Upcoming Market Rent Study, Executive Operating Budget Briefings, Festival Education Series Starts, and Weekly Updates Week of 10/12/2026

posted 

Updates and Notices

  • Fall Leaf & Yard Waste Season Begins: The first leaf & yard waste set out dates for some neighborhoods is Sunday, October 4.  For others, it's different.  Get the dates for your home from our website. 
    • A small area in the Eken Park neighborhood were scheduled for Leaf & Yard Waste pickup last week, but weren't able to be completed. Pickup should occur Monday 10/12/26. 
    • See Map Below. Area includes Hoard to Commercial from Kedzie to Starkweather Creek (including all connecting streets), and North Lawn, Algoma, and Oak on the other side of Hoard St towards E. Johnson.
Map of yard waste pickup area where pickup should be completed on Monday 10/12/26. Small section of Eken Park Neighborhood. Streets listed below in the text of the email.
  • City of Madison – Dane County Housing Survey (Fair Market Rent Survey): The City of Madison and Dane County are collaborating on a Market Rent Study to support an appeal of HUD's proposed 2027 Fair Market Rents for our area. HUD is projecting a rent decrease of nearly 8 percent in Dane Co—a change we believe does not reflect local rental costs or the experiences of families across our community. This decrease could reduce funding and purchasing power for critical rental assistance programs, including Housing Choice Vouchers, Continuum of Care homeless assistance, and Emergency Solutions Grants. We are challenging the proposal by submitting local data gathered through this Market Rent Study.
    • Starting around October 14, approximately 30,000 randomly selected renters across Dane County will receive a survey. If you receive one, please take a few minutes to complete it. Your response will help provide an accurate picture of local rents and support efforts to protect federal housing assistance. Because participants are randomly selected, many renters will not receive a survey. But it is important for those who receive it to fill it out and return it. 
    • For questions, please contact the Madison Community Development Authority at 608-235-9507.
  • Mayor Rhodes-Conway Releases 2027 Executive Operating Budget: The introduction of the 2027 Executive Operating Budget begins the formal public input phase of the budget process. [posted October 6, 2026]
    • See Boards, Commissions, and Committee Meetings section below for finance committee meeting details for the Executive Operating Budget Briefings scheduled for this Monday and Tuesday 10/12 and 10/13
    • After earlier projections that significant budget cuts from the cost to continue would be required to meet the expenditure restraint (State's ERIP) limit, the Executive Operating Budget released last week seems to have avoided all service cuts, which is incredible news.
    • More to come after the budget briefings next week, but the full budget can be viewed online now.
  • North Street Neighborhood Association Hosted Festival Planning and Education Series:  "In organizing the Eken Park Festival, we would often find ourselves asking, “I wonder how other organizations handle this? Thanks to the Madison Neighborhoods Grant process, the North Street Neighborhood Association is establishing a Festival Educational Series to create two ways to answer those questions. 1. Create a space for the people that passionately donate their time and energy to put on our wonderful neighborhood festivals to meet, connect, and trade ideas. 2. Hear from professionals and subject-matter experts about how they approach these tasks and field questions and discussion."
    • 3 Seminars Scheduled for Wednesdays in October:
      • Doors at 6, discussion at 6:30 Wednesday, October 14th @ 149 Waubusa Street (Goodman Center) Evjue Room – Sponsorships
      • Doors at 6, discussion at 6:30 Wednesday, October 21st @ 149 Waubusa Street (Goodman Center) Evjue Room – Volunteers
      • Doors at 5:30, discussion at 6 Wednesday, October 28th @ 917 E Mifflin Street (Breese Stevens Field), the Forward Club – Logistics.
  • Bartillon Men's Shelter Public Art Celebration, Wednesday, October 14: The City of Madison and the Madison Arts Commission invites the public to attend a dedication and celebration for a public art installation at the new Bartillon Men's Shelter.  
  • Draft Data Center Regulation Framework Public Meeting Scheduled for October 27: The Department of Planning and Community and Economic Development will hold a public information meeting on October 27, 2026, to update community members on a draft framework for proposed zoning regulations for data centers within city limits. [posted October 6, 2026]
    • Several of the areas that could potentially allow Data Centers are in District 12. Please share feedback on the plan and if so moved, attend the public meeting later this month to learn more.

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.

  • Finance Committee: The Finance Committee meeting will take place on Monday, October 12, at 4:30 p.m. in virtual format. Agenda items include budget hearings for agencies within the Administration, Public Works, and Public Health and Safety groupings.
  • Finance Committee: The Finance Committee meeting will take place on Tuesday, October 13, at 4:30 p.m. in virtual format. Agenda items include budget hearings for agencies within the General Government, Administration, Public Facilities, Public Health and Safety, PCED, and Transportation groupings.
  • Transportation Commission: The Transportation Commission meeting will take place on Wednesday, October 14, at 5:00 p.m. in virtual format. Agenda items include an annual review of Metro Transit's Safety Plan.
  • President's Workgroup on Madison Police Department Use of Deadly Force, De-Escalation and Body-Worn Cameras Policies and Procedures: The President's Workgroup on Madison Police Department Use of Deadly Force, De-Escalation and Body-Worn Cameras Policies and Procedures meeting will take place on Wednesday, October 14, at 5:00 p.m. in virtual format. Agenda items include a discussion of the Police Executive Research Forum's report: Body-Worn Cameras A Decade Later.

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

Public Information Meetings (PIMs)

  • Public Meeting - Garner Park, Tuesday, October 13: The City of Madison Parks Division is proposing several improvements for Garner Park in 2027 and 2028.  These include reconstructing the parking lot, repaving some park paths, relocating the pickle ball courts, upgrading the lighting system, and regrading the south play fields.
  • Attic Angels Greenway Repair, Thursday, October 15: The Attic Angels greenway between Blackwolf Drive and the ponds has sections of badly eroded channel. The City has tried to do spot repairs that have not been sufficient to address the problem, but these areas are getting larger. Therefore, the City is planning to repair the channel with a project in the winter and spring of 2027.

Announcements and News Releases

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

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

Tags:

Was this page helpful to you? * required