District 13 Updates

Hi Everyone.

Here are today's updates, starting with several volunteer opportunities.

Earth Day Challenge volunteers needed in Madison parks!  The Parks Division is recruiting more than 650 volunteers in 45+ parks from 10am – 12pm on April 24.  All the D13 parks except for Olin-Turville have the volunteers they need. The registration deadline has been extended to Friday, April 23 at 10am.  Find more information here.  
 
The Triangle Community Garden is located adjacent to Braxton Place in the Triangle (by the Bayview playground).   There are about 40 plots with a mix of gardeners from the Bayview and CDA communities.   
The Triangle Garden Committee is planning a "Season Opener" work day on Saturday, May 1st and has requested help that day. Some of the Triangle gardeners are new to gardening and others have physical limitations that impact their ability to prepare their beds.   They'd appreciate a helping hand to turn over the ground, put fencing around their plots, and clean up garden spaces.  
 
The work day is on Saturday, May 1st, from 10:00 to 2:00 and if you are interested in helping for any part of the day, please contact Doug Hunt at huntfcbc@gmail.com.  

Second Harvest welcomes food donations to assist those in need.  Click here for more info.

Plastic Bag Recycling Discontinued, but you may still recycle your clean plastic bags at local retail grocery stores, including Trader Joe's on Monroe Street and Pick 'n Save on South Park.  Click here for a complete list of plastic recycling options.

Need help finding local financial resources?  Contact the Financial Resources Hotline for free, confidential help by phone. The COVID-19 pandemic has had a major impact on Madison residents' finances, and the Financial Resources Hotline can provide referrals to resources and basic information that might help address concerns. Sign up online to receive a call from a financial navigator or sign up for a session by calling Madison Public Library at 608-266-6300.  Read more here.

Housing Forward -- On April 14, the Mayor unveiled Housing Forward, a package of initiatives that collectively represent the City's housing agenda.  Find out about the details here.

The Housing Strategy Committee will be discussing a draft land banking policy and the new City Housing Forward initiative at its meeting on Thursday.

Find meeting details online here
Find meeting agenda online here
Register for public comment here

Beyond The Page -- Dane County libraries seeking applications for year of programming around themes of race and equity. Click here for more information.

Make Music Madison Day is back for a safe outdoor and in person event Monday, June 21st at locations all over the City.  Click here for more information.

Traffic Calming in D13 is an issue everyone seems to agree is a matter of significant importance. Residents living on Lakeside St in Bay Creek have raised this issue with the City repeatedly since the early 2000's, and just recently received good news that Traffic Engineering and the Fire Dept have agreed to place two speed humps and a traffic circle on the street to slow down the dangerous traffic speeds. Speed humps and traffic circles have been used successfully throughout the City. Residents along Lakeside are currently being surveyed as to their preferences, and I strongly encourage all to register their support for these improvements.

Both these improvements are consistent with the City's recently established goals of Vision Zero, our stated commitment to reduce traffic fatalities, particularly those involving pedestrians and bicyclists. A new pilot project called 20 Is Plenty is also looking at this reducing the posted speed limit on residential streets to 20 mph.

Dudgeon-Monroe recently had four speed boards placed along Monroe St has a good reminder to slow down. Let's all be safe, slow down, and not be in so much of a hurry.

COVID-19 Vaccines

All Wisconsin residents 16 and older are now eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine.

If you are searching for a vaccine appointment for you or someone else and would like help and/or advice, please see https://dmna.org/covidvaccine for a current list of ways to get appointments in our area, maintained by Lisa Gruenberg.

Finally...this is my last post for my first term as your Alder. The swearing-in ceremony for the new Common Council begins in a matter of minutes. I will follow up with an update on my committee appointments and my thoughts as to the challenges we are facing as we look forward to the next two years.

Thanks for your support.

Take care and stay safe.

Tag