The City has a nice explanation of what you need to consider if you’re looking at putting in a fence: https://www.cityofmadison.com/development-services-center/1-2-family-residential/repairs-replacements/fence-or-hedge

If you are in the Sandstone Ridge subdivisions, there are additional approvals required, due to the neighborhood covenants. You can see those requirements here: https://www.cityofmadison.com/development-services-center/documents/Sandstone%20PD%20-%20Fences%20Handout.pdf

Mad Lit Starts Today July 1^st!

Tonight, Mad Lit will return to the top of State Street with shows every other Friday from 8-11 pm. A list of this year’s performers is available now at https://ourgmmc.org/madlit . The first night will feature KIC, Alise Mosely, RSHN 6 and DJ Terrence J.

Parks Alive Continues — Aldo Leopold Park July 5th and Owl Creek Park July 7th! Free Food, Games, and More

Parks Alive is a collaborative effort across multiple City departments and involves many community-based stakeholders and mobile resources. Click on the Parks Division events calendar to see Parks Alive and other events and activities:  https://www.cityofmadison.com/parks/calendar.

Aldo Leopold Park, July 5 – 1pm to 5pm   Directions  Bike  Bus

Owl Creek Park, July 7 – 1pm to 4pm   Directions  Bike  Bus

Allied Park, July 11 – 4pm to 7pm   Directions  Bike  Bus

Worthington Park, July 12- 4pm to 7pm  Directions  Bike  Bus

Warner Park, July 13 – 4pm to 7pm  Directions  Bike  Bus

Penn Park, July 14 – 1pm to 4pm  Directions  Bike  Bus

Streets Division

We’re down to the last week to vote for the name of the compactors at our sites! The election is close, too! If you haven’t voted yet, you still have time.  The election ends on July 5, 2022.  Also, if you haven’t shared this with your social media audiences, you still have time for that, too. The names with the top votes so far …

Trash Compactor 

Name	Points
1.    Rosie the Rubbisher	2,391
2.    Crush Farley	1,997
3.    Trashy McTrashface	1,976
4.    Squashbob Trashpants	1,860
5.    Alexander Cramilton	1,839

Recycling Compactor

Name	Points
1.    Sir Crushalot	1,955
2.    Stone Cold Squeeze Often	1,935
3.    George Squashington	1,924
4.    Pulverine	1,769
5.    Ron Squeezely	1,709

Please vote now!

Town of Madison Attachment

In preparation for the Town of Madison Attachment, the City held an in-person Public Information Meeting on June 9 at Penn Park. Approximately 50 people attended and over 25 City staff were available to answer questions. The meeting was not recorded but meeting notes are available on the Town of Madison Attachment website. Click HERE to read the notes and HERE to see the handouts that were distributed at the meeting.

Monthly HUD-Approved Homebuyer Education Classes

The City of Madison is happy to partner with Home Buyers Round Table and Consumer Credit Counseling Service to provide monthly HUD-Approved Homebuyer Education Classes for City of Madison and Dane County residents!

Home Buyers Round Table in collaboration with Consumer Credit Counseling Service will be hosting a FREE HUD-Approved Homebuyer Education Class on Saturday, June 25^th   (8am-3pm)! Take the first step to owning a home by signing up and learning from the experts. Registration is required by June 23^rd, register by clicking here or going to tinyurl.com/3a87ptn9.

Parks Alive to Bring Free Food, Games, and More to 8 City Parks!

Parks Alive is a collaborative effort across multiple City departments and involves many community-based stakeholders and mobile resources. Click on the Parks Division events calendar to see Parks Alive and other events and activities:  https://www.cityofmadison.com/parks/calendar.

Juneteenth Celebration

Meet us in Penn Park on Saturday June 18 from 10am – 6pm 

Juneteenth is the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States. From the beginning, Madison’s Juneteenth Celebration has been a family-centered, wholesome, drug-and alcohol-free event that children and families could enjoy. The Celebration’s mission is to unite Madison’s Black community in a positive way and improve its quality of life through the positive reinforcement of its heritage, culture, and accomplishments, as well as enhancing its ability to become an effective part of the greater Madison community. 

Make Music Madison June 21^st!

• This is friendly reminder to go out this upcoming Tuesday and enjoy live music everywhere in the City. Make Music Madison is an annual one-day, city-wide, free, community music celebration held on the Summer Solstice, June 21st. All genres, styles of music, skill levels, and ages of musicians use public and private spaces throughout our community to share their talent.  Check the schedule here

Streets Division

Clean-up operations from the June 13 storm will continue through the week and onto Saturday. Collection will resume next week following the Juneteenth holiday. Residents planning on using the Olin Avenue drop-off site on Saturday, June 18, 2022 should be prepared for large vehicle traffic, dust, noise, and potential delays. You may want to choose either the Sycamore Avenue or South Point Road drop-off sites.

Parks Alive to Bring Free Food, Games, and More to 8 City Parks!

• Parks Alive is a collaborative effort across multiple City departments and involves many community-based stakeholders and mobile resources. Click on the following parks to see dates, times and activities for Aldo Leopold Park, Allied Park, Darbo/Worthington Park, Elver Park, Meadowood Park, Owl Creek Park, Penn Park and Warner Park.  Parks Alive is a great opportunity for residents to come out to local parks, build community, strengthen relationships, and have fun!

Make Music Madison June 21^st!

• Imagine a warm day, the first day of summer to be exact, filled with music. You hear sounds meandering from live musicians performing at your neighborhood park, or from your favorite restaurant patio, or on the sidewalk outside your local library. This summer party is called Make Music Madison, an annual one-day, city-wide, free, community music celebration held on the Summer Solstice, June 21st. All genres, styles of music, skill levels, and ages of musicians use public and private spaces throughout our community to share their talent.  Last year the event featured 312 concerts at 112 venues with over 1000 individual musicians. Check the schedule and checkout performances on June 21^st in your neighborhood or another location in our wonderful City!

Streets Division Updates

• There will be an electronics recycling event on Saturday, June 4 at Warner Park from 8:00am to 1:00pm. You will be able to recycle televisions, computers, monitors, and more for free!  This event is being put on by Universal Recycling Technology with funding help from Samsung.
• Food scraps recycling begins on Tuesday, June 14 at two neighborhood farmer’s markets. The markets will be the South Madison Farmer’s Market and the Eastside Farmer’s Market. For details on locations, time, and restrictions, visit the Streets Division website.
• The Streets Division is running a contest to name the compactors at the Sycamore Ave. drop-off site. The deadline to submit your ideas if June 7. Click here for photos and details on how to submit your name idea – and yes, we’ve received plenty of Trashy McTrashface suggestions, so we’re looking for some interesting, silly, or very strained puns. Let us know what you got.
• The Resource Recovery Special Charge will begin showing up on Municipal Services Bill starting in August.  Everyone who receives City of Madison recycling collection will receive this bill.  To learn how much it will cost and the reason why it was created in the budget that was passed last year visit the FAQ page on the Streets Division website.

Neighborhood Resource Trailer

• The Neighborhood Resource Trailer is available to Madison community organizations such as neighborhood groups for neighborhood events. Events should focus on creating community connections, educational opportunities, healthy lifestyles and socialization. This is the community’s trailer to enjoy! The trailer includes:
  • o   Grill
  • o   Microphone & speaker
  • o   Table & chairs
  • o   Serving platform
  • o   Storage
  • o   Generator
  • o   Dry erase board

Salute to Veterans
Monday May 30, 9:15 AM Concert & 10 AM Ceremony (FREE)
Forest Hill Cemetery, 1 Speedway Rd, Madison
Bring a lawn chair.
Madison Veterans Council and VFW Band conducted by Jim Latimer
For information, call 608 835-9861

FREE Concerts in the Park
Thursdays July 7 through August 25, 7 PM
Rennebohm Park, 115 N. Eau Claire Ave, Madison
Bring a chair; bring a friend, enjoy toe-tapping music
Capitol City Band conducted by Jim Latimer
For information, call 608 835-9861

FREE patriotic concert
Monday July 4, 6:30 PM
Rennebohm Park, 115 N. Eau Claire Ave, Madison
Salute the Troops – then and now
Bring a lawn chair for listening comfort.
Capitol City Band conducted by Jim Latimer
Color Guard VFW Post 7591
For information, call 608 835-9861

Planning Framework

A proposed Planning Framework was introduced at the Common Council on Tuesday May 10. It will simplify and standardize the City’s sub-area planning and make it more equitable. The Planning Division will focus on 13 higher-level “Area Plans” covering the entire City. These will be updated every 10 years, and be considered the guiding plan for future land use and infrastructure investment.

The City currently has nearly 70 adopted sub-area plans with a wide variety of content, all of which will be considered as a new Area Plan is created. Each Area Plan process will provide an opportunity to consider older sub-area plans for potential retirement, as outlined on page 126 of the Comprehensive Plan. The proposed Framework will be reviewed by multiple City committees.

Quick Overview and Deeper Dive Review Materials

• 8-minute video recording of the presentation staff will share with BCCs reviewing this proposal in the coming weeks.
• Links to detailed materials from the 1.5 year process to develop the Planning Framework which involved close coordination with Plan Commission and City agencies: March 24, 2022 Plan Commission meeting materials, video; December 14, 2020 and July 8, 2021 Plan Commission meeting materials, 2020 video, 2021 video

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact: Brian Grady, Principal Planner, bgrady@cityofmadison.com or Linda Horvath, Planner IV, at lhorvath@cityofmadison.com.

Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) Zoning

The Planning Division, in collaboration with Zoning staff, is working to implement a 2018 Comprehensive Plan call for implementation of “TOD overlay zoning” along planned BRT and other high-frequency transit corridors to “create development intensity minimums, reduce parking requirements, and support transit use.”  For more information, and to sign up for May 16^th public meetings on this effort, please visit the project web page. 

Support a Utility Box Installation

The Madison Arts Commission has created Support a Utility Box Installation to highlight, encourage and promote local artists by giving them exposure in the public realm. Artists are compensated $500 for a license of each image used in the program. This project’s funds will be used to pay artists and cover the costs of installing the art on utility boxes. Contributions of any size are welcome, but a $2,500 contribution will fully cover the cost of a box wrap in your neighborhood and a box in a neighborhood where there aren’t as many financial resources https://www.friendsofmadisonarts.org/.

Make Music Madison

Registration closes on May 25th at 11:59 PM. Learn more at http://www.makemusicmadison.org/.

As many of you are likely aware, SMNA had to cancel our annual meeting at the last-minute due to some venue issues. HyVee previously had a wine tasting room, which the community could book for meetings; however, they decided to convert that room to storage and cease doing community meetings in there. We were unable to identify an alternate venue on short notice, so we had to cancel.

Changing our venue requires a lot of legwork, so we’re making sure that we consider all of our options, as we intend long-term availability of the space. That’s why we decided to ask our fellow helpful neighbors.

If you know any local business owners or decision-makers that don’t mind our neighborhood association tying up a room at 7 pm, every two months, please let us know.

We’ll make sure Jeff calls them to talk to discuss details. Feel free to drop us a line about it – business@smna.org

Please be mindful of the following criteria:

1. The subject’s business is regularly open until ≥ 8:00 pm on Mondays. We don’t want to make custodians deal with letting people in/out of the building.
2. This room needs to be able to hold quite a few people. 20 x 20 ft, based on area, is a soft minimum size guideline. Our SMNA meetings are held once every two months. There is extra attendance when we have our annual meeting. Government officials, firefighters, and others with expert knowledge of our community speak solely for our annual meeting’s attendees.
3. We aim to keep its location within or near our neighborhood association’s boundaries. Those are available on our About page.

In short, this is a free opportunity for our selected local venue to draw extra attention to their business.

We’re respectful of others’ property. Unless specified differently, the meeting room is always put back in the same order as we found it.

Thanks for your help!

Stone Meadows Neighborhood Association (SMNA)

Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) Zoning

The Planning Division, in collaboration with Zoning staff, is working to implement a 2018 Comprehensive Plan call for implementation of “TOD overlay zoning” along planned BRT and other high-frequency transit corridors to “create development intensity minimums, reduce parking requirements, and support transit use.”  For more information, and to sign up for May 11^th and May 16^th public meetings on this effort, please visit the project web page. 

Silver Lining Awards to Honor Creativity, Dedication, and Perseverance during the Pandemic

Register now to attend the Silver Lining Awards on May 12, 2022. Creativity was pushed to new lengths throughout 2020/21. Madison Arts Commission (MAC), in partnership with Garver Events and presented by Friends of Madison Arts Commission (FoMAC), will honor individuals and organizations who shifted their practices to persevere through the pandemic. With more than 100 nominations received for 80 unique nominees, there are many wonderful stories to tell.

Support a Utility Box Installation

To help grow this popular community art project citywide, Friends of Madison Arts Commission developed a program to Support a Utility Box Installation in your neighborhood. In developing this program, the Madison Arts Commission intended this program to highlight, encourage and promote local artists by giving them exposure in the public realm. Artists are compensated $500 for a license of each image used in the program. This project’s funds will be used to pay artists and cover the costs of installing the art on utility boxes. Contributions of any size are welcome, but a $2,500 contribution will fully cover the cost of a box wrap in your neighborhood and a box in a neighborhood where there aren’t as many financial resources https://www.friendsofmadisonarts.org/.

Make Music Madison – Musician Registration!

Make Music Madison is a free, citywide, outdoor day of music held annually on the summer solstice. Initiated in Madison in 2013, our festival is part of the larger Make Music Day, an international summer solstice music celebration occurring in 1,000+ cities across the globe. The 2021 event featured 312 concerts at 112 venues with over 1,000 individual musicians. Registration to perform or host a performance opens this month. Learn more at http://www.makemusicmadison.org/.

City of Madison Musician List

Are you a local musician? Do you want to be part of the city’s musician list? Please contact Angela Puerta, City of Madison Planning Division, apuerta@cityofmadison.com

Streets Division Updates

• Spring yard waste collection is now over.  Do not place yard waste at the curb for pick-up.  Curbside yard waste pickup will resume in the fall.
• You can take yard waste and other items to one of the Streets Division drop-off sites.  Here is the website for the hours and locations of the sites: www.cityofmadison.com/DropOffSites.
• Brush collection is ongoing.  To learn when you should set out brush at your home for pickup, go to www.cityofmadison.com/BrushCollection.
• If you have questions about the Resource Recovery Special Charge, there is an FAQ page on the Streets Division website explaining it. The website is www.cityofmadison.com/Recycling.
• We are hiring! If you, or someone you know, has a Class B commercial driver’s license and would like to drive our snowplows (and other heavy trucks) for a living, then apply today for the Street Machine Operator 1 position.

Covid cases are on the rise!

Please get your booster if you have not done it yet. The CDC looks at several metrics to determine these levels, including cases per 100,000 residents, new hospitalizations, and hospital bed capacity recorded over the past seven days. While several metrics are considered, Dane County’s case activity is what tipped our county into the medium level. Our case activity has been increasing since late March, with a current 7-day average of 159 cases per day. For more information visit publichealthmdc.com/coronavirus

Earth Day Challenge

• Celebrate Earth Day with neighbors and friends by volunteering to clean up your neighborhood park during the Earth Day Challenge! Assist with trash pickup, raking, weeding, removing sticks, and more. Event is on Earth Day, Saturday April 23, 2022. All ages are welcome to participate. Advanced registration is required for anyone 10 years and older: https://www.cityofmadison.com/calendar/earth-day-challenge-2022 Cleanups at most of the parks will be from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. unless otherwise noted on the registration page. Parks already full and with no volunteer openings are not listed.

Support a Utility Box Installation

• To help grow this popular community art project citywide, Friends of Madison Arts Commission developed a program to Support a Utility Box Installation in your neighborhood. In developing this program, the Madison Arts Commission intended this program to highlight, encourage and promote local artists by giving them exposure in the public realm. Artists are compensated $500 for a license of each image used in the program. This project’s funds will be used to pay artists and cover the costs of installing the art on utility boxes. Contributions of any size are welcome, but a $2,500 contribution will fully cover the cost of a box wrap in your neighborhood and a box in a neighborhood where there aren’t as many financial resources https://www.friendsofmadisonarts.org/.

Streets Division Updates

• New drop-off site hours and locations have begun!  Be sure you know which sites are open and where they are before loading your vehicle.  Get that information at www.cityofmadison.com/DropOffSites.
• Yard waste collection for the spring is wrapping up soon.  Be sure you know when you should be setting out yard waste at www.cityofmadison.com/YardWaste.
• Brush collection is ongoing.  Get the dates when you should be setting out brush at www.cityofmadison.com/BrushCollection.
• April is Earth Month! One easy way to celebrate is to be sure you’re recycling the right stuff. For example – just because it’s plastic doesn’t mean it goes into your recycling cart.  Get the rules at www.cityofmadison.com/Recycling.
• You may have seen a news story or social media posting regarding a Resource Recovery Special Charge.  This charge was part of the 2022 operating budget. It is designed to remove paying for recycling from the general fund and instead pay for that service via a special charge.  The charge was created to free up budget space in the general fund to avoid cuts to all City services that rely on the general fund.  The special charge is working its way through the Common Council process right now to create the ordinance and policy. As part of that process, a comprehensive presentation about the special charge was given to the Finance Committee on April 11.  Here is a YouTube link to that presentation  that discusses the charge so you can watch it, too.

Make Music Madison – Musician Registration!

• Make Music Madison is a free, citywide, outdoor day of music held annually on the summer solstice. Initiated in Madison in 2013, our festival is part of the larger Make Music Day, an international summer solstice music celebration occurring in 1,000+ cities across the globe. The 2021 event featured 312 concerts at 112 venues with over 1,000 individual musicians. Registration to perform or host a performance opens this month. Learn more at http://www.makemusicmadison.org/.

City of Madison Musician List

• Are you a local musician? Do you want to be part of the city’s musician list? Please contact Angela Puerta, City of Madison Planning Division, apuerta@cityofmadison.com

(to the best of our knowledge, the City of Madison has not embedded any April Fools jokes in here)

Voters are encouraged to confirm their polling place before Election Day! Many polling places in the City of Madison have changed because of redistricting. The City of Madison Clerk’s Office sent postcards to voters in areas impacted by polling place changes in early March. April 5 Election – Voters can view a sample ballot for their address on the MyVote Wisconsin website: www.MyVote.WI.gov .

City CARES Team for Mental Health Emergencies Now Answering Calls City-Wide

On September 1, 2021, the City of Madison launched its Community Alternative Response for EmergencyServices (CARES) Team to respond to nonviolent 911 calls for mental health emergencies. The City announced that CARES Teams, made up of community paramedics and crisis workers, would spend a year learning and innovating before expanding the program in future budgets.

Make Music Madison – Musician Registration Opens & Matchmaking Begins TODAY! –  Make Music Madison is a free, citywide, outdoor day of music held annually on the summer solstice. Initiated in Madison in 2013, our festival is part of the larger Make Music Day, an international summer solstice music celebration occurring in 1,000+ cities across the globe. The 2021 event featured 312 concerts at 112 venues with over 1,000 individual musicians. Registration to perform or host a performance opens this month. Learn more athttp://www.makemusicmadison.org/.

Streets Division Updates

• The Badger Road drop-off site is now closed. It will remain closed until at least the spring of 2023.
• The drop-off site at 402 South Point Rd has replaced the Badger Rd site as the west side drop-off site.
• On April 4, a special temporary drop-off site will open at 121 E. Olin Avenue for certain evenings and weekends.
• Also on April 4, the South Point Rd and 4602 Sycamore Ave. drop-off sites expand their hours.
• Yard waste collection begins April 4.  Learn when you should put out your yard waste for collection at www.cityofmadison.com/YardWaste.  You only get 2 collections in the spring, so look up the dates now so you don’t miss out.
  • Yard waste is weeds, leaves, grass clippings and similar material you have pulled or raked from your lawn or garden.
• Brush collection begins April 4.  Learn when you should put out your brush for collection at www.cityofmadison.com/BrushCollection.  You get five brush pickups a year.
  • Brush is woody material you have cut from a tree, shrub, or bush.
• There’s still time to join the April Master Recycler class with Sustain Dane & the City of Madison. Sign-ups are available at www.sustaindane.org/Better.
• Ever been curious about what happens to your recycling after it’s collected? Check out this video that shows how Pellitteri sorts the recyclables collected by the Streets Division.

Madison Police Department seeking community input on policing will host focus groups as part of strategic plan. Each one of MPD’s six patrol districts will host a meeting. The meeting will cover broad themes on topics such as community trust, the role of police, community policing, crime and safety, and police staffing.

Below is a list of dates and times for each district’s meeting. 

North District: April 4, 6:30 – 8 p.m.
East District: April 5, 6:30 – 8 p.m.
Central District: April 7, 6:30 – 8 p.m.
West District: April 11, 6:30 – 8 p.m.
Midtown District: April 12 6:30 – 8 p.m.
South District: April 13, 6:30 – 8 p.m.

Earth Day Challenge – Celebrate Earth Day with neighbors and friends by volunteering to clean up your neighborhood park during the Earth Day Challenge! Assist with trash pickup, raking, weeding, removing sticks, and more. Event is on Earth Day, Saturday April 23, 2022. All ages are welcome to participate. Advanced registration is required for anyone 10 years and older:  https://www.cityofmadison.com/calendar/earth-day-challenge-2022 Cleanups at most of the parks will be from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. unless otherwise noted on the registration page. Parks already full and with no volunteer openings are not listed.