Redistricting, Executive Operating Budget, Neighborhood Meeting Plus Meeting & Event Highlights for the Week of October 4, 2021
postedGreetings friends and neighbors,
Happy October and 4th quarter of 2021 – I cannot believe how fast the year is moving. It is an extremely busy time of the year with local redistricting and budget preparations among us.
During their September 30 meeting, the Ad Hoc Redistricting Committee indicated a strong preference for Alder District Concept 7a. Concept 7a was one of three new Alder District Concepts developed in response to community feedback received. Staff is developing proposed Wards and Polling Places based on Concept 7a. The Committee will review these proposed Wards and Polling Places during their Monday (Oct. 4) and Thursday (Oct. 7) meetings.
In regards to the budget, Mayor Rhodes-Conway will be releasing and discussing highlights of the 2022 Executive Operating Budget tomorrow, Tuesday October 5th. The Executive Operating Budget will likely be a large area of interest for many of you who have contacted me and fellow alders about issues such as housing and solutions for those experiencing homelessness, policing, public safety and violence reduction/prevention, as well as fiscal responsibility during a global pandemic. In the weeks to come I will provide more information about district specific benefit(s) and/or impact(s) and how you can track their progress through city processes.
I'd also like to inform and invite you to a (virtual) neighborhood meeting that will be hosted this Wednesday October 6th, 6:00-7:30pm in regards to the sheltered campground being developed at 3202 Dairy Drive. City staff from multiple departments will be present to provide information about the development to date, and allow for questions and answers. Please use this link to register in advance for the meeting; once registered, you will receive a Zoom link for the meeting. In the meantime, please do take some time to visit this webpage that hosts frequently asked questions and answers about the site.
Lastly, I'd like to speak on a topic I haven't said much about publicly, but as an empath, have been observing and feeling its profound effects – loss of life of community members in multiple forms. In the past couple months we have lost residents in traffic vs pedestrian/biker fatalities on East Washington Avenue and gun violence/homicides on the Central, East and West sides. Our community continues to grieve as this weekend we lost 3 high school seniors in a fatal car crash in Middleton. Please keep the students and families of both Middleton and West high schools in your thoughts and prayers, as well as individuals, families and communities that are dealing with the long lasting effects of loss. I consider my platform as a policy maker/influencer an immense privilege and responsibility and will do everything possible to ensure we are addressing the root causes behind these tragedies to avoid unnecessary and preventable losses.
Take good care and be well,
Jael
Meeting and Event Highlights for the Week of October 4, 2021
Redistricting Process
The Ad Hoc Redistricting Committee is continuing to discuss redistricting options at is meeting on Monday 10/4.
Draft Historic Preservation Ordinance
The Landmarks Committee is discussing a draft changes to the historic preservation ordinance at its meeting on Monday 10/4.
Greater East Towne Area Plan and South Madison Plan
The Plan Commission will be receiving updates on the Greater East Towne Area and South Madison plans at its meeting on Monday.
Bartillon Drive and Zeier Road
The City-County Homeless Issues Committee is taking action on ordinances related to the Bartillon Drive and Zeier Road properties at its meeting on Monday.
For additional information about additional meetings scheduled for this week, please consult the City Meeting Schedule online here
Events, activities, seminars, et
Hollaback! invites you to register for their new training in Bystander Intervention to Support Latinx Communities in Public Spaces. They are offering this free, one-hour, interactive webinar, in honor of Latinx Heritage Month (September 15 - October 15) and to bring awareness to the increase of harassment toward the Latinx community in recent years. For more information on this training, including a list of curated resources, visit this page.
Monday, October 4, 2021, 5pm. Register here.
Tuesday, October 26, 2021, 11am. Register here.
In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, you're invited to attend Latino Wisconsin: Migration, Settlement and Social Impact. This virtual presentation via Zoom will take place on Wednesday, October 6, at 10am. Click here to join.
The next MadLit festival is October 8, 8pm-11pm, on State Street. This free event features Supa Friends w/ Marcus Porter + Juciee Monroe.
The Wisconsin Book Festival is highlighting diverse voices at many upcoming events. Learn more here.
Walk-tober 2021 – Another year to celebrate Walking in Madison: October has arrived, and it's time once again to walk, wheel or roll your way around Madison. Learn about all of the ways you can participate and encourage everyone else you know to get into the groove by visiting this page
Upcoming, public-facing COVID-19 mobile vaccine clinics, as organized by Public Health Madison & Dane County:
Monday, October 4: Mercado Marimar, 11am-2pm
Monday, October 4: Allied Clinic, at Reach Dane, 11am – 2pm
Tuesday, October 5: Northside Town Center, 11am- 1pm
Tuesday, October 5: Warner Park Recreation Center, 3pm-6pm
Wednesday, October 6: Dane County Job Center, 2pm-4pm
Thursday, October 7: The Beacon, 9am-11:30am
Thursday, October 7: Hwy 30 encampment and Reindahl Park encampment, 12:30pm-7:30pm
You can find details and see a map of all upcoming public clinics on the Public Health website (in Spanish). Public Health also has regular vaccine hours at their South Madison and East Washington offices. People who need to get tested can learn more about the many testing sites in Dane County on the Public Health website (in Spanish). Public Health Madison & Dane County's COVID-19 Data Snapshot is released every Thursday. You can read their weekly blog post for a summary of the week's data. For a weekly summary of talking points around COVID-19 in Dane County, please check out their hot topics document in their Google Drive.
As you're planning outings to pick apples and visit corn mazes, consider adding "getting a flu vaccine" to your to-do list. Public Health Madison & Dane County recommends that everyone 6 months and older get the flu vaccine now to protect throughout the flu season, which can begin as early as October and last through spring. For those who have health insurance, flu vaccine is available at local clinics and pharmacies. For those who don't have health insurance, Public Health can help. Free flu shots are available by appointment for uninsured adults and children, and for children who have Medical Assistance/BadgerCare. To schedule an appointment, call (608) 266-4821.
Announcements, press releases, press conferences, etc.
Redistricting is happening right now! Locally, redistricting is the process of redrawing the City's alder districts and wards based on population changes over the last decade, using 2020 Census results. Redistricting determines which communities and neighborhoods are assembled into alder districts. Wards and polling places will also be adjusted to align with the redrawn boundaries. The timeline for this process is compressed due to COVID 19, but there is still time to give your feedback. See this page to provide feedback. For more information on the process, see the Mayor's recent blog.
Please take a short survey about our city streets. This survey builds on what we have heard from the community so far on our shared values for streets. We would like to know more as we develop those shared values in a way that can guide decisions about streets and transportation. Take the survey.
A survey is now open for the community to give direct feedback on the future of John Nolen Drive, including the reconstruction from North Shore Drive to Olin Avenue. The survey is available in English and Spanish . The purpose of the survey is to gather initial input from the community on their thoughts regarding John Nolen Drive. The input will be used to develop different options for the roadway, multiuse path, and shoreline design. Read more here.
Beginning Monday, October 4, the City of Madison will move to the next stage of speed changes in this city-wide effort for the Vision Zero initiative. The posted speed limit on Whitney Way, from Sheboygan Ave to Tokay Blvd, will change from 30 mph to 25 mph. Mineral Point Rd, from Whitney Way to Science Dr, will also see a reduction of the posted speed limit from 40 mph to 35 mph. Similar to the recent Whitney Way changes, temporary digital signboards are present in the area to remind drivers of the speed limit changes. Read more here.
Curbside brush collection by the Streets Division has ended for 2021. Do not set out brush for pickup at this time. All residents have received their six collection opportunities for the year. Crews that were collecting brush will transition to collecting leaves and yard waste when that curbside service begins. Curbside brush pickup will resume in the spring of 2022. Read more here.
The Culture Collectives are now open on State Street! Eleven vendors were selected to pop-up their businesses in the two storefronts located at 440 and 444 State Street. Learn more here
City staff will be discussing the East-West BRT line and station locations at three upcoming public information meetings. Each meeting will focus on a specific section of the line – east, west and downtown.
October 7 – Eastside Line, Route & Stations
October 14 – Westside Line, Route & Stations
October 21 – Downtown Line, Route & Stations
Find Zoom links, meeting details and project materials at MadisonBRT.com
Save the Date
RainReserve will hold the 28th annual Madison compost bin truckload sale on October 23, 2021, at the Garver Feed Mill (3241 Garver Green). Pre-orders are now available. The location provides easy pick-up and experts will be on hand to answer questions.
Alder Jael Currie
District 16
Contact Alder Currie