A neighborhood association is a group of residents, property owners, and business representatives who devote their time and energy to enhance a geographic area. Neighborhood associations, their publications, and the neighborhood meetings they organize are neighborhood improvement forums. Through neighborhood association activities, residents meet neighbors, exchange ideas, identify priorities, highlight neighborhood strengths, and implement neighborhood improvements through partnerships with local businesses, City staff, and elected City officials.
Neighborhood Association Registration
Registration for new neighborhood associations requires three simple steps. First, determine the geographic boundaries of the neighborhood your association will serve. Second, place a Class II public notice in the Capital Times that notifies the general public of the neighborhood boundaries and the election of officers. Third, send a copy of the Class II notice, a map depicting the neighborhood’s boundaries, and the name, address, and phone number of a contact person to the Neighborhood Planner.
Jule Stroick, Neighborhood Planner
Planning Unit
Municipal Building, Rm. LL-100
215 Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd.
Madison, WI 53703
Phone: 267-8744 Fax: 267-8739
e-mail: jstroick@cityofmadison.com
Neighborhood Association Database
The City’s neighborhood association database, maintained and updated monthly by the Department of Planning and Development, is used by many City agencies to send important notices. The database is also used by Alderpersons, community-based groups, businesses, and developers who want to build relationships with neighborhood associations. In order for your neighborhood association to receive important notices, you should inform the Department of Planning and Development of any changes in your neighborhood association’s contact address or the geographic boundaries your association serves.
Ruth Ethington, Planning Unit
Municipal Building, Rm. LL-100
215 Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd.
Madison, WI 53703
Phone: 267-8727 Fax: 267-8739
e-mail: rethington@cityofmadison.com
The following City resources assist neighborhood associations with organizational improvements, technical support, and neighborhood improvement information.
Technical Assistance
The Department of Planning and Development provides technical information to help neighborhood associations learn about existing neighborhood conditions, recent land use and development trends, existing plans for development and growth, and the preparation of neighborhood plans. Planning and Development staff can answer questions and provide neighborhood associations with available information such as U.S. Census statistics on neighborhood housing and demographic conditions, land use maps, existing City planning documents, and resources to help neighborhood associations develop neighborhood plans. In addition, staff can refer neighborhood associations to other City agencies for information and technical assistance.
Dept. of Planning and Development
Municipal Building, Rm. LL-100
215 Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd.
Madison, WI 53703
Phone: 266-4635 Fax: 267-8739
e-mail: rethington@cityofmadison.com
Planning Councils
To help cultivate coalitions of neighborhood associations, the City of Madison (in conjunction with Dane County, Madison Metropolitan School District, United Way of Dane County, Madison Community Foundation, and the Town of Madison) provides funding support for two Planning Councils. The major objectives of the Northside Planning Council and the South Metropolitan Planning Council are to: 1) establish new neighborhood associations; 2) provide information and technical assistance to neighborhood associations; 3) increase participation of residents in municipal decision-making; and 4) plan, prioritize, and monitor the disbursement of health and human services funds allocated to the councils. Each Planning Council develops a mission statement and annual work plans to reflect the needs and priorities of residents within the planning council area. It is anticipated that additional Planning Councils will be created in the future as financial resources allow for expansion.
Bruce Newton
Office of Community Services
Municipal Building, Rm. 225
215 Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd.
Madison, WI 53703
Phone: 266-6563 Fax: 261-9626
e-mail: bnewton@cityofmadison.com
The Department of Planning and Development produces several publications that provide valuable information for Madison’s neighborhood associations.
A Guide to Madison’s Neighborhood Associations
Produced and updated bi-annually by the Department of Planning and Development, A Guide to Madison’s Neighborhood Associations is a vital information source for neighborhood associations that wish to cultivate relationships with one another. This document provides a neighborhood association map, descriptions of neighborhood assets and demographic characteristics, and contact names, addresses, and phone numbers for Madison’s 100+ neighborhood associations. For more information, contact the Neighborhood Planner.
Jule Stroick, Neighborhood Planner
Planning Unit
Municipal Building, Rm. LL-100
215 Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd.
Madison, WI 53703
Phone: 267-8744 Fax: 267-8739
e-mail: jstroick@cityofmadison.com
Building Blocks
Building Blocks is the first in an anticipated series of neighborhood improvement guidebooks produced by the Department of Planning and Development. Building Blocks describes how neighborhood associations can build partnerships with residents, businesses, non-profit organizations, and City agencies to accomplish neighborhood improvement projects such as neighborhood identification signs, park improvements, public art, and business district improvements. Anticipated future documents in the series will focus on capacity-building and leadership improvements for neighborhood associations and accessing neighborhood-based City service resources.
Jule Stroick, Neighborhood Planner
Planning Unit
Municipal Building, Rm. LL-100
215 Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd.
Madison, WI 53703
Phone: 267-8744 Fax: 267-8739
e-mail: jstroick@cityofmadison.com
Neighborhood Network
The City’s neighborhood association newsletter, Neighborhood Network, provides up-to-date City access information including neighborhood improvement success stories and answers to questions submitted by neighborhood associations. It is the City’s forum for neighborhood associations to communicate resource information and success stories to one another. To submit questions and success stories from your neighborhood or to have your neighborhood association added to the Neighborhood Network mailing list, contact the Neighborhood Planner.
Jule Stroick, Neighborhood Planner
Planning Unit
Municipal Building, Rm. LL-100
215 Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd.
Madison, WI 53703
Phone: 267-8744 Fax: 267-8739
e-mail: jstroick@cityofmadison.com
Neighborhood Website
The City of Madison and the Wisconsin State Journal have joined resources to produce an internet website for Madison’s neighborhoods. In the beginning of 1998, the neighborhood website will be accessible through links to the City of Madison Home Page (http://www.cityofmadison.com/ planning/neighbor.html) and the Wisconsin State Journal’s “On the Move” website (http://www.madison. com/on.the.move/index.html). The neighborhood website will have a “point and click” map of City neighborhoods. Neighborhood statistics, neighborhood maps, and State Journal articles about neighborhoods – recent stories as well as articles from the State Journal archives – will be accessible through the neighborhood website.
Jule Stroick, Neighborhood Planner
Planning Unit
Municipal Building, Rm. LL-100
215 Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd.
Madison, WI 53703
Phone: 267-8744 Fax: 267-8739
e-mail: jstroick@cityofmadison.com
The City of Madison encourages neighborhood associations to work with district Alderpersons and City agencies to ensure effective neighborhood service delivery.
Neighborhood Resource Teams
Neighborhood resource teams promote the effective delivery of City services and resources to targeted neighborhoods (Allied, Broadway-Simpson, Langdon-State, Northside, South, Triangle, Truax-Worthington, Wexford, and Williamson). Comprised of staff from several City agencies working in these neighborhoods, Neighborhood Resource Teams help identify important neighborhood trends, coordinate municipal services, and identify service-delivery issues for pertinent City agencies to address.
Enis Ragland, Chief of Staff
Mayor’s Office
City-County Building, Rm. 403
210 Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd.
Madison, WI 53703
Phone: 266-4611 Fax: 267-8671
e-mail: mayor@cityofmadison.com