Author: secretary

We’ve had another recent rash of burglaries, including someone having their car stolen out of their garage on Christmas Eve.

So, just a few reminders to folks:

• Keep your vehicles locked – particularly if they’re outside
• Keep your garage doors closed – particularly if you are not in the garage or within eyesight of the door
• Do not leave your vehicle running unattended
• Do not leave your keys in your vehicle
• Keep the area around your vehicle/garage well-lit
• If you see your neighbor’s garage door open, let them know
• If you see anyone or anything suspicious, call the MPD

MONROE STREET ARTS CENTER

Contact: Suzan Baldwin

Phone: (608) 232-1510

Email: suzan@monroestreetarts.org

Arty Party 2020: Leap Into Our New Space

An evening of celebration and artistic expression in support of Monroe Street Arts

Monroe Street Arts Center returns to HotelRed for the annual Arty Party fundraiser on Saturday, February 29th. Guests are invited to follow the trail of games and activities, dine on delicious hors d’oeuvres, and raise a glass to Monroe Street Arts Center’s successful expansion!

The proceeds for the night go to support scholarships and summer programming. Since 1997, Monroe Street Arts Center has been committed to bringing people together to build a community for creative expression and appreciation for the arts. To that end, MSAC offers a scholarship fund for students who would otherwise not have access to art or music instruction. Last year, Monroe Street Arts provided classes and workshops for over 5,500 students.

Want to join the fun at Arty Party 2020? Tickets can be purchased online, $65 individually or $200 per group of 4, via this link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/14th-annual-fundraiser-benefiting-monroe-street-arts-center-tickets-82219204855.

Unable to attend? Your support is just as important. Donations can be made online at https://www.monroestreetarts.org/capitalcampaign

Interested in sponsoring the event? Please reach out to Executive Director, Monica Wahlberg, or submit your information online here: https://www.monroestreetarts.org/artyparty

See the letter below from the city traffic engineering department. There is a meeting next week, Wednesday December 11th at 5 PM, where they plan to discuss requests for traffic signals that were brought up throughout the past year, and intersections that they and the committee recommend for further study.

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The schedule for the Traffic Signal Priority List (TSPL) is planned as follows:

December 11: Opportunity offered at Transportation Commission (T.C.) meeting for comments (written or oral) from interested residents to be presented. Room 215, Madison Municipal Building, Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd, at 5:00 PM

February 12: Final Signal Priority List and Action Plan reviewed and adopted by T.C.

Please note that the December 11 meeting is your opportunity to offer comments on specific intersections.

Signal warrants are the framework for analyzing and comparing the need for traffic signal control at intersections. Madison’s Priority List is an annual effort to evaluate relative needs for traffic signal control at major unsignalized intersections. While all of the data on the Priority List is valuable, additional factors are also considered and evaluated before decisions to install signals are made. For example, an intersection with volumes somewhat below the minimum volumes to meet a signal warrant may still be a prime candidate for signals if volumes are expected to increase significantly in the immediate future. Conversely, intersections with volumes above the threshold for traffic signals may not be recommended for signals when accident rates or congestion are expected to worsen with signal control.

A copy of the 2019 Traffic Signal Priority list can be found here and detailed descriptions of signal warrants can be found here. A copy of the final 2018 Traffic Signal Priority List can be found at the city’s webpage: http://www.cityofmadison.com/trafficEngineering/trafficSignals.cfm

Jerry Schippa, Traffic Engineer (261-1969), can respond to any questions or comments you have regarding technical aspects of the priority list.

An open house meeting will be held next Thursday, December 12 to answer questions about the new Verona Road (US 18/151) configuration and discuss the 2020 construction activities on County PD/McKee Road in Fitchburg.

• When: 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Thursday, December 12, 2019
  No formal presentation is scheduled; stop by at your convenience.
• Where: Verona Road Project Field Office
  6200 Nesbitt Road, Suite B, Fitchburg, WI

Maps and exhibits of the Verona Road improvements will be on display, including the County PD reconstruction between Commerce Park Drive and Fitchrona Road. As a reminder, in spring 2020, permanent restrictions will occur at the County PD, Nesbitt Road and Kapec Road intersection. View the map of the permanent turn restrictions. Stop signs will be installed on the local roadways with free-flow left turns from County PD to Nesbitt Road and Kapec Road.

Also, staff from the city of Fitchburg will attend this open house meeting to answer any questions about the Fish Hatchery Road project.

One of our members, Lauren Grisa, recently set up a preschool playgroup.  The group meets weekly at local parks and children are encouraged to participate in social, educational, and creative activities.

She is also partnering with SSM St. Mary’s Care Center, on Maple Grove Drive, to have an intergenerational class, to have young children involved with and learn from the elderly folks at St. Mary’s. There is a trial class planned for January, and the goal is to have it every other week thereafter.

If you are interested in participating in either the playgroup or the class at St. Mary’s, please contact Lauren at laurengrisa@gmail.com.

REGISTER TODAY!  2019 Mayor’s Neighborhood Roundtable

Mayor’s Q&A, Affordable Housing and More! Click Here to Register: Mayor’s Neighborhood Roundtable 2019

Saturday, November 2, 2019 * Madison Public Library, 201 W. Mifflin Street

9:00 a.m. to Noon * Free of charge * Childcare, Language Interpretation and Light Refreshments

The City of Madison Mayor’s Neighborhood Roundtable 2019 will bring together hundreds of the most thoughtful, conscious, and caring people involved in neighborhoods across our city. Residents, neighborhood groups, nonprofits, faith-based leaders and local elected officials will all be under one roof.

Sponsored by MGE, this important event will feature:

• Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway Q&A
• Affordable housing 101, what’s happening in Madison, and ways neighbors/neighborhoods can help with affordable housing initiatives
• Community-based organizations’ successful neighborhood engagement efforts, and how neighbors/neighborhoods can make it happen in their areas
• Transportation initiatives
• And much more!

You’re guaranteed to make new connections, form new partnerships, and find out how your neighborhood can best shape its future.  It is also about expression –applauding creative ways neighbors achieved desired changes, and celebrating the work that residents do to make their block or larger neighborhood a better place.

If you have questions, please email us at neighborhoods@cityofmadison.com or call us at (608) 267-8727. PARA ESPANOL 608-267-8649

You can also receive updates by subscribing to Neighborhood Conferences, Roundtables & Training on the city’s webpage:  City of Madison Subscription Lists

Does Your City Government Work for You? Share Your Opinions with City Officials

The City of Madison Common Council created a Task Force on Government Structure (“TFOGS”) in 2018 to ask whether changes to city government could help the City work more effectively for all residents, specifically including residents of color and low income. 

This 11 member committee has been at work for the past 18 months discussing questions related to the powers and duties of the Mayor’s Office, the Common Council, and the City’s Boards, Commissions, and Committees.  Additionally, the TFOGS is looking very closely at whether the city’s current processes for obtaining resident engagement and participation effectively solicit and encourage resident input on city decision making. 

 As part of its work, TFOGS has reached out to former government officials, city staff, and city residents.  As it prepares to issue a final report to the Mayor and Common Council, the TFOGS is holding a series of resident open houses.  The last open house will be held in late September.

Date: Tuesday, September 24, 2018

Time: 5:00-8:00 p.m.

Location: Warner Park Community Center

1625 Northport Drive

Childcare and dinner will be provided.  Help shape Madison’s government by joining TFOGS at this exciting event where you can provide your ideas for ways that Madison can improve resident engagement and city decision making.

MSCR received a grant from the Friends of MSCR for more sewing machines which enabled them to expand their sewing classes to their westside location on Odana Road. Now there are sewing classes available for the community at MSCR East and MSCR Odana!

The 2020 Census is approaching.

The Census is a once-per-decade count of all people living in the United States that is mandated by the Constitution. The count will begin in mid-March of 2020 when most households will receive a mailed invitation to respond online or by phone.  Federal law requires the Census Bureau to keep personally identifiable census information confidential – it cannot be shared with any other governmental agencies, law enforcement, landlords, credit agencies, or anywhere else outside the Census Bureau.

The Census usually takes less than 10 minutes to complete, but brings 10 years of benefits. The Census informs how $675 billion of federal funds – an average of over $2,000 per person – will be allocated for things like affordable housing, childcare, healthcare, education, transit, roads, and more. The Census count is also important to ensure equal representation when drawing electoral districts – from aldermanic districts all the way to U.S. House of Representatives districts. District boundaries are based on the total population count – not the number of voters or citizens. Lack of a complete and accurate Census count can lead to underrepresentation in certain areas and a lack of funding for important community programs and infrastructure.

The City is actively publicizing the importance of the 2020 Census through a variety of channels, including working with the UW and MMSD, publicizing the census at community events, working with nonprofit community partners to spread the word, talking with local TV stations and newspapers, and more.  One effective avenue is also working through neighborhoods to inform people about the census and encourage people to fill out their census forms.  The City encourages residents to reach out to their neighbors to make sure everyone is aware of the 2020 Census and its importance. 

Visit www.cityofmadison.com/2020Census to find out more about what the City is doing and learn about 2020 Census events and updates, or visit www.2020census.gov for more from the Census Bureau.  The City of Madison wants to ensure all residents are counted – help shape our future by completing the Census next year!

Recognizing that conservation is water supply, Madison Water Utility and its customers are committed to using water efficiently. After surpassing a 2008 goal (one year early!) to reduce residential per-capita water use by twenty percent by 2020, MWU is updating its Water Conservation and Sustainability Plan to further improve efficiency.

To inform this process, Madison Water Utility wants to engage with their customers to better understand which incentives would be most effective in increasing water use efficiency still further. MWU is working with the WaterNow Alliance , in partnership with the online polling platform POLCO , to maximize public engagement. 

Public input will help guide Madison Water Utility as they plan for the next phase of water conservation and sustainability in Madison. The Toilet Rebate Program has saved more than a billion gallons of water in Madison. Now, the EVERY DROP MADISON initiative seeks community input on new conservation incentives and programs that will bring a new era of water stewardship and source water protection to our city.

You can find the poll at the following link:  https://www.cityofmadison.com/water/sustainability/take-our-every-drop-madison-poll