Stone Meadows Neighborhood Association

• A new set of data (2020 Edition) has been added to the City of Madison’s Neighborhood Indicators Project (NIP)—a tracking system with trend data going back to 2008.  NIP was designed by the City of Madison in partnership with the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Applied Population Lab. Interested in learning more about NIP data and the NIP website?  The City of Madison Planning Division offers free workshops to local organizations.  Please contact Urvashi Martin at umartin@cityofmadison.com for more details.

• The South Madison Planning team will have in-person conversations at It Takes a Village
  • Madison Public Library is hosting an in-person, outdoor resource fair at Penn Park on Tuesday, June 29 from 12-5 p.m. Local residents can get connected to community services in a fun, informal environment. The South Madison Planning team will be sharing information and asking for public feedback on the DRAFT Recommendations and Strategies for the area, and the DRAFT Focus Area Concepts.

• Remember to Schedule Your Large Item Collection!
  • On June 1, the Streets Division began a new large item collection system where residents must schedule their large item pickup to guarantee collection. You can schedule your large item collection at www.cityofmadison.com/LargeItem.

• Movies with Madison Parks and more!
  • Now that COVID Public Health restrictions have been lifted, the City of Madison, Parks Division has created a series of community events that are free and accessible to the public. To learn more, check out City Parks Calendar.

New Eye-Catching Neighborhood Projects …

• June 12^th, 9-12 noon OPEN HOUSE at Warwick Way Gardens, Whenona Dr. and Warwick Way:  https://cmnna.org/ Crawford-Marlborough-Nakoma Neighborhood received a Neighborhood Grant in 2020 to enhance a greenspace that includes the Pollinator/Butterfly Garden and Rain Garden at Warwick Way and Whenona Drive.  In the last year, neighbors have added a picnic table, bench, bird house and bat roost box, and most recently two beautiful interpretive signs, illustrating the benefits of the Pollinator and Rain Gardens.

• Kayaking down Starkweather Creek just north of E. Washington Ave. you will happen upon the McCormick Avenue Bridge. Look up, and you will see Eken Park Neighborhood’s recent addition of freshly painted murals. The group received a Neighborhood Grant in 2019 for this project and worked with Dane Arts Mural Arts and local residents to make it happen last Saturday.

Madison Music …

• Madison neighborhoods are welcoming more outdoor amplified music this summer! This is allowing artists and musicians to more rapidly recover from the devastating economic down turn. This temporary permit was added to the Streatery Program and authorized by the Common Council on May 18^th. All restaurants, bars and concerts halls are allowed to provide outdoor music all Thursdays from 3pm-8pm and Fridays/Saturdays from 3pm-9pm. This permit will only last until April 14 2022. We appreciate your patience and understanding as artists have more opportunities to work again and music fans can celebrate, support economic recovery efforts, and strengthen our music ecosystem.   
• Make Music Madison returns in person on Monday, June 21! Patios, sidewalks, front porches, and parks all over the city will fill with song for anyone to enjoy! Schedule and Interactive Map – www.makemusicmadison.org/listings.

Spring Election  – Madison voters elected 8 new alders this Spring: District 5 Regina Vidaver; District 6 Brian Benford; District 8 Juliana Bennett; District 9 Nikki Conklin; District 10 Yannette Figueroa Cole; District 16 Jael Currie; District 17 Gary Halverson; and Distrct 18 Charles Myadze.  Official election results can be found on the Dane County webpage:  https://elections.countyofdane.com/. Visit the city’s webpage to find your alder:  https://www.cityofmadison.com/council/.  New alders will appear on the webpage after they are sworn in at the April 20 Common Council meeting.

Ride the Drive– the City of Madison Parks Division is excited to announce that this year’s Ride the Drive will be Sunday, June 6, 2021! For COVID safety, the Parks Division is attempting to disperse participation and better control crowds by offering four simultaneous neighborhood events with limited park activities.  As in previous years, the focal point remains a park with surrounding vehicle street closures allowing participants to stroll, roll, pedal or glide along the less than 3-mile route in a free event.  Maps for each of the routes are attached and include: Kennedy Park, 5202 Retana Drive; Marlborough Park, 2222 Whenona Drive; Warner Park, 2930 N. Sherman Avenue; Wingra Park, 824 Knickerbocker Street. Notification postcards are scheduled to be mailed in mid-May to home and business owners. Updates in the coming weeks can be found on RideTheDrive.com. Thank you your support of this Madison tradition that continues to promote a healthy, active lifestyle and outdoor recreation! Tracey Hartley, Recreation Services Coordinator, 608-267-4919, MADISON PARKS, ridethedrive@cityofmadison.com

Make Music Madison – will be live and back in person on Monday, June 21 for Make Music Day, the worldwide celebration kickin’ off summer! Musicians of all ages, genres, and skills are invited to register starting this Saturday. Play at a park, in front of a restaurant or out on the porch. You can schedule one short set or book as many shows as you like from 8:00 AM to 9:00 PM. 

Hello Stone Meadows Neighbors,

MadiSUN is a program sponsored by the City of Madison to make going solar easy and affordable. Since 2016, the MadiSUN Group Buy Program has helped homeowners across the area install solar-electric systems on their rooftops. Nearly 170 households have gone solar thanks to the program’s simplicity, reduced price, financing options and customer service.  

MadiSUN also offers incentives for business, nonprofits, and affordable housing providers.  Check out madisunsolar.com to learn more about how to go solar!

-The MadiSUN Team

Remember that Tuesday April 6 is the Spring election! Polls will open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. You may also cast an in-person absentee ballot today or tomorrow; City of Madison absentee voting information, locations and times can be found here. Election ballot will also ask Madison voters four advisory referendum questions about the size of the Madison Common Council, the amount of alderperson pay, the length of alderperson terms, and whether alderpersons should be subject to term limits.

The City of Madison Clerk’s Office has had to move many polling places since the February Spring Primary and the November General Election. Voters are encouraged to check whether their polling place has changed if they plan to vote on Tuesday, April 6.

Eviction Moratorium has been extended to June 30, 2021. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) extended the federal eviction moratorium, which was set to expire on March 31, 2021. The moratorium will remain in effect through June 30, 2021. The latest order specifies that individuals who have already submitted a signed declaration are notrequired to submit a new declaration. It also modifies and clarifies language around applicability of the moratorium. The portion of the order that describes who is protected by the moratorium is attached.  

 The White House coupled the announcement from CDC with a fact sheet on how the Biden-Harris Administration continues to support renters and landlords during the coronavirus pandemic. Namely, the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (P.L. 117-2) provides an additional funding for jurisdictions to administer the Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP), locally known as the Dane CORE. Property owners and renters are able to apply.

Get Green with the City this Spring. You too can be a part of spring-cleaning in outdoor Madison, getting outside while beautifying and protecting our local environment. Click here for more information.