Meeting and Event Highlights for the Week of December 15, 2025

Updates and Notices

Upcoming Development Project Public Information Meetings (PIM)

• Monday 12/15/2025, 5:30pm -2103 Sherman Ave (2nd) PIM, Virtual
  • Register for Zoom
  • Some intentions and goals for this 2nd public meeting include giving folks another opportunity to see the development presentation in full, answering questions and hearing feedback that is specific to this proposal, and having a recording of the presentation for folks who cannot attend.
  • With these intentions in mind, we will start with a short presentation and have 15-20 minutes for questions and feedback directly to the developers. I will plan to stay on the zoom for an additional 30 or so minutes to answer additional questions and hear additional feedback.
• Monday 12/22/2025, 5:30pm - 7:30pm - 2030 Pennsylvania Ave PIM, Virtual
  • Register for Zoom
  • This meeting will start with the developer presentation and then folks will have the chance to ask questions and give feedback specific to this project.

Love Our Lakes Common Council Discussion Tuesday 12/16/2025

• As someone who spent my whole childhood swimming in Madison lakes and as a young adult spent 5 summers as a City lifeguard primarily at our city beaches, the ongoing health of our lakes is something I care deeply about. Our lakes are part of what makes Madison such a special place to live and they are a public good that we should cherish and protect.
• Love Our Lakes: City Strategies to Maintain and Improve Lake Health: The City of Madison Common Council will host a focused discussion titled “Love Our Lakes: City Strategies to Maintain and Improve Lake Health.” This conversation will highlight both ongoing and future initiatives to protect, restore, and enhance the… [posted December 12, 2025]
  • We will hear from Streets, Parks, and the Engineering Stormwater departments, providing an overview of current water quality challenges that we face regarding our lakes. The agenda and presentation can be found at this link.
  • The meeting will be held in a hybrid format and will begin at 6:05 p.m. in Room 215 within the Madison Municipal Building. This discussion is intended as a briefing and not a formal Common Council meeting. No formal actions will be taken during this discussion (no votes, no introduction of legislation, etc.). Additionally, there will be no public comments. Please send any written comments to allalders@cityofmadison.com.

Other Updates and Notices

• Envision Downtown Madison kick-off meeting materials are now available! Thanks to the approximately 175 people who attended the Envision Downtown Madison kick-off meeting on December 2nd.  If you missed the meeting, you can still participate as all meeting materials are now available on the Downtown Area Plan webpage. This includes the meeting video, presentation slides, and digital versions of the engagement activities. A summary of comments will be prepared and shared in early 2026. See the Spanish version of the video recording here. If you have any questions, or would like to schedule a conversation or presentation with City staff, please reach out to downtownplan@cityofmadison.com
• John Nolen Drive Project: Get current information about road closures and construction updates for John Nolen Drive.

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 at the Meeting Schedule page.

• Common Council: The Common Council special meeting will take place on Tuesday, December 16, at 6:00 p.m. in hybrid format. This is a special meeting to appoint election inspectors.
  • Meeting Details
  • Meeting Agenda
  • Register for Public Comment
  • Watch Online
• Common Council – Discussion (Love Our Lakes): The Common Council discussion will take place on Tuesday, December 16, immediately following the special meeting, which starts at 6:00 p.m., in Room 215 of the Madison Municipal Building. This is a discussion on City strategies to maintain and improve lake health.
  • Meeting Details
  • Meeting Agenda
  • Watch Online
• Plan Commission: The Plan Commission meeting will take place on Monday, December 15, at 5:30 p.m. in virtual format. Agenda items include development-related requests in Districts 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 11, 12, 15, and 18.
  • Meeting Details
  • Meeting Agenda
  • Register for Public Comment
  • Watch Online

If you would like more information about becoming a member of a City board, commission, or committee, please visit the page linked here.

Public Information Meetings (PIMs)

• Far West Operations Building, Monday, December 15: A public information meeting is scheduled for this project at 6 p.m., Dec. 15, 2025, via Zoom. Registration prior is required.

Announcements and News Releases

• Love Our Lakes: City Strategies to Maintain and Improve Lake Health: The City of Madison Common Council will host a focused discussion titled “Love Our Lakes: City Strategies to Maintain and Improve Lake Health.” This conversation will highlight both ongoing and future initiatives to protect, restore, and enhance the… [posted December 12, 2025]
• Affordable Housing Fund to Support 400+ New Homes: The City of Madison’s Common Council has approved nearly $14 million from the Affordable Housing Fund to support the creation of approximately 425 new rental homes across the City, with more than 260 of those offering permanent affordability. [posted December 10, 2025]
• Common Council passes third Housing Forward package of 2025 : The City of Madison Common Council approved two more housing-focused ordinances during its December 9 meeting, capping off a year of impactful policy changes to make it easier to build more homes across Madison. [posted December 9, 2025]
• Streets Division Drop-off Sites on Winter Hours until April 11, 2026: The Streets Division drop-off sites at 4602 Sycamore Avenue and 402 South Point Road are now on winter hours. The winter hours began on Friday, December 5, 2025. The last day for winter hours is Friday, April 10, 2026.  Expanded hours return on… [posted December 8, 2025]
• New Snowplow Trading Cards Now Available!: The City of Madison is proud to present a new set of trading cards featuring our named snowplowing fleet. The cards are available for free at any Madison Public Library location and from the Streets Division offices while supplies last. [posted December 8, 2025]
• Make Sure Your Home is Winter Ready!: A reminder for home and business owners to make sure your water pipes are protected from freezing or bursting this winter. [posted December 3, 2025]
• Madison Completes the Second Year of the Building Energy Savings Program:  City staff are proud to announce that 85% of required commercial buildings are in compliance with the program. [posted December 1, 2025]
• Metro Transit December Service Updates: Starting Sunday, December 7, Metro will implement several route, schedule, and stop adjustments, including the closure of the South Transfer Point. [posted December 1, 2025]
• Jeffrey Clay Erlanger Civility in Public Discourse Award Winner is Eve Galanter : The award was created by the Common Council to honor Madison residents who exemplify Erlanger’s model of fairness, openness, and civility in public discourse. [posted December 1, 2025]

Please visit the City news webpage to find additional news and announcements and to subscribe to receive notification of news releases as they are posted.

Events

• Conservation Volunteer Workday, Saturday, December 20: We invite volunteers to help make a difference in the health of our local environment by joining us for invasive species removal. These hands-on conservation efforts are essential in restoring native ecosystems and ensuring the vitality of our natural spaces.
• Bird & Nature Adventures | Starkweather Creek Area, Saturday, December 20: Holiday Nature Walk ~ Join Friends of Starkweather Creek for a healthy holiday walk outdoors to enjoy the beauty of winter along Starkweather Creek!  
• Bird & Nature Adventures | Warner Park, Sunday, December 21: Winter Solstice Walk ~ Join Naturalists Kathlean Wolf and Robin Kling for a fun free family and kid friendly walk on easy paths along Warner Pond Lagoon and through Warner Woods to the top of Sled Hill.
• Holiday Fantasy in Lights, Saturday, November 15, through Monday, January 5, 2026: Lighted holiday-themed displays set in beautiful Olin Park. Drive through from dusk until 10:00pm to enjoy this magical light show for free, brought to you by The Electric Group.

Additional upcoming events can also be found on the City events calendar.