MFD Station 14 Ambulance Update, Additional COVID-19 Testing Site Plus Meeting & Event Highlights for the Week of January 10, 2022

Greetings friends and neighbors,

Happy New Year! I hope you, your family and loved ones have been able to celebrate and experience joy in some manner, despite the rocky start of 2022.

Be well and safe,

Jael

MFD Station #14 Ambulance Update

Great news - the City's 9th ambulance will begin offering full-time service Sunday January 9th! To celebrate the occasion, the Madison Fire Department will host a press conference the morning of Monday January 10th. The press advisory, with more information, follows.

WHAT: The Madison Fire Department hosts a press conference to celebrate the activation of Medic 14, the city's ninth ambulance. Medic 14's placement at Fire Station 14 on Dairy Drive will increase paramedic-level service to the area, help reduce advanced life support response times, and provide patient transport to local hospital sooner than before.

WHEN: Monday, January 10, at 10:00 a.m.

WHERE: Fire Station 14, Apparatus Bay; 3201 Dairy Drive, Madison, WI

LIVE STREAM: This press event will be live streamed via Madison City Channel.

COVID-19

The presence of the Omicron variant drastically changed the end of 2021 and beginning of 2022 in our community. MMSD delayed the return of students from winter break and provided instruction virtually the first 2 days back. In case you haven't heard, Madison Public Schools will be open to students for in-person instruction Monday January 10th, which I can understand likely comes with simultaneous relief and fear. Personally I have been so pleased to see neighbors, school staff & administrations coming together to share information about resources (food, COVID testing sites, childcare, etc) during a time of frustration and uncertainty for many. I'd like to give Sabrina Madison, founder of the Progress Center for Black Women, and Jazzman Brown, Founder of Feeding the Youth, shout outs for stepping up and providing a safe space and resources for families of students with no other childcare options. Check out a news story about their efforts here.

In order to respond to the surge in COVID testing needs within the community, Public Health Madison & Dane County is supporting the Wisconsin Department of Health Services contracted private testing provider, Accelerated Labs, by opening an appointment-only mass testing clinic at the Alliant Energy Center. This site will open on Monday January 10th. Hours of operation are 10am-6pm Monday-Friday. Appointments are able to be scheduled now! More information can be found here.

Stormwater Utility Charges

The Finance Committee will be discussing a resolution that proposes to revise the Rate Adjustment and Credit Policy for the Stormwater Utility at their Monday meeting. 

This topic will be of interest for some D16 residents, particularly those who live on agricultural properties and/or were attached to the City from the Town of Blooming Grove in the past year. This resolution will be taken up by the Finance Committee due to anticipated fiscal impacts, should it be appproved. These fiscal impacts to the City of Madison Stormwater Utility are expected to be minimal and reflect billing practices that are reasonable. 

• Meeting Details
• Meeting Agenda
• Register for Public Comment

Meeting and Event Highlights for the Week of January 10, 2022

MEETINGS

Greater East Towne Plan

The Transportation Policy and Planning Board will be discussing adoption of the Greater East Towne Plan as a supplement to the Comprehensive Plan at their meeting on Monday.

• Meeting Details
• Meeting Agenda
• Register for Public Comment

The Board of Parks Commissioners will be discussing adoption of the Greater East Towne Plan as a supplement to the Comprehensive Plan at their meeting on Wednesday.

• Meeting Details
• Meeting Agenda
• Register for Public Comment

**For additional information about additional meetings scheduled for this week, please consult the City Meeting Schedule online here**

EVENTS

• Madison International Partners offers citizenship classes on Tuesday evenings from 5pm-6:30pm and on Saturday mornings from 9am-10:30am. Classes are held online via Zoom, and enrollment for both classes is now open. If interested, you can register here.
• Please SAVE THE DATE for an upcoming virtual event, Not Homeless Enough, on January 20, 6-7pm. Brought about through a collaboration between the Doubled up Workgroup and the Madison Public Library, Not Homeless Enough will feature filmmaker Diane Nilan and her short documentary on families experiencing doubled up and self-paying hotel homelessness in Madison and Dane County. There will be a short discussion afterward of positive steps to take in our county. The event is free and open to the public, pre-registration is required.

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ANNOUNCEMENTS

• The Streets Division has several ways for you to stay informed about snow plow updates:
  • Get Snow Plow Updates informing you of what the Streets Division is doing to fight the current snowfall.
  • Follow the Streets Division on Twitter at Madison Winter.
  • Find the Streets Division on Facebook.
• Removing snow from all Metro bus stops requires a lot of teamwork! Metro receives help from various City of Madison departments in order to clear stops quickly and efficiently. The team does the best they can removing snow from every stop, however some get missed along the way. For fast results, please let the City know when they miss a stop by using the City Report-a-Problem form. This ensures the correct department is notified.
• The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is requiring all passengers and employees to wear face masks while utilizing all forms of public transit, including Metro Transit buses and paratransit vehicles. The federal order has been extended into March 2022.
• Are you planning to apply to the 2022 Neighborhood Grant Program? If so, you are required to meet with City staff to discuss your project by January 17, 2022. Grant awards in 2021 were for projects such as a gathering place in Mohican Triangle Park, Darbo Neighborhood Council leadership training and the Junction Ridge Oasis in Junction Ridge Park. View photos of the Junction Ridge Oasis grand opening and learn more here.
• Take action: protect your trees from the gypsy moth. Winter is the time to take action and help control the gypsy moth population in Madison. This moth species is a pest that can defoliate and weaken trees. In addition, while they prefer oak trees, all tree species are susceptible to this bug. You can help your trees by destroying the moth's egg masses, which can hold upwards of 1,000 eggs, so you can make a big difference by destroying them. The masses are fuzzy, brownish patches that are often found on tree trunks or other flat outdoor surfaces like picnic tables, sheds, and so on. There are two ways to destroy egg masses:
  • First, you can scrape them from the surface and place them in a container filled with soapy water. Let them soak in the water for two days and then throw the masses into the trash.
  • Or, you can apply a soybean oil-based product called "golden pest oil" directly to the egg masses to prevent them hatching. You can find golden pest oil at garden centers.

Learn more about what homeowners can do to protect their trees from moths at the UW-Extension website.

• Streets Division Updates
  • Large item pickup service has increased! Instead of monthly set-out opportunities, you will see many more chances for pickup. In order to get your home on the pickup schedule, you must submit a work order.
  • The Streets Division drop-off sites are now on winter hours. Be sure to check the drop-off site webpage so you know the hours before loading your car.
  • 2022 is here, so be sure you have the current trash and recycling collection calendar. Download your calendar today or call the Streets Division to have one mailed to your home.