Author: secretary

Events

• Presentation on the 2022 Madison-Kanifing Sister City Visit – Tuesday at 5:30pm: We hope you can join us on Tuesday, February 28, 2023, for the Madison-Kanifing Sister City Visit Presentation! This event will meet in a hybrid format and starts at 5:30 pm.
  • In person: City-County Building, Room 201
  • Livestream: https://media.cityofmadison.com/mediasite/showcase/madison-city-channel/channel/common-council
• Public Input Meeting: Fraust | Harvey Schmidt | Heifetz Parks, 03/02/2023 Virtual – Zoom: The City of Madison Parks Division is continuing the process to create a master plan for each of the former Town of Madison parks: Fraust, Harvey Schmidt and Heifetz parks. A master plan provides a big-picture overview of each of the park parcels and includes community input. Neighbors are invited to attend a virtual Zoom meeting as we gather your input on the existing and desired uses and amenities at each park.
• Winter Family Night on Lake Mendota, 03/01/2023: Bring your family down to Outdoor UW for a fun filled evening of skating (or snowshoeing if lake ice conditions make skating impossible)! This event will be filled with all the laughter, music, and games that your family needs to enjoy the Wisconsin Winter at Memorial Union. Our staff will teach you everything you need to know to get outside this winter. Beginners are welcome!
• Bird & Nature Adventures | Tenney Park 03/04/2023 Tenney Beach: Nature-expert guided walks in Tenney Park along Lake Mendota and the Yahara River Parkway bike path through the Madison Isthmus are free, family-friendly and held the first Saturday of each month, from 2:30-4pm. The walk begins at the Tenney Beach parking lot, 1330 Sherman Avenue.
• Bird & Nature Adventures | Cherokee Marsh, North 03/05/2023 Cherokee Marsh – North Unit: Cherokee Marsh is Madison’s largest conservation park with three units – North, South, and Mendota. Each month, year-round we explore the north unit’s beautiful trails through the woodlands, wetlands, and restored prairies along the Yahara ‘Catfish’ River. 
• 9th Annual Latino Art Fair, Friday, March 3, 5:30pm – 7:30pm: Celebrate the rich roots of Latino art in culture at the 9th Annual Latino Art Fair! Talented artists from throughout South Central Wisconsin will exhibit and sell their artwork, including paintings, photography, pottery, jewelry, music and more.

Save the Date

• FREE HUD-APPROVED HOMEBUYER EDUCATION CLASS (IN PERSON) – SATURDAY MARCH 18TH: The City of Madison, in partnership with the Home Buyers Round Table of Dane County and Consumer Credit Counseling Service, want to share with you our next HUD Approved Homebuyer Education class of 2023 for the month of March! 2023 class schedule is up and you can find it here: https://homebuyersroundtable.org/events/list/?tribe-bar-search=education (there is a class every month this year, both virtual and online)!

Announcements

• Madison Arts Commission Annual Arts Grants Opportunity 2023-24: The City of Madison is pleased to announce that applications are now open for art grants that provide support for projects that enrich the cultural landscape of the City.
• Snowplow Names Election Results: The Streets and Engineering Division are happy to announce the winners of the snowplow equipment naming election.
• Wisconsin Book Festival Kicks Off 2023 Season Under New Leadership: The Wisconsin Book Festival begins its spring season on Sunday, February 19, under the leadership of newly named Director Jane Rotonda.
• City Partners with Centro Hispano on New South Madison Facility with Land Swap Deal and Early Investment: The City of Madison is proud to celebrate with partner Centro Hispano as the nonprofit breaks ground on its brand new building this Wednesday, February 22 at 3 pm.
• Mayor’s Purchase Award granted for a portrait of activist, leader, & public servant Dick Wagner : City of Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes Conway selected a portrait of Dick Wagner by Rae Senarighi, aka Transpainter, for the 2022 Mayor’s Purchase Award.
• Atwood Avenue Reconstruction Project Begins: (MADISON, Wis.)–The reconstruction of Atwood Avenue from S. Fair Oaks Avenue to Cottage Grove Road is officially underway.

Starting on Monday, February 20, 2023 the Streets Division will stop charging the recycling fee for laptops, monitors, computers, and televisions.  This change will be in effect from February 20 until the end of the year.

You still have to bring them to a drop-off site, but we will stop requiring the $15 fee for televisions and the $10 fee for monitors, computers, and laptops. 

So – why were we able to do this? 

The contractor used by the City of Madison to recycle all the electronics you drop off at our sites is named Universal Recycling Technologies (they’re based out of Janesville).  They have a deal in place with Samsung to cover the costs of our electronics recycling.

If you’d like to read the official release, here it is.

Any other good news?
Food scraps recycling will be back in the spring.  Once we get the dates confirmed we’ll make that announcement.  It will be at the same two farmers’ market locations as last year on Tuesday afternoons. 

The Master Recycler class will be back in April (and again in July), so if you’ve been meaning to sign up, please do so you can help your friends, families, neighbors, and social media followers how to recycle better.  This is a Sustain Dane class, so there is a cost to attend, but they do make scholarships available for those who cannot afford the cost.  You can reach out to Sustain Dane to see how that would work.

With the news above, the printed copies of the 2023 Recyclopedia were delayed, but the digital copies will be available soon on the Streets Division’s website.

Drop-off sites are set to expand their hours in April.  If you get the municipal services bill in the mail, you should be getting something next month alongside that bill that will give you the schedule for the drop-off sites this year.

February 16: Country Grove Park Master Plan Public Meeting

The City of Madison Parks Division is undertaking a master planning effort for Country Grove Park. The master planning process will evaluate existing park uses, identify a location for a new shelter, and identify uses for the recently acquired land. Parks Division staff will hold a second virtual public meeting on Thursday, February 16, at 6pm to present a revised master plan for public comment.

• Register in advance for the February 16 public meeting
• Find more details on the Country Grove Park Master Plan project website

Events

HUD-Approved Homebuyer Education Class (2-Part Class) (February 15 and 22): Your Path to Homeownership is provided by La Casa de Esperanza, a Non-Profit HUD Approved Housing Counseling Agency dedicated to assisting individuals and families to increase income, build savings and gain assets. 

Digital Scams: Wednesday, February 15, 2023 – 10:00am to 11:00am. Swindlers and scammers have always been around, but our digital world seems to provide them even more opportunities. Stay alert and know what to watch for.

Deadline to Request Absentee Ballot by Mail: Thursday, February 16, 2023 – 8:00am to 5:00pm. For most voters, today is the deadline for the Clerk’s Office to receive your request that an absentee ballot be sent to you.  The Clerk’s Office must receive your absentee ballot by Election Day in order for your ballot to be counted.

Voices of Color: Thursday, February 16, 2023 – 10:00am to 11:00am. February is Black history month, and we are excited to introduce Dr. Linda Vakunta, Deputy Mayor of Madison. Dr. Vakunta works with housing and human service issues for the City, and she was recently named as one of Wisconsin’s 52 Most Influential Black Leaders in 2022.

Public Information Meeting – Country Grove Park: Thursday, February 16, 2023 – 6:00pm to 7:30pm. The City of Madison Parks Division is undertaking a master planning effort for Country Grove Park. In 2020 the Parks Division acquired approximately 12 acres of additional land on the southeast side of the park along Rockstream Drive. 

Law Enforcement Recruitment Fair: Thursday, February 16, 2023 – 6:00pm to 7:30pm. Area agencies are always searching for compassionate people who are considering a career in law enforcement. Officers will be on hand to answer any questions you may have about their profession and community policing.

Announcements

• City Launches Bilingual Community Connector Program for Increased Language Access and Equity: Enoch Melgarejo and Holly Chen have joined the Department of Civil Rights as Bilingual Community Connectors in the City of Madison’s new Community Connector Program, one of the few government programs of this kind in the country.
• Mayor Rhodes-Conway Statement on Chief Barnes’ State of Public Safety Address: I want to thank Chief Barnes for his work to make our community even safer than it already is. He and I both understand that seeing the effects of violence on our neighborhoods or in the news makes us feel unsafe.
• Public Test of Election Equipment This Saturday: The City of Madison Clerk’s Office invites the public to observe its public test of election equipment this weekend.
• Concerned about crime? Watch Madison Police Chief deliver the State of Public Safety Address on Friday: The Madison Police Department remains committed to providing the highest level of service to the Madison community.
• Interested in a career in law enforcement? Come to our recruitment fair!: The Madison Police Department, along with other law enforcement agencies and higher education institutions, is hosting a law enforcement recruitment fair Feb. 16.
• Mayor and Alders Introduce Legislation to Encourage Affordable Housing Development Downtown: Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway, along with Alders Patrick Heck, Erik Paulson, Mike Verveer and Jael Currie, will introduce legislation to the Madison Common Council Tuesday that would encourage the development of more affordable housing downtown.
• Media Kit Available for 2023 Spring Primary: The 2023 Spring Primary Media Kit prepared by the Madison City Clerk’s Office is now available to help answer questions about statistics, processes and procedures for the upcoming primary election.
• Madison Fire Celebrates Four Sprinkler Saves During Month of January: The Madison Fire Department rang in the new year celebrating four “sprinkler saves,” where automatic fire sprinklers were credited with catching and containing fires that occurred in our community.
• Mayor Rhodes-Conway Urges Working Families to Claim Their Earned Income Tax Credit: Mayor Satya-Rhodes Conway is reminding Madison residents who qualify for the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) to take the steps necessary to claim their benefits.

Northeast Plan and West Area Plan– apply to be a Partner! Planning efforts are underway by the City of Madison to help shape the future of our West and Northeast neighborhoods. The West Area Plan team is rescheduling last week’s in-person meeting and more information will be available soon on the  West Area Plan project webpage this evening. These plans are part of a larger initiative to build better communities through the City’s recently approved Planning Framework. The Northeast Area Plan and West Area Plan will be the first under this new model that will ultimately cover the entire city. Guided by overarching City policies and feedback from stakeholders, these Area Plans will guide physical changes that occur over time in our community such as land use, housing, transit, streets, bike paths, and other community facilities.

We’re Hiring – Apply to be a Community Partner by February 17

• Northeast Area Plan – Learn more and apply.
• West Area Plan – Learn more and apply.

Neighborhood Grant Apps Due February 20. The guidelines and application are now on the City’s webpage! See the News Story for more info. Applications are due February 20 by midnight. See a video of what Junction Ridge Neighborhood Association and UJAMAA have done with the funds they received from the Neighborhood Grant Program!

Arts Grants Apps Due March 15. The Madison Arts Commission’s annual grant program provides funding to support the arts across our community. Applications and guidelines will be posted to our website in February: https://www.cityofmadison.com/artsgrants. Applications will be due March 15, 2023. A virtual grant writing workshop will be held in mid-February and will be recorded and made available on our website.

Want to stay in touch about calls for art, grant opportunities, and other announcements? Subscribe to the Madison Arts Email List & Enter to win a $50 Visa gift card! The Madison Arts Commission is launching a more formal e-newsletter. Our new system will produce more user-friendly and accessible emails, however it does not allow us to transfer existing contacts. For that reason, we invite you and your network to subscribe to our new email list.

SEED Grant Apps Due February 27 The City of Madison 2023 Budget includes $50,000 in grant funds to be distributed by the Madison Food Policy Council. The Madison Food Policy Council is encouraging community groups to apply for SEED Grants. Any proposal that improves the local food system and makes food more accessible for City of Madison residents will be considered.

The Spring Primary is Feb. 21 Sample ballots will be available for viewing by address on the MyVote Wisconsin website at least 21 days prior to Election Day. In Wisconsin, a Spring Primary is necessary when more than two people declare they are running for the same non-partisan office that is up for election in the Spring Election. There are a number of offices that will be on the ballot in February including Supreme Court Justice; Mayor; Alderperson, District 2; Alderperson, District 3; Alderperson, District 4; Alderperson, District 9; Alderperson, District 10; Alderperson, District 12

Streets Division Updates

• Make sure you’re staying in the know about the snow and sign up to receive alerts about snow plowing operations and parking rules. You can do all that and more at www.cityofmadison.com/Winter
• Streets Division drop-off sites are still on winter hours. The hours won’t expand until April 2023. Get the current hours and locations at www.cityofmadison.com/DropOffSites
• Still waiting for the Recyclopedia? Us too! There’s been a delay. We hope to have all this squared aware soon with a goal of making these available by March. We wish it was already done, but the update is still coming.

February 16: Country Grove Park Master Plan Public Meeting

The City of Madison Parks Division is undertaking a master planning effort for Country Grove Park. The master planning process will evaluate existing park uses, identify a location for a new shelter, and identify uses for the recently acquired land. Parks Division staff will hold a second virtual public meeting on Thursday, February 16, at 6pm to present a revised master plan for public comment.

• Register in advance for the February 16 public meeting
• Community survey for Country Grove Park (survey closes on February 12)
• Find more details on the Country Grove Park Master Plan project website

(For context, Country Grove Park is the green space behind Chavez School)

Learn About the Northeast and West Area Plans

Planning efforts are underway by the City of Madison to help shape the future of our West and Northeast neighborhoods. It’s part of a larger initiative to build better communities through the City’s recently approved Planning Framework. The Northeast Area Plan and West Area Plan will be the first under this new model that will ultimately cover the entire city. Guided by overarching City policies and feedback from stakeholders, these Area Plans will guide physical changes that occur over time in our community such as land use, housing, transit, streets, bike paths, and other community facilities.

Northeast Area Plan Public Meetings

• Virtual Meeting: Tuesday, January 31 at 12:00 p.m. Registration is required and can be completed on the project webpage.
• In-Person Meeting with Virtual Option: Tuesday, January 31 at 6:00 p.m. at the City Fleet Service Building, 4151 Nakoosa Trail. Registration for the virtual meetings is required and can be completed on the project webpage.

West Area Plan Public Meetings

• Virtual Meeting: Monday, February 6 at 12:00 p.m. Registration is required and can be completed on the project webpage.
• In-Person Meeting: Thursday, February 9 at 6:00 p.m. at Vel Phillips Memorial High School, 201 S. Gammon Rd. Enter front doors and look for directional signs. This meeting will have interpretation, childcare and food.
• Virtual Meeting: Monday, February 13 at 6:00 p.m. Registration is required and can be completed on the project webpage.

The 2023 Neighborhood Grant Program is Open! The guidelines and application are now on the City’s webpage! See the News Story for more info. Applications are due February 20 by 4:30 p.m.

See a video of what Junction Ridge Neighborhood Association and UJAMAA have done with the funds they received from the Neighborhood Grant Program!

Arts Grants Applications Open in February! The Madison Arts Commission’s annual grant program provides funding to support the arts across our community. Applications and guidelines will be posted to our website in February: https://www.cityofmadison.com/artsgrants. Applications will be due March 15, 2023. A virtual grant writing workshop will be held in mid-February and will be recorded and made available on our website.

Want to stay in touch about calls for art, grant opportunities, project and event announcements? Subscribe to the Madison Arts Email List & Enter to win a $50 Visa gift card! The Madison Arts Commission is launching a more formal e-newsletter. Our new system will produce more user-friendly and accessible emails, however it does not allow us to transfer existing contacts. For that reason, we invite you and your network to subscribe to our new email list.

The Spring Primary is on Feb. 21, 2023 Sample ballots will be available for viewing by address on the MyVote Wisconsin website at least 21 days prior to Election Day. In Wisconsin, a Spring Primary is necessary when more than two people declare they are running for the same non-partisan office that is up for election in the Spring Election. There are a number of offices that will be on the ballot in February including Supreme Court Justice; Mayor; Alderperson, District 2; Alderperson, District 3; Alderperson, District 4; Alderperson, District 9; Alderperson, District 10; Alderperson, District 12; Alderperson, District 14; Alderperson, District 20. For each race listed above, the two candidates who receive the most votes will advance to the Spring Election ballot. The Spring Election is on April 4, 2023.

The City of Madison Assessor’s Office website allows you to find out which Aldermanic district you live in. Search by your address on the Property Look-up page. Your Aldermanic district will be listed under “City Hall.” If you live in Aldermanic districts 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 12, 14, or 20, you will see the primary races for your district on your ballot.

Streets Division Updates

• Don’t forget to vote for the names of the snowplows!  The election closes at 8:00pm on Friday, February 3.  Make sure to tell your friends and family to vote as well.  The election can be found at www.wisaltwise.com/NameThesePlows
• Your 2023 trash & recycling calendars are available at www.cityofmadison.com/CollectionSchedule
• Your 2023 Recyclopedias should be available sometime in February.  There were some last minute changes that needed to be made that’s delaying their arrival.  Once we have them they will be available in all Madison libraries. Stay tuned for updates.
• We still have a long way to go to get through winter, so if you haven’t done so already, now would be a good time to go to www.cityofmadison.com/Winter. Sign up for snow plowing updates to get emails about what city plows are doing in response to storms.  Sign up for sidewalk clearing alerts so you know when you have to shovel your walks to avoid a ticket from Building Inspection.  And there’s plenty of other information on there as well.

New South Madison Tax Incremental Financing District Proposed

The City of Madison is seeking approval of a new Tax Increment Financing (TIF) district (TID 51) that will provide an estimated $115 million in financial support, including $99 million in TIF funding, for South Madison.

The 2023 Neighborhood Grant Program is Open! The guidelines and application are on the City’s webpage! See the News Story for more info. Applications are due February 20 by 4:30 p.m. What will you and your neighbors do? Start exploring ideas for physical improvements and leadership and capacity building initiatives. Consider attending an optional workshop to learn more: January 19, 12:00 p.m. via Zoom. Advanced registration is required. Register here and you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. You may also attend the workshop in person on January 19, 5:00 p.m. at the Madison Municipal Building, 215 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Room 206.

Transit-Oriented Development. The Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) Overlay Zoning draft ordinance will be in front of Council on January 17th. More information on TOD Overlay Zoning is available on the project website.

Arts Grants Applications Open in February! The Madison Arts Commission’s annual grant program provides funding to support the arts across our community. Applications and guidelines will be posted to our website in February: https://www.cityofmadison.com/artsgrants. Applications will be due March 15, 2023. A virtual grant writing workshop will be held in mid-February and will be recorded and made available on our website.

Want to stay in touch about calls for art, grant opportunities, project and event announcements? Subscribe to the Madison Arts Email List & Enter to win a $50 Visa gift card! The Madison Arts Commission is launching a more formal e-newsletter. Our new system will produce more user-friendly and accessible emails, however it does not allow us to transfer existing contacts. For that reason, we invite you and your network to subscribe to our new email list.

Streets Division Updates

• Your 2023 trash and recycling calendar is available at www.cityofmadison.com/CollectionSchedule.
• The final round of holiday collection begins after the Martin Luther King Jr, holiday. If you have yet to place your tree out for pickup, now is your last chance. For more information about the schedule, check the Holiday Tree Collection page at www.cityofmadison.com/Winter

2023 Neighborhood Grant Program guidelines and application are now available on the City’s webpage! See the News Story for more info. Grant applications are due February 20 by 4:30 p.m. What will you and your neighbors do? Start exploring ideas for physical improvements and leadership and capacity building initiatives. Consider attending an optional workshop to learn more: January 19, 12:00 p.m. via Zoom. Advanced registration is required. Register here and you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. You may also attend the workshop in person on January 19, 5:00 p.m. at the Madison Municipal Building, 215 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Room 206.

Transit-Oriented Development

The Planning Division will be hosting a virtual public meeting on Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) Overlay Zoning on Thursday, January 12th at 6pm.  Advanced signup is required.  The meeting will contain information from previous public meetings and Committee meetings covering what TOD Overlay Zoning is, why it is being pursued, and the various components of the drafted ordinance that will be in front of Council on January 17th.  We will be showing some information and case studies on how the TOD Overlay relates to national and local historic districts due to the additional interest in that topic generated by the Transportation Policy and Planning Board’s and Plan Commission’s recommendations to Council that historic districts be included within the Overlay area.  More information on TOD Overlay Zoning is available on the project website. 

Greater Madison Music City (GMMC) report is available on the Madison Arts website. It gives an overview of economic impact and a regulatory assessment of our music scene. It concludes with recommendations to build inclusivity, create jobs, and drive sustainable tourism across all communities and demographics in the Greater Madison Area. See executive summary HERE.

Streets Division Updates:

• Get your 2023 trash & recycling collection calendars from www.cityofmadison.com/CollectionSchedule
• Plowy McPlowface?  Meltin’ John? The Streets and Engineering Divisions need your help in naming some winter snowfighting equipment.  Here’s a link to see the pictures of the trucks up for naming and more details: https://www.cityofmadison.com/streets/maintenance/NameThesePlows.cfm
• Holiday tree collection is ongoing! You have missed the first round, so don’t miss the second.  Here’s the link to learn more about when to set the trees out: https://www.cityofmadison.com/residents/winter/residents/tree.cfm
• Are you salting your sidewalks and driveways correctly?  You can learn more about the right way to do it so you are not wasting salt and also hurting our waterways.  Check out Wisconsin Salt Wise’s page for more information: https://www.wisaltwise.com/

City Updates Salt Use Ordinance for Public Sidewalks  The City of Madison new ordinance limits the use of salt or other melting agents to the amount necessary to treat the ice so it can be removed. The new change also allows the City to educate and enforce salt standards to property owners who use too much salt or melting agents. The goal of the ordinance change will keep sidewalks safe for pedestrians and also help the community cut down on salt use, which helps our area waterways. When salt moves into local waters, it contributes to making the City’s lakes and groundwater more salty, which is a public health concern.

Rules for Property Owners

• Excess salt and chemical melting agents may not accumulate on the sidewalk and must be removed following ice or snow melt.     
• The owner of each lot or part of lot shall remove all snow and ice upon the sidewalk abutting the premises owned no later than noon of the day after the snow or ice has accumulated on the sidewalk, regardless of the source of accumulation.
• The owner of property abutting sidewalks on two intersecting streets shall remove all snow and ice from the sidewalks of both streets, including that portion of the sidewalks bordering the crosswalk, including the curb ramp, if any, regardless of the source of the snow accumulation.
• First offense: $124; second offense: $187

The City’s Building Inspection Division will be responsible for enforcing the new ordinance.

Recycling Updates:

• Master Recycler Courses Returning in 2023: There will be two more chances to take the master recycler course this year with Sustain Dane.  They’re still finalizing the dates, but it’s looking like they will happen in April and July.  Keep your eyes peeled when those dates become available so either you, or your neighbors, can sign up to take part of this class.  The Sustain Dane website for your Master Recycler information is www.sustaindane.org/Better
• Drop-off Sites for 2023
  • The Badger Rd drop-off site will remain closed.  The construction to rebuilding the salt and sand storage facilities is finally due to get underway in 2023 after being delayed in 2022.  It is highly unlikely that a drop-off site will return to the Badger Rd location post construction in 2024.
  • For the spring through the fall of 2023, the drop-off sites will operate just like they did in 2022.
  • More information about the drop-off sites will be available in the updated Recyclopedias once they arrive in libraries, and also on the drop-off site website, www.cityofmadison.com/DropOffSites.
• Food Scraps Recycling in 2023
  • The drop-off sites at the McPike Park and South Madison farmer’s markets will return this year.  The official start date hasn’t been nailed down quite yet.  Stay tuned.
  • If you have not signed up to receive news releases from the City, please do so.  All the digital noise and national news drowns out local information quite easily these days, so signing up to get information straight form the City directly is a good way to combat that.
  • To do this, go to www.cityofmadison.com/News and scroll down until you see the Subscribe to City of Madison News Update field on the right-hand side of the page.  Enter your email address into the blank and click “Subscribe.”
• Sustainability Campus
  • Progress on the Dane County sustainability campus continues to move forward.  A firm was recently selected to help lead the master planning process of the facility.  This is going to be a process that will take a few years, and there will be multiple opportunities to learn more and stay engaged with this development.
  • If you are interested to learn more, check out the Dane County website dedicated to this project: https://landfill.countyofdane.com/projects/WastandRenewableProjects/Sustainability-Campus

The upcoming network redesign for the Madison Metro Bus is scheduled to change June 11^th 2023. Each individual’s experience will vary depending on if they use the Metro, where they live, and where they need to go. One of the goals in the redesign is to increase frequency of service, which results in some riders having further to walk/travel than they are used to.

Currently, there are individual route maps that pertain to the redesign in June. https://www.cityofmadison.com/metro/documents/Individual_Route_Maps_Dec-22_final.pdf
While all the routes may be important for individual trips, our neighborhood will have service most directly available on Routes D2 and E.