Meeting and Event Highlights for the Week of February 5, 2024

Boards, Commissions, and Committee Meetings

Note: This is not a complete list of meetings for this upcoming week. All meetings and their details can be found on the Meeting Schedule page.

• Plan Commission: The Plan Commission meeting will take place in a virtual format on Monday, February 5, 2024, at 5:30 PM. Agenda items include endorsing and prioritizing the improvement of pedestrian and bicycle connectivity as part of the Wisconsin Department of Transportation’s I-39/90/94 study and reconstruction and development-related requests in Districts 1, 4, and 5.
  • Meeting Details
  • Meeting Agenda
  • Register for Public Comment
  • Watch Online
• Board of Public Works: The Board of Public Works meeting will take place in a virtual format on Wednesday, February 7, 2024, at 4:30 PM. Agenda items include a public hearing regarding noise impacts in District 9, authorizing the Board of Public Works to advertise and receive bids for Safe Streets Madison 2024, as well as the Warner Dog Park lot resurfacing.
  • Meeting Details
  • Meeting Agenda
  • Register for Public Comment
  • Watch Online
• Board of Health for Madison and Dane County: The Board of Health for Madison and Dane County meeting will take place on Wednesday, February 7, 2024, at 5:30 PM at 2300 S. Park St. in the Atrium Community Room. Agenda items include the violence prevention grant award recommendation for 2023-2024, a resolution authorizing a contract for the evaluation of the CARES program, and accepting additional grant funds from the Wisconsin Department of Children and Families for the Family Foundations Home Visiting Program.
  • Meeting Details
  • Meeting Agenda

Public Information Meetings & Sessions

• Pheasant Branch Enhancement - Monday, February 5, 2024: The City of Madison, like many communities, has seen a recent increase in extreme flood events. This increase has occurred most notably in Madison since 2016, when a large and intense rain event in late July caused extensive flooding of public and private property on Madison’s west side. Large events in July 2017 and June 2018 caused similar flooding, focusing mainly on Madison’s west side. A public information meeting via Zoom is scheduled for Monday, February 5, 2024, at 5:30 PM. Registration prior is required.
• Passenger Rail Station Study (Virtual Meeting) - Tuesday, February 6, 2024: At the upcoming virtual public meeting, you can learn more and share your feedback about the draft results of the corridor evaluation and several potential station sites under consideration.
• Community Conversation: Pedestrian Safety - Wednesday, February 7, 2024: This is an opportunity for community members with disabilities and allies to gather and discuss how we can work together to reduce pedestrian crashes and deaths and engage with existing efforts in the City of Madison.  For this conversation, we use the word “pedestrian” to describe anyone who walks, rolls, or rides to get to where they need to go.

Events

• MPD: Recruitment Open House - Wednesday, February 7, 2024: Come learn about our agency, its mission to public service, and the various careers available within the Madison Police Department. Our recruiting officer will talk attendees through our application and the hiring process.
• Metro Transit Info Sessions: Learn how to get around the city with help from Metro Transit! Whether you're looking to navigate the bus system or find alternative options, these helpful information sessions led by Metro employees will connect you to the services that are right for you. Several sessions are planned in library locations between January and April 2024. Metro employees will be available for one-on-one conversations in English and Spanish. No registration required; all are welcome!
  • Thursday, February 8, 2024, from 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM | Central Library
• Groove & Glide - Friday, February 9, 2024: Make the most of winter at a Groove & Glide event! Experience the fun and beauty of ice skating under the lights with fun music and games. All ages and experience levels are welcome. Grab your friends, a date, or the whole family, and come have some fun on the ice. 
• West District Saturday Family Reading Project - Saturday, February 10, 2024: Join Westside leaders for the West District Saturday Family Reading Project! This is an information session on building and improving the reading capacity of Madison students. This session will take place on Saturday, February 10, 2024, from 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM at the Southwest Employment & Training Center, 1233 McKenna Boulevard (across from Elver Park).
• Bird & Nature Adventures (Owen Conservation Park) - Saturday, February 10, 2024: Explore Owen Conservation Park on gentle trails through historic oak openings on a hillside with an Ice Age kettle and along restored prairies with beautiful vistas on this high point overlooking the west side of Madison. Co-sponsored by Madison Parks, Badgerland Bird Alliance, Madison Audubon Society, and the Friends of Owen Conservation Park. Free, family-friendly guided nature walks at Owen Conservation Park are held year-round on the 2nd Saturday of each month from 2:30 PM to 4:00 PM. No registration is required. No pets are allowed.

Announcements

• Affordable Connectivity Program – ACP Win-down: In 2021, Congress established the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, appropriating $14.2 billion. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) was tasked to develop and implement the ACP as well as ACP outreach and awareness activities. As of January 2024, over 22 million households are enrolled and receiving the ACP monthly benefit. Without additional funding from Congress, the allotted $14.2 billion to fund the ACP is projected to run out in April 2024 (this date is an estimate and may change). As a result, the FCC has begun taking steps to wind down. This includes:
  • ACP applications and enrollments will not be processed after Wednesday, February 7, 2024, at 11:59 PM ET.  
  • Households who have applied, been approved, and are receiving the monthly internet discount before Thursday, February 8, 2024, will continue to receive their ACP benefit until ACP funds run out, as long as the household remains enrolled in the program.   
  • After the ACP funds run out (projected in April 2024), households participating in the ACP will no longer receive the ACP discounts.
  • We’re hearing from community partners that some ISPs are telling customers the program isn’t running anymore; this is inaccurate—if households are enrolled (not just have applied) by Wednesday, February 7, 2024, they can still benefit until the funds run out.
• City of Madison Recertified as a Platinum-level Bicycle Friendly Community: The City of Madison has been recertified as a Platinum-level Bicycle Friendly Community by the League of American Bicyclists.
• Spring Primary Absentee Ballots are in the Mail: The City of Madison Clerk’s Office has mailed absentee ballots to 553 voters for the primary election on Tuesday, February 20, 2024. Most Madison residents do not have a February Primary. The only Madison residents with a primary are voters in County Supervisor Districts 13 and 36 and in the Middleton-Cross Plains Area School District. Voters can find out whether they have a primary and, if so, see their sample ballot by visiting https://MyVote.wi.gov.
• Madison Arts Commission and Monona Terrace Announce Call for Artist Entries for Rooftop and Olin Terrace Sculptures: The Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Monona Terrace Community and Convention Center in Madison is soliciting submissions from artists for its 2024 sculpture exhibition on the William T. Evjue Rooftop Gardens and Olin Terrace.
• How to Watch: 2024 State of Public Safety: The Madison Police Department remains committed to providing the highest level of service to the Madison community. On Thursday, Chief Shon Barnes shared year-end crime data from 2023.
• The City of Madison's Rental Rehabilitation Loan Program Launched on Thursday, February 1, 2024!: As part of a broader strategy to foster stable and sustainable communities in the City of Madison, the Community Development Division is now offering low-interest loans ranging from $75,000 to $200,000, depending on property size, to owners of rental properties to improve their housing stock. With these loans, property owners can make major repairs, implement energy-efficiency upgrades, and take steps needed to comply with building codes and regulations. These updates will help improve the health, safety, and welfare of tenants who live in these buildings.