safety Across Dane County: The Greater Madison Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) has been awarded $1 million in federal funding through the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) program, part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, to enhance safety for drivers, bicyclists, and pedestrians throughout Dane County.
secretary SMNA

2024-11-12 Updates from Alder Wehelie

Manchester Park Playground Improvements

The City of Madison Parks Division has begun it’s work on replacing the playground at Manchester Park. The new playground equipment is anticipated to be installed and completed by late 2024 or early 2025. For more information on this project, please visit the Manchester Park Playground Improvements project page.

Empowering Small Businesses: District 7 Lunch and Learn featuring the Office of Business Resources

I am pleased to announce my upcoming Lunch and Learn on Thursday, November 21, from 12:00 to 1:00 p.m. Learn more about small business opportunities, how to apply for city programs, TIF, TBE certification, and more! This virtual event is free and open to all Madison residents.

This interactive session will feature expert speakers from the Office of Business Resources, including Saran Ouk, Manager of the Office of Business Resources, Ruth Rohlich, Business Development Specialist, and Michael Miller, Business Development Specialist. Attendees will leave with knowledge of small business resources, staff contacts, and actionable tips essential to overcoming common challenges and fueling growth and success.

This event is virtual via Zoom, and advanced registration is required. This event is free and open to the public. You can join the virtual meeting using your computer, smartphone, or tablet or listen in via telephone. You will receive login information after registering at www.cityofmadison.com/LunchandLearnD7.

Southwest Area Plan Open House

The Planning team for the Southwest Area Plan has announced the dates and times for a series of kickoff events. The events will focus on laying the groundwork for the planning process, including short presentations on what the Area Plan process involves (what area plans do and do not do, the differences between future land use recommendation maps and zoning maps, etc.) before an open-house-style event where community members can ask questions of City staff from across multiple departments.

Event Details:

In-Person: The City of Madison will hold plan in-person kickoff event for the Southwest Area Plan on Tuesday, November 19, 2024, starting at 6:30pm at Toki Middle School.

Virtual: Save the date for the virtual Southwest Area Plan event will be held from Noon – 1:00pm and 6:00pm – 7:00pm on Tuesday, December 3. More information to come!

The Beltline bounds the Southwest Planning Area to the north and northeast, the City of Fitchburg to the south and southeast, and S. High Point Road to the west. It is represented by five different alder districts: District 1 (Council Vice President John Duncan), District 7 (Ald. Nasra Wehelie), District 10 (Council President Yannette Figueroa Cole), District 19 (Ald. John Guequierre), and District 20 (Ald. Barbara Harrington-McKinney).

Read the full news release here to learn more about the Southwest and Southeast Area Plans and the dates of their kickoff events.

Field of Southwest Area of Madison

Boards, Commissions, and Committee Meetings

Note: This is not a complete list of meetings for this upcoming week. All meetings and their details can be found at the Meeting Schedule page.

If you would like more information about becoming a member of a City board, commission, or committee, please visit the page linked here.

Announcements and News Releases

Events

For the full list of upcoming events, please visit the City events calendar.

secretary SMNA

2024-11-01 Neighborhood News & Updates

City’s Affordable Housing Fund Supports 150+ Units, Native Nations Program, Safe Communities Celebration, and More!

Calling all neighborhood leaders, residents, non-profit groups, and others who support community building in neighborhoods: please circulate this list of announcements via email lists, newsletters, and other communication methods.

 

City’s Affordable Housing Fund to Support 150+ Affordable Housing Units

Four affordable rental housing developments will receive financial support from the City of Madison after the Common Council approved the funding during its meeting on Tuesday, October 29, 2024.

Six developers submitted requests in response to the  2024-2025 Affordable Rental Housing Development Non-Tax Credit Request for Proposals (RFP), which offered assistance to affordable rental housing developments that are not utilizing Federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credits. The goal of the Non-Tax Credit Affordable Housing Fund program is to offer support for different types of affordable housing development and preservation than those that typically receive tax credits.

Celebrate Native Nations during the Teejop & Beyond Program Series at Madison Public Library

The Madison Public Library created this program in partnership with Ho-Chunk Gaming Madison to highlight both traditional and contemporary practices, stories, and community relationships of native nations. Six presenters representing different Native tribes will lead programs throughout October and November on a wide range of topics, including Native citizenship and participation in the electoral process, the recent discovery of canoes in Lake Mendota, the history and process of making musical instruments, and more. Four presenters are returning from last year’s program series.

Upcoming Events

Safe Communities’ 25th Anniversary Celebration

Safe Communities will celebrate its 25th anniversary on November 19th. Safe Communities of Madison and Dane County is a non-profit coalition of over 350 organizations working together to save lives, prevent injury and make neighborhoods and the city safer. The coalition focuses on drug poisoning prevention, elder falls prevention, traffic safety/pedestrian safety, and suicide prevention. Join their anniversary celebration:

Tuesday November 19th, 5:00 – 8:00 p.m.

Black Business Hub, Atrium (1st floor)

2352 S. Park St., Madison 53713

RSVP here:  https://forms.gle/UM8Drk1FuQPZ9Vsw5

Streets Division Updates

  • Leaf Collection: Don’t miss your leaf collection set out dates! Get the one for your home at  www.cityofmadison.com/YardWaste
  • Street Tree Inventory: Ever wonder what kind of tree it is in front of your house? What about every tree along the street in Madison? We have a map for that now that shows you the tens of thousands of trees along Madison’s streets. Check out  our new street tree inventory.
  • New Online Recyclopedia: Confused about if you should recycle something or put it in the trash? Does something require special handling?  We have a new tool to help you figure out how to dispose of all this stuff in our lives. You can  check it out on our new website.
  • Our Electric Trucks Have Names! As you may recall, Madison has Wisconsin’s very first electric trash trucks – so we ran an election to give them silly names and many of you voted.  Here’s the results.
  • Never Miss a Collection Day:  As we move closer to winter, we recommend you sign up for the new Trash & Recycling Schedule Updates email list.  This will help you not miss a trash & recycling pickup day if weather causes any delays in the pickups.  Sign-up for this email list in the  Streets section on the City’s email-list page.
secretary SMNA

Oct 2024 Newsletter from PHMDC

Helping You Stay on Top of Respiratory Illnesses This Fall and Winter
It’s respiratory illness season. You know the common culprits: flu, RSV, and COVID-19. And this year we also have pertussis. We’ve recently released a few blog posts to help sort out who should get vaccinated and where to find vaccines, and what you need to know about our ongoing pertussis (whooping cough) outbreak and how to protect yourself.
We’ve also freshened up our respiratory illness data dashboard to optimize its usefulness! We’ve updated the levels of illness, added a race/ethnicity snapshot to hospitalization data, showing more detected viruses in air sampling, and changed our first alert system a little. Too busy to check all that on the regular? We’ve got you! Just scroll down below the dashboard and read our short “key takeaways,” summarized for you each Thursday!
Understanding Data to Address Drug Overdose Deaths
In May, we published our updated Summary of Drug Overdose Deaths. It’s an overview of information about people who died of a drug overdose in Dane County from 2000-2022. These data represent real people. They are our families, our friends, our neighbors, and they were loved.
Here are the main takeaways: Overdose deaths in Dane County are decreasing, but they’re still unacceptably high, affecting people of all ages. The data also shows that not everyone is impacted equally by overdose deaths, with Black people more likely to die of an overdose compared with Dane County as a whole.  Changes in the types of substances being used are impacting overdose rates. There’s rarely a single substance that causes an overdose death, they tend to be caused by the interactions of multiple substances in someone’s system. Synthetic opioids, like fentanyl, have replaced heroin and prescription drugs as the main contributor to overdose deaths and xylazine is an emerging substance of concern.  Learn more, including how we’re working to reduce overdose deaths in Dane County by reading our blog post and Summary of Drug Overdose Deaths. 
Building Community Relations Within Our Retail Food Program
Part of our work in inspecting and licensing food establishments in Dane County is building relationships in the community. Following retail food program standards, we aim to reduce foodborne illness risk factors through education and cooperative efforts with food establishments. To meet these goals, we’ve begun holding presentations in Spanish about starting a food business for prospective food business owners who speak Spanish as a first language. So far, we’ve had 60 prospective new food operators attend, with several more presentations scheduled for later this fall. These presentations have been well received and provide valuable guidance on navigating the licensing process for potential owners. Do you have a group of folks interested in opening a food establishment? Contact our team to learn more!
Centering the Voices of People With Lived Experiences is Crucial to Improving Birth Outcomes
Our Fetal and Infant Mortality Review (FIMR) team has been doing some innovative work to incorporate the voices of people with lived experience in their review process. FIMR works to find ways to prevent fetal and infant deaths. It’s an evidence-based, community-level prevention strategy that helps maintain a sense of urgency, while also being a foundation for action. The goal is to improve the wellbeing of birthing people and families in Dane County.
Historically, nationwide, the FIMR process has involved mostly medical providers and hasn’t been representative of the racial makeup of the community. With Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) families seeing poorer birth outcomes than their white counterparts in Dane County, last year our team started shifting the way the FIMR process is conducted by partnering with people with lived experience of infant loss to join the FIMR process, to work towards true community-driven change. This is an innovative model that is not being done anywhere else in the country. Here are the policy and program changes they’ve already made, based on what they’ve learned so far: Centering voices of people with lived experience is essential to be truly community-driven. People with lived experience need to be paid for their partnership and recognized as valuable members of the FIMR team. Including people with lived experience deepened their learning and encouraged more inclusive, collaborative work. One FIMR participant had this to say about this important work:
“The opportunity to be compensated for my involvement has made a significant difference for me as a Black woman with lived experience…It reinforces the importance of diverse representation and ensures that individuals from all backgrounds can actively contribute to improving maternal and infant health outcomes.”
To learn more about the FIMR process and how it works, visit our website.
Have You Seen Our Events Calendar?
Wondering when our next mobile vaccination clinic is, if we’re holding any upcoming trainings, or whether we’ll be open on specific holidays? Find it all on the home page of our website or by visiting publichealthmdc.com/events! It’s continually updated, so check back often to see what’s on our horizon!
secretary SMNA

2024-10-22 Updates from Alder Wehelie

Southeast and Southwest Area Plans – Call for Community Partners 

If you or your organization has the ability to connect with and reach out to traditionally underrepresented communities in Madison, this is an opportunity to be paid for your skills as an organizer, facilitator, and communicator. The City of Madison Planning Division is looking for skilled communicators to help engage traditionally underrepresented communities about the future of their neighborhoods.

This fall the City of Madison will begin working with residents, community organizations, businesses, and other stakeholders to develop the Southeast Area Plan and Southwest Area Plan. Recommendations in the Area Plans guide changes to the physical aspects of our community, such as infrastructure improvements by the public sector and housing development initiated by the private sector.

Purpose
Community Partners will be paid to conduct outreach to underrepresented stakeholders, including Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) communities, people with disabilities, people for whom English is a second language, and other underrepresented groups. Selected Community Partners will help increase awareness of the planning process and gather community input in a variety of ways, including but not limited to:

  • direct outreach to residents,
  • distributing informational material,
  • and reaching out to people at community events within the planning areas.

Funding 
Applicants may request between $3,000 to $5,000 for their work to engage with communities in the Southeast Area or Southwest Area, or both. Payment will be based upon an anticipated rate of $25 per hour.

How to Apply

Interested individuals and organizations can fill out an application online at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/6PFSKNL. Completed applications must be received by October 28, 2024.

Please see the Call for Community Partners for more information!

Questions? Email southwestareaplan@cityofmadison.com or call 608-243-0470.

Boards, Commissions, and Committee Meetings

Note: This is not a complete list of meetings for this upcoming week. All meetings and their details can be found at the Meeting Schedule page.

  • Plan Commission: The Plan Commission meeting will take place on Monday, October 21, at 5:30 p.m. in virtual format. Agenda items include development related requests in Districts 2, 9, 12, 13, and 17.
  • Committee on Aging: The Committee on Aging meeting will take place on Wednesday, October 23, at 2:30 p.m. in virtual format. Agenda items include approving the allocation of City funds that are budgeted and designated to support older adult programming among a group of agencies selected through a Request for Proposals process conducted by the Community Development Division.
  • Housing Strategy Committee: The Housing Strategy Committee meeting will take place on Thursday, October 24, at 5:00 p.m. Agenda items include approving housing recommendations that serve to strengthen efforts to expand rental, homeowner and student developments.

If you would like more information about becoming a member of a City board, commission, or committee, please visit the page linked here.

Public Information Meetings (PIMs)

  • Warner Park and Cherokee Marsh Watershed Study, Monday, October 21: We will present the completed, drainage model of existing flooding conditions. We invite residents to provide feedback on the results, ask questions, and hear about our next steps.  The information presented will only share existing flood risk maps. There are not any proposed solutions to share at this time.
  • Sauk Creek Greenway, Tuesday, October 22: Staff will provide some initial ideas on the West Area Plan’s East-West multi-use path connection. Preliminary review of concepts show construction of a path would not align enough with the stormwater improvements to be built together and path plans are not being developed further at this time.
  • John Nolen Drive, Wednesday, October 23: The next public information meeting is schedule for 6:30 p.m., Oct. 23, 2024, via Zoom. Registration prior is required.

Announcements and News Releases

Events

  • In-Person Absentee Voting Begins, Tuesday, October 22: Absentee voting sites begin opening today. Check our In-Person Absentee Voting website for locations and hours. The last day to vote absentee in person will be Sunday, November 3.
  • Virtual Fireside Chat with Yannette Figueroa, Tuesday, October 22: Discover the crucial role of Latinos in local government with Common Council President Yannette Figueroa! Don’t miss this opportunity to learn from one of our community’s most influential figures. Register now and be part of shaping our local government!
  • Warner Family Fun Night – Halloween Special, Friday, October 25: Join us for a special Halloween Family Fun Night! The fun begins with hayrides around Warner Park, 5-6pm, Family Fun Night inside WPCRC, 5-8pm, then a free, outdoor movie starting at 6pm. All kids aged 11 and under must be accompanied by an adult for all activities.
  • Bird & Nature Adventures | Edna Taylor, Saturday, October 26:Join a naturalist for an easy family-friendly walk from Aldo Leopold Nature Center into beautiful Edna Taylor Conservation Park and enjoy a bit of nature education along the way. Walk will begin at the Aldo Leopold Nature Center, 330 Femrite Drive. Meet outside at the Children’s Shack. Co-sponsored by Madison Parks, Badgerland Bird Alliance, and Aldo Leopold Nature Center . No registration is required. No pets are allowed.
  • Seed Collecting at Odana Hills Golf Course, Saturday, October 26: Join us at Odana Hills Golf Course for a seed collection event as we work to expand Madison’s natural areas using seeds from our own land! It’s a unique opportunity to gather native seeds while enjoying the beauty of the golf course. By collecting seeds from local plants, we’re helping preserve our ecosystem and support more natural growth across the city. Plus, it’s a fun way to connect with nature—right in the heart of the course! Whether you’re a golf enthusiast or just love the outdoors, come help us “grow” our green spaces, one seed at a time!
  • Inspired by Wright: Tour & Art Making Activity, Sunday, October 27: Tour the Frank Lloyd Wright designed Monona Terrace Community and Convention Center and discover how Wright saw geometric shapes in the world around him.  You’ll learn how Monona Terrace’s unique landscape influenced his choice of geometry, expressed in nearly every aspect of the building. Then, use this newly gained knowledge to create your own Wright-inspired glass piece of art.

For the full list of upcoming events, please visit the City events calendar. 

secretary SMNA

2024-10-14 Updates from Alder Wehelie

Country Grove Park Update

The project is progressing according to schedule and is anticipated to be completed by the end of the year. The contractor is completing landscaping work around the courts area, and the courts will be opened for use when work is complete. Work continues on the shelter structure and surrounding area. Landscaping installation around the shelter structure and parking lot will be completed in 2025. 

For more information, please visit the following websites:

Maple Grove Project Neighborhood Meeting, Thursday, November 7, 2024, at 6 p.m.

Livesey Company proposes to construct a new, three-story, mixed-use building on the vacant property at 6702 Mader Drive. The new building would have 2,500 square feet of commercial space and 125 apartments. The apartments would be comprised of 105 studio and one-bedroom units and 20 two-bedroom units. There would be 104 underground parking spaces and 81 surface parking spaces.

A virtual neighborhood meeting to hear more about this proposed project is scheduled for Thursday, November 7, 2024, at 6pm. You can join the virtual meeting using your computer, smartphone, or tablet or listen in via telephone. You will receive login information after registering at www.cityofmadison.com/MeetingNovember7Mader.

District 7 Lunch and Learn features the Economic Development Division

Join me on Thursday, November 21, at noon to learn more about small business opportunities, business certification, and how to apply for support and access programs through the City of Madison. Staff from the Office of Business Resources will join us.

There will be time for Q&A at the end of the presentations. Attendees can also email their questions in advance to Lorissa Banuelos, Community Engagement Strategist, at lbanuelos@cityofmadison.com. Please include the “November 21 Lunch and Learn” in the subject line. For more information, please get in touch with me by email at district7@cityofmadison.com or by phone at (608) 571-4919.

This Lunch and Learn is virtual via Zoom and free and open to all residents. You can join the virtual meeting using your computer, smartphone, or tablet or listen in via telephone. You will receive login information after registering here. Advanced registration is required. 

Meeting and Event Highlights 

Help Name Wisconsin’s First Electric Trash Trucks!Fill out the poll by October 21, 2024, at 4:00pm to help choose names for these trucks.

Boards, Commissions, and Committee Meetings

Note: This is not a complete list of meetings for this upcoming week. All meetings and their details can be found at the Meeting Schedule page.

  • Finance Committee: The Finance Committee meeting will take place on Monday, October 14, at 4:30 p.m. in virtual format. Agenda items include a briefing on the 2025 Executive Operating Budget.
  • Finance Committee: The Finance Committee meeting will take place on Tuesday, October 15, at 4:30 p.m. in virtual format. Agenda items include a briefing on the 2025 Executive Operating Budget.
  • Economic Development Committee: The Economic Development Committee meeting will take place on Wednesday, October 16, at 5:00 p.m. in Suite 303 of 2352 S Park St. Agenda items include an update on the City of Madison’s Economic Development Plan, as well as a discussion of the 2025 Budget.
  • Transportation Commission: The Transportation Commission meeting will take place on Wednesday, October 16, at 5:00 p.m. in virtual format. Agenda items include the Director’s report, a review of the 2025 Transportation Projects List, and clarifying Transportation Demand Management procedures.

If you would like more information about becoming a member of a City board, commission, or committee, please visit the page linked here.

Announcements and News Releases

Events

For the full list of upcoming events, please visit the City events calendar. 

secretary SMNA

2024-10-04 Neighborhood News & Updates

Absentee Ballots and Voter Registration

Absentee ballots for the November 5 General Election have been sent to 25,655 City of Madison absentee voters with requests on file. The goal of the City Clerk’s Office is that each eligible voter will be able to cast a ballot and have that ballot counted. To learn more click  HERE.

Register to vote at any Madison Public Library. If you have a Wisconsin ID and your address is up-to-date with the DMV, you can also register online.

The Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) is Looking for Community Feedback

The Greater Madison Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) has released its draft  2024-2028 Coordinated Public Transit-Human Services Transportation Plan. The federally required plan outlines strategies to meet the transportation needs of older adults, individuals with disabilities and people with low incomes in the Greater Madison region and Dane County. Community members are encouraged to review the draft plan and provide feedback by Friday, October 18, 2024.

How to submit feedback:

  1. Email: Send your comments to Ben Lyman, Transportation Planner, at  blyman@cityofmadison.com.
  2. Mail: Address your written feedback to Greater Madison MPO, 100 State St. Ste. 400, Madison, WI 53703.

Jeffrey Clay Erlanger Civility in Public Discourse Award

The City of Madison invites you to submit nominations for its annual Jeffrey Clay Erlanger Civility in Public Discourse Award. This award honors Jeffrey Clay Erlanger, who was an individual of integrity, passion, intelligence and civility. Jeff understood that thoughtful and caring people could have very different views on how to best address our community’s many complex issues and problems. Jeff, a lifelong quadriplegic due to complications from a spinal tumor discovered in infancy, died on June 10, 2007. He spent a significant part of his life committed to public service, focusing on constructive advocacy and civil debate, fairness, openness and effective representation. He embraced the similarities that unite us.

Jeff served on the City of Madison’s Economic Development Commission; he was chair of the Commission on People with Disabilities; chair of the Board of Directors of the Community Living Alliance; and ran for the Madison Common Council in 2002. He also held a number of other significant positions in the community. One of his greatest accomplishments was his successful push for the accessible taxicab service in Madison today. He was honored last year when an accessible playground was named in his memory at Rennebohm Park on Madison’s Westside.

To learn more about this award and its criteria click  HERE. Submissions are due November 1, 2024.

Flock to State – State Street Pedestrian Mall Experiment ends October 30th

If you haven’t visited State Street as part of this year’s State Street Pedestrian Mall experiment yet, you have about one month left to #FlockToState. The experiment, which began in May and closed the 400-600 blocks of State Street to all non-emergency vehicle traffic to allow pedestrians and people on bikes to use the street space freely, will officially end on Wednesday, October 30.

Thurber Artist in Residence Chosen

The Madison Arts Commission and the Bubbler at Madison Public Library are pleased to announce Jennifer Bastian as the 2024 Thurber Park Artist-in-Residence. The Madison Arts Commission and the Bubbler at Madison Public Library launched the Thurber Park Artist Residency in 2019. The residency is based out of a dedicated art studio at Thurber Park, located at 3325 Thurber Avenue. The Artist-in-Residence has access to a rent-free studio space for 11 months and receives a stipend. Additionally, the artist has the opportunity to create a piece of outdoor public artwork for consideration by the City of Madison. The Artist-in-Residence works closely with the Bubbler at Madison Public Library to engage the local community through open studio days, community workshops, or other strategies determined by the artist and residency administrators. To learn more click HERE.

Streets Division Updates

  • Fall Leaf Collection Starts Week of October 6:  Every neighborhood gets 3 set out chances.  Set out dates vary by neighborhood.  Get yours at  www.cityofmadison.com/YardWaste.
  • Brush Collection Over for 2024: Brush collection has concluded for 2024.  There will be no more scheduled brush collections until the spring of 2025.  Take your brush to a drop-off site instead.  Drop-off site information can be found at  www.cityofmadison.com/DropOffSites.
  • Vote for your Electric Truck Names: The election is open to choose the names of Wisconsin’s first electric collection trucks.  The election is being hosted by the non-profit  Wisconsin Clean Cities.  You have until October 21 to vote, and feel free to share with your friends and family.  Everyone can vote.
  • Are You Recycling Right?: Be sure you are putting the correct materials in your recycling cart. Check the Streets Division’s recycling page to be sure you are only putting the correct plastic containers, glass bottles & jars, metal cans, and paper products into the green carts. Details are available at  www.cityofmadison.com/Recycling.
  • Mammoth Food Scraps News:  We did it!  We set a goal of composting 22,000 pounds of food scraps this year, which is the weight of two adult mammoths.  And not only did we hit that goal, we stampeded past it.  We’re at 24,000 pounds and counting.  The market sites are running out of time for the year, so if you want to bring your scraps there’s still time.  Details can be found at  www.cityofmadison.com/FoodScraps. 
secretary SMNA

2024-09-23 Update from Alder Wehelie

Good morning neighbors,

Metro Transit launches its first ever bus rapid transit route today. Metro’s Rapid Route A will offer 15-minute service Monday through Friday until 8:00 PM and until 7:00 PM on Saturdays. Thirty-minute service will be available on Sundays and holidays. Bus Rapid Transit Launches Today

  • Common Council: The Common Council meeting will take place on Tuesday, September 24, 2024, at 6:30 PM in hybrid format. Agenda items include applying for a zero-interest loan to assist in the remediation of contaminated soil at the Huxley Yards property, as well as honoring resolutions for Week Without Driving and Hispanic Heritage Month.

Events

Please visit the City events calendar for the full list of upcoming events.

Announcements

secretary SMNA

2024-09-17 Recycling Updates from City of Madison

Electric Trash Trucks!

This isn’t recycling news, but it’s pretty buzzworthy just the same (har-har, I know).

The City of Madison unveiled two new electric collection trucks, and of course we’re going to name them.

These are the first electric trash trucks in Wisconsin, so it’s a big deal.  So they should have names befitting this momentous occasion. So something pretty cool and dignified like Stanislas Trashinski or something, I don’t know.   And, yes, Trashy McTrashface is already on the list of name suggestions.

Please submit your suggestions to dropoff@cityofmadison.com.  You have until 4:00pm on October 1, 2024.

After all of the names have been gathered, they will be winnowed down to set of finalists and we will have an election that will be hosted by Wisconsin Clean Cities.

20,000 Pounds (and Growing!)

Counting this past Saturday’s collection at the Westside Community Market (9/14), we have now collected 20,255.7 pounds of food scraps for composting so far this year.

That puts as less than a ton away from our goal of 22,000 pounds, which is roughly the weight of two adult mammoths.

This also puts us about 2,000 pounds over the amount of food scraps we collected during all of last year.

Madison!  Take a bow!

You are doing great. Keep it up.  We are so close to our goal of two mammoths, we can’t let up now. I think we might even hit our goal this week.

I wonder just how far beyond our goal we may actually get to by the end of the market season.  And it’s all because of your enthusiasm and participation.

Speaking of the end of the market…

Westside Community Market Food Scrap Drop-off Extended until November 2

Sustain Dane received a grant that will allow them to extend this market drop-off until November 2.

Sustain Dane is the organization that staffs the farmers’ market collection sites for the Streets Division. Funding that Streets was able to provide for the market this year allowed collection to run until October 5. But since Sustain Dane received this grant on their own, it’s going to go until November 2 instead.  Great news!

More details about our food scraps drop-off program can be found at www.cityofmadison.com/FoodScraps.

New Streets Division Website Coming Soon!

I don’t have an exact launch date yet, so no reason to mark your calendars, but it has been a project we have been plugging away at for several weeks here at Streets.

All of your old shortcuts should still work on the new site. Things will be in new places, though. Hopefully you’ll find the new version easier to use on mobile devices, and a little easier to have some of your recycling questions answered.

There are some other new features to the site we are excited to unveil when the time comes, so stay tuned.

Brush Collection Winding Down, Yard Waste Collection Starting Up

Brush collection for the year is winding down.  If you are unsure if you should or should not place brush out for collection, go to www.cityofmadison.com/BrushCollection.  Put your address into the form on that site and you will see the set out dates for your home.

Leaf and yard waste collection begins in October, which is rapidly approaching.  The dates when you can set those out for pickup are available on the yard waste collection website, www.cityofmadison.com/YardWaste.

New Mailing List for Trash & Recycling Schedule Updates

We recently started a new mailing list for trash and recycling collection schedule changes. You can sign up to get on this mailing list here: https://www.cityofmadison.com/contact/email-lists

Most of the time, the only thing that disrupts collection of trash and recycling are holidays. However, snowstorms have been disruptive to our collections lately as well.

We will begin using this schedule update email list to let people know of these routine holiday disruptions, but also of any unplanned weather-related delays that may come up.

Large Item Collection Changes in 2025

I’m sure many of you have seen the news that in 2025 we will stop providing large item collection for properties that have more than 8 units.

This is a big change, and requires more explanation that this space allows.  We do have more information about this change on our website.  You can find that extra detail here.

And finally…

That’s it for now.  If you’re coming out to the Trucks and Treasures event this coming up weekend you’ll be able to see the electric trash trucks up close.

Other than that, thank you for your time and attention.

Bryan Johnson

Recycling Coordinator