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!
US Census Coming in March 2020
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!
Madison Water Utility’s EVERY DROP MADISON poll
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
MadiSUN Program
MadiSUN is a program sponsored by the City of Madison to make going solar easy and affordable. This is the last year to take advantage of a full 30% Federal Tax Credit, which makes 2019 a great time to explore solar!
Since 2016, the MadiSUN Solar Program has helped homeowners across the area install solar-electric systems on their homes. Over 100 households have “gone solar” thanks to the program’s simplicity, reduced price, 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 with us!
Architectural Control Committee Update
For those of you in the Sandstone Ridge subdivision, the City of Madison has now taken over review for “minor alterations” to property, including requests to put up fences or decks. Any requests for those items, particularly if you are looking for a deviation/variance from the neighborhood covenants, should be directed to the City of Madison Planning Division. Important note: they will only consider requests for minor alterations.
Points of contact:
- Heather Stouder (608-266-5974)
- Matt Tucker (608-266-4569)
DreamUp WI Challenge
DreamUp WI is seeking innovators and change makers to submit their bright ideas to the 2019 DreamUp Challenge to help 10,000 Dane County Households increase their net income by 10% by 2022.
The most compelling ideas could advance through three rounds of competition, each offering a $20,000 prize to further develop proposals. Top teams can earn a chance to pitch their idea for up to an additional $1 million in catalytic funding from Schmidt Futures’ Alliance for the American Dream Initiative.
The Request for Proposals is available at: http://dreamup.wisc.edu/2019rfp. Proposals are due Oct. 1, 2019 by noon.
There are several ways you can participate, even if you do not have an idea…yet.
- Attend weekly DreamUp MeetUps starting Thursday, May 30, alternating weekly between the Pyle Center (702 Langdon St.) and UW South Madison Partnership (2312 S. Park St.).
- Help spread the word. Forward this email, share our social media posts @dreamupwi on Facebook and Twitter, and talk about it.
- Invite us to speak with your group or others who you think have ideas.
- Help support teams who have ideas as an advisor or subject matter expert. Respond to this email with details.
Visit dreamup.wisc.edu and see 2019 DreamUp WI for more information.
