LENA Meeting, E. Dean Reconstruction, Budget Update - D15 Update 10/25/20

Last Week

Cottage Grove Road Development Proposal Referred to 11/17 Common Council Meeting - As I mentioned in this previous post, I asked for referral of the zoning approval needed for the proposed redevelopment on Cottage Grove Road. This referral passed and the item will be back in front of the council on 11/17 for action. In addition, I have asked the developer to attend this month's Lake Edge Neighborhood Association meeting on Monday to provide an update on the plan and to hear feedback from neighbors. You can find more details about this meeting below.

Vision Zero Cities 2020 Conference - As many of you are aware, the City of Madison joined with other progressive cities across the country this summer in committing to eliminating traffic deaths on our city streets. The Transportation Policy & Planning Board is tasked with overseeing the development of our action plan to accomplish that goal. City staff has been hard at work in beginning to develop that plan and this week I had the opportunity to attend a (virtual) national conference hosted by Transportation Alternatives. Eliminating deaths and serious injuries in our transportation system is a public health & safety priority and I'm excited to be engaged in this work at the city. The recent speed reduction on Milwaukee Street is just one small step in that direction and you can expect to see many more improvements over the next several years. 

Homeless Services Update - Just shortly after an announcement was made that the city and county had identified a location for a new permanent men's shelter, the seller decided to not proceed with the sale to the city. It's a frustrating setback, but city staff is already refocused on identifying an alternate location. In addition to the work on a permanent shelter, I have also been in regular conversations with staff regarding the need to address the immediate shelter needs in advance of the rapidly approaching winter. I will have more information to share in the near future, but progress is being made in identifying a near-term, temporary shelter location that can accommodate the growing unsheltered individuals in our community.  

E. Dean/Allis/Seth/Tyler Project - In 2021, the city plans to reconstruct portions of E. Dean Ave., Allis Ave., Seth Cir. and Tyler Cir. Staff is currently working on several design alternatives that will be shared with neighbors for feedback at an upcoming public meeting. You can visit here for more details about the project, including links to a survey and to register for the upcoming public information meeting scheduled for November, 9th. 

Other city updates:

• Madison Public Library Book Drops Open - All Madison Public Library book drops are now open 24/7 for return of library materials.
• With Surge in COVID-19 Cases, Public Health Madison & Dane County Moving to Crisis Model of Contact Tracing - As more and more people are diagnosed with COVID-19, we are moving to a crisis model of contact tracing.
• In-Person Absentee Voting Continues this Week - Nearby locations for D15 residents include Pinney & Hawthorne libraries and Madison College - Truax campus. City of Madison Unveils Secure Absentee Ballot Drop Boxes are Also Open.

This Week

CGR Proposal at LENA - The monthly Lake Edge Neighborhood Association meeting on Monday will include an update on the proposal to demolish three existing buildings on Cottage Grove Road and construct two mixed-use buildings in their place. The developer will share updated drawings that reflect the current proposal and we will discuss additional conditions of approval that would help ensure commercial activity with the development. You can see the agenda here and a link to the meeting can be found here.

Finance Committee Budget Amendments - Also on Monday, the Finance Committee will consider amendments to the 2021 Executive Operating Budget. The budget as amended at Finance will then be in front of the Common Council in November for additional amendments and final approval. I am cosponsoring several amendments including an amendment to restore funding for pavement markings on city streets, an amendment to convert the council Chief of Staff position into a Director of Resident and Community Engagement position, and an amendment to increase funding for the Crisis Response Team. I will share more details on the budget in advance of our November deliberations and I am also working with Alder Lemmer on a video that will help answer some of the most frequent budget-related questions we've received. If you have a budget-related question that you'd like an answer to, please send me an email and I'll work to get you an answer. The Wisconsin Policy Forum (a statewide nonpartisan, independent policy research organization) also recently released its City of Madison Budget Brief. You can read their take on the proposed budget here. To see all the Finance Committe meeting details and to register to provide comment, please click here.

The African American Land Ethic - On Tuesday, the UW-Madison Arboretum is hosting a free virtual lecture as part of the fall 2020 virtual lecture series Land, Culture, Identity: Roots of Resilience. You can register for this lecture here.

Special Land Use and Transportation Plan Commission Meeting - On Thursday, I'll be attending a special meeting of the Plan Commission and Transportation Policy and Planning Board to discuss issues that link transportation and land use. We will be discussing initiatives like Transportation Demand Management, Transit Oriented Development, and other related topics. You can find all the details here. 

Other city meetings: There are a number of other city meetings of possible interest this week and you can find a full schedule here: https://www.cityofmadison.com/clerk/meeting-schedule

Save the Date

• Presidential Election - November 3, 2020
• Rezoning of 4502 Milwaukee Street (formerly Karmenta) to allow for it to be repurposed as mission house at Plan Commission - November 9, 2020
• E. Dean Public Information Meeting - The public information meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m., November 9, 2020, via Zoom. Register here. More info at: https://www.cityofmadison.com/engineering/projects/dean-ave-east-and-allis-ave 
• Dempsey/Davies/Maher Public Information Meeting - December 2020 date TBD

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