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Winter Survival Tips, Safe Sidewalks, and More Updates

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Hi Everyone,

With temps headed below zero, I'm reminded of my go-to's to help me survive frigid winter weather in Madison. In no particular order, these are wool socks, hot soup, and long underwear. (I'd add a fire in the fireplace, but mine is currently out of action while I await work done on my chimney and a new fireplace insert.)

There's another essential, one that I highly recommend and that's Yaktrax or similar crampon-style footwear assessories that keep you stable on your feet no matter how slippy the sidewalk. 

Speaking of which, I want to take a moment to compliment those who have kept up with their snow and ice removal. I walk Bella three times a day, so I'm out there making the rounds, often after the sun's gone down. I very much appreciate when I come across clean, dry pavement, free of hardpacked snow and ice. 

If that's not the case in front of your house, consider your options. Hard-packed snow and ice is hard to remove with a conventional snow shovel. A flat garden spade works well as an ice chipper to help you get down to the pavement and ice chippers designed for that purpose are available for purchase at most hardware stores. Or you can pick up sand at The Glen Golf Course and at Brittingham Park and spread the sand as needed to add protective grit. Or you can pick up some ice melt, preferably a brand that is salt-free and pet-friendly so that Bella's paws don't take a beating. (But be advised, when it's below 15 degrees, salt and ice melt are ineffective and you'll want to use sand instead.)

Friendly tip: shovel more and salt (or sand) less. Shoveling several times during a snowstorm will save you time in the long run. Remember, please, we are required to clear our sidewalks by noon the day after the snow stops. Take a minute to read the city's rules regarding sidewalks. You can get ticketed if you fail to remove snow and ice from your sidewalk. And you can also get ticketed if you use too much salt.

Here are this week's meeting and event highlights:

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. 
  • Common Council – Discussion: 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. 
  • 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. 

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) 

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] 
  • 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] 

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.  

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

That's all for now.

Take care, stay warm, wear Yaktrax, and stay safe!

Tag

 

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District 13 - Alder Evers

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Alder Tag Evers

District 13
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