Office Hours, Redistricting, Operating Budget, Brush Collection, Vision Zero and Other Highlights for the Week of October 4, 2021

October Office Hours

I will be hosting office hours this week on Thursday (October 7) from 4:30pm to 6:30pm. I will be using Zoom (with video): REGISTER

Please use the registration above to get the Zoom link. When you register, you'll also get an e-mail reminder on the day of Office Hours. You can register in advance or the day of.

Note: I have set it up so I can only meet one person at a time. If I'm meeting with someone else, there will be a small waiting period in a meeting lobby. If you don't want to use Zoom, I will be answering calls (608-912-0000) during this time as long as I'm not speaking with someone else. 

If you have a question, concern, or topic of interest that you would like to discuss, but Thursday doesn't work for you, you can e-mail me.

Mayor's 2022 Executive Operating Budget

On Tuesday, the Mayor will release her proposed 2022 Executive Operating Budget. Last month, the Mayor released her 2022 Executive Capital Budget which has been modified by the Finance Committee. Both budgets are/will be viewable at the City's Budget website. The Finance Committee will hold hearings on the Operating Budget in October.

• Hearings are scheduled for Monday, October 11th and Tuesday, October 12. These meetings will include an opportunity for public comment and presentations by each City department.
• The Finance Committee will consider amendments to the Operating Budget on October 25th.

The full Common Council will debate and approve both budgets in November.

Redistricting Process

During their September 30 meeting, the Ad Hoc Redistricting Committee indicated a strong preference for Alder District Concept 7a.  Concept 7a was one of three new Alder District Concepts developed in response to community feedback received.  Staff is developing proposed Wards and Polling Places based on Concept 7a.  The Committee will review these proposed Wards and Polling Places during their Monday (Oct. 4) and Thursday (Oct. 7) meetings.

I was surprised to see that boundaries of District 19 will change very little in the proposed 7a map.

The Ad Hoc Redistricting Committee is continuing to discuss redistricting options at is meeting on Monday.

• Meeting Details
• Meeting Agenda
• Register for Public Comment

Draft Historic Preservation Ordinance

The Landmarks Committee is discussing a draft changes to the historic preservation ordinance at its meeting on Monday.

• Meeting Details
• Meeting Agenda
• Register for Public Comment

Greater East Towne Area Plan and South Madison Plan

The Plan Commission will be receiving updates on the Greater East Towne Area and South Madison plans at its meeting on Monday.

• Meeting Details
• Meeting Agenda
• Register for Public Comment

Bartillon Drive and Zeier Road

The City-County Homeless Issues Committee is taking action on resolutions related to the Bartillon Drive and Zeier Road properties at its meeting on Monday.

• Meeting Details
• Meeting Agenda
• Register for Public Comment

For additional information about additional meetings scheduled for this week, please consult the City Meeting Schedule online here

• Hollaback! invites you to register for their new training in Bystander Intervention to Support Latinx Communities in Public Spaces. They are offering this free, one-hour, interactive webinar, in honor of Latinx Heritage Month (September 15 - October 15) and to bring awareness to the increase of harassment toward the Latinx community in recent years.

  • Monday, October 4, 2021, 5pm. Register here.
  • Tuesday, October 26, 2021, 11am. Register here.

For more information on this training, including a list of curated resources, visit this page.

• The next MadLit festival is October 8, 8pm-11pm, on State Street.  This free event features Supa Friends w/ Marcus Porter + Juciee Monroe.

• The Wisconsin Book Festival is highlighting diverse voices at many upcoming events.  Learn more here.

• In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, you're invited to attend Latino Wisconsin: Migration, Settlement and Social Impact.  This virtual presentation via Zoom will take place on Wednesday, October 6, at 10am.  Click here to join.

• October has arrived, and it's time once again to walk, wheel or roll your way around Madison. Learn about all of the ways you can participate and encourage everyone else you know to get into the groove by visiting this page.

• Upcoming, public-facing COVID-19 mobile vaccine clinics, as organized by Public Health Madison & Dane County:
  • Monday, October 4: Mercado Marimar, 11am-2pm
  • Monday, October 4: Allied Clinic, at Reach Dane, 11am – 2pm
  • Tuesday, October 5: Northside Town Center, 11am- 1pm
  • Tuesday, October 5: Warner Park Recreation Center, 3pm-6pm
  • Wednesday, October 6: Dane County Job Center, 2pm-4pm
  • Thursday, October 7: The Beacon, 9am-11:30am
  • Thursday, October 7: Hwy 30 encampment and Reindahl Park encampment, 12:30pm-7:30pm

You can find details and see a map of all upcoming public clinics on the Public Health website (in Spanish). Public Health also has regular vaccine hours at their South Madison and East Washington offices. People who need to get tested can learn more about the many testing sites in Dane County on the Public Health website (in Spanish). Public Health Madison & Dane County's COVID-19 Data Snapshot is released every Thursday. You can read their weekly blog post for a summary of the week's data. For a weekly summary of talking points around COVID-19 in Dane County, please check out their hot topics document in their Google Drive.

• Please take a short survey about our city streets. This survey builds on what we have heard from the community so far on our shared values for streets. We would like to know more as we develop those shared values in a way that can guide decisions about streets and transportation. Take the survey.

• A survey is now open for the community to give direct feedback on the future of John Nolen Drive, including the reconstruction from North Shore Drive to Olin Avenue. The survey is available in English  and Spanish .  The purpose of the survey is to gather initial input from the community on their thoughts regarding  John Nolen Drive. The input will be used to develop different options for the roadway, multiuse path, and shoreline design.  Read more here.

• Beginning Monday, October 4, the City of Madison will move to the next stage of speed changes in this city-wide effort for the Vision Zero initiative. The posted speed limit on Whitney Way, from Sheboygan Ave to Tokay Blvd, will change from 30 mph to 25 mph. Mineral Point Rd, from Whitney Way to Science Dr, will also see a reduction of the posted speed limit from 40 mph to 35 mph. Similar to the recent Whitney Way changes, temporary digital signboards are present in the area to remind drivers of the speed limit changes.  Read more here.

• Curbside brush collection by the Streets Division has ended for 2021. Do not set out brush for pickup at this time.  All residents have received their six collection opportunities for the year. Crews that were collecting brush will transition to collecting leaves and yard waste when that curbside service begins.  Curbside brush pickup will resume in the spring of 2022.  Read more here.

• The Culture Collectives are now open on State Street! Eleven vendors were selected to pop-up their businesses in the two storefronts located at 440 and 444 State Street.  Learn more here.

• City staff will be discussing the East-West BRT line and station locations at three upcoming public information meetings. Each meeting will focus on a specific section of the line – east, west and downtown.

  • October 7 – Eastside Line, Route & Stations
  • October 14 – Westside Line, Route & Stations
  • October 21 – Downtown Line, Route & Stations

Find Zoom links, meeting details and project materials at MadisonBRT.com

• RainReserve will hold the 28th annual Madison compost bin truckload sale on October 23, 2021, at the Garver Feed Mill (3241 Garver Green). Pre-orders are now available. The location provides easy pick-up and experts will be on hand to answer questions.

As always, if there is anything I can do to help, feel free to reach out: district19@cityofmadison.com

-Keith F