Updates and Highlights for the Week of June 13, 2022

Greetings friends and neighbors, 

Graduation season is among us - it's been such a joy seeing pictures of ceremonies, from seniors returning to their elementary schools to beaming faces accepting well deserved scholarships and recognition. Congratulations to the Class of 2022 and all other students who are transitioning into Kindergarten, Middle School and High School! As gatherings and events are natural to summer, please make sure to take precaution as the COVID-19 pandemic is still very much upon us. Dane County's community level is currently medium. Levels are calculated by looking at hospital beds being used, hopsital admissions and the total number of new COVID-19 cases in the area. CDC recommends the following under this level:

• If you are immunocompromised or at high risk for severe disease, talk to your health care provider about whether you should wear a mask in public.
• If you live with someone at high risk, or come in contact with people who are high risk, consider wearing a mask while indoors with them or using a home test before coming in contact with them.
• If you have symptoms or were exposed, be sure to get tested.

For more information, data and details please make sure to visit Public Health Madison Dane County's website.

As I'm aware many of you tune in to Common Council meetings from time to time, I wanted to make sure to point out some changes to the structure of CC meetings that recently went into effect. 

Public Comment: Public comments are now taken together at the beginning of the meeting, after honoring resolutions and the consent agenda is read. There is no longer a separate early public comment perio (Effective Feb. 2022). Registrants are allowed up to 3 minutes per item (or up to 6 minutes for comments with interpreter).

Right to Address Common Council: Any person that registers on agenda items prior to the completion of the public comment period for that item has the right to speak at Council. However, effective June 7th, public comment will not be collected for:

• Any matter that is referred or re-referred, and adopted by Council as part of the consent agenda. These items will be listed on the consent agenda document (Effective June 2022).
• Any matter where the Council has heard public comment at a previous meeting and the matter has been referred for discussion and action only. (Effective June 2022)
• The Council may allow public comment in either instance upon a favorable of a majority vote (11 votes) of its members.

Consent Agenda Document: The Consent Agenda Document can now be found under "PRESENTATION OF CONSENT AGENDA" header for all Council agendas (Effective Feb. 2022).  It is posted as a link to the meeting agenda on the afternoon of the Council meeting. The document is used to kickstart the meeting and it contains a collection of agenda highlights, additional recommendations such as re-referrals, and a list of agenda item exclusions. These include: 

• Any public hearing items  - with individuals registered to speak - and recommended actions
• Required super-majority votes (2/3 of the Council or 14 votes )
• Additional recommendations
• Exclusions requested by noon on the day of the Council meeting

Alder Figueroa Cole detailed these changes in a chart in a recent blog post. In my opinon, these changes were recommended and approved in hopes this stucture will save some time for public attendees, especially given the average length of CC meetings. This new structure eliminates the need for public speakers to stick around until the agenda item they'd like to speak on comes in order, and also adds accountability for the body to be prepared in advance of these meetings. If you have any feedback or recommendations you'd like the Council to further explore, please don't hestitate to reach out. 

Have a good remainder of the weekend and take care!

All the best,

Jael

Meetings

The Plan Commission will discuss items related to the Oscar Mayer Special Area Plan, 222-232 E. Olin Avenue, and 3900-3920 Monona Drive/109 Cottage Grove Road at its virtual meeting on Monday, June 13, at 5:30pm.

• Meeting details
• Meeting agenda
• Watch online

For information about additional City meetings scheduled for this week, please consult the City Meeting schedule.

Events

• Monday, June 13th | 6-7:30 pm | Madison Central Library (201 W. Mifflin St) | Join author Diane Nilan for a reading and discussion of her book, Dismazed and Driven: My Look at Family Homelessness in America. The program will also include a screening of her film Not Homeless Enough, which features four families in Madison & Dane County. Find more details here.
• Monday June 20th | 10am-12pm | MPD East District Station (809 S. Thompson Dr) | Join Neighborhood Resource Officer, Alexa Graham, for East Districts June Coffee with a Cop Event. This event incorporates both an in-person option or virtual via Zoom. If you attend in person, please do not pass the traffic barriers, park near the squad cards or block the driveway. 
  • Coffee w/a Cop Virtual Meeting Info: Zoom Link | Meeting ID: 826 2501 1841 | Passcode: 064669
• The Kujichagulia Madison Center for Self-Determination's 33rd Annual Celebration of Juneteenth festivities will be held both virtually and in person Tuesday, June 14, through Saturday, June 19. This year's theme is "Black Resilience: Embracing Our Past to Define Our Future." The first celebration, the Annual Raising of the Juneteenth Flag, will take place on Monday June 13th, 12pm at the City County Building (210 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd). Visit http://kujichaguliamcsd.org/ to view the weeklong schedule of activities, including Saturday's parade and celebration in Penn Park (see image below)

• Wednesday June 29th | 6:30-7:30pm | Edna Taylor Conservation Park (802 Femrite Dr) | Join part-time environmentalist educator, Doug Davis, for a nature hike through our amazing in-district conservation park! This is a free family-friendly event, however, pets are not allowed. Dress appropriately for the weather and outing - some trails could be muddy.
• Fresh water is Earth's most precious resource. We all use it every day, and we can all have an impact on the ability to provide reliable supplies of clean water now and for future generations. On June 14 and June 21, participate in a two-session course to become a steward of our local waters. Learn more and register for the course here.

Events & Opportunities for Youth

Summer Youth Construction Career Fair

Tuesday June 21 | 9am-3pm | Madison Labor Temple (1602 S. Park St)| Join employers and trade union representatives for a Summer Youth Construction Career Fair. Fair attendees will explore apprenticeship in construction and career opportunities in the union building trades. This event is recommended for youth ages 13-20; pre-registration is encouraged.

LaFollette Girls Basketball Open Gym Sessions

Free open gym sessions for female basketball players in 4th-8th grade will become available Thursday, Fridays, and select Saturdays June 16th-July17th. All sessions are free of charge and will take place at the East YMCA (711 Cottage Grove Rd) 

Door Creek Youth Flag Football League

Help your player grow on and off the field! For all players (boys & girls) grades 4K-6th. Players must attend one evaluation session. Evaluations are drop-in and take approximately 20 minutes/player.

Evaluation dates (@Door Creek Church | 6602 Dominion Dr, 53716)

• Monday August 1 | 5-7pm
• Tuesday August 9 | 5-7pm

Practices start the week of August 29th. Players will have 1 practice and 1 game per week. Practices will be held on weeknights, all games will occur Saturday mornings, September 10th - October 29th.

Registration is $74/player. Register online. Registration will close on August 10, 2022.

For more information, contact Cheryl Knox | cknox@doorcreekchurch.org | (608) 222-8586

Announcements

• The Goodman Community Pool opened at noon on Friday, June 10! Read the news release here, and learn about pool hours and prices and pool rules.

• The Resource Recovery Special Charge will begin showing up on your Municipal Services Bill starting in August. Everyone who receives City of Madison recycling collection will receive this bill. To learn how much it will cost and the reason why it was created in the budget that was passed last year, visit the FAQ page on the Streets Division website.
• The Neighborhood Resource Trailer is available to Madison community organizations, such as neighborhood groups, for neighborhood events. Events should focus on creating community connections, educational opportunities, healthy lifestyles and socialization. This is the community's trailer to enjoy! The trailer includes:
  • Grill
  • Microphone & speaker
  • Table & chairs
  • Serving platform
  • Storage
  • Generator
  • Dry erase board

Save the Date

• Parks Alive is a collaborative effort across multiple City departments and involves many community-based stakeholders and mobile resources. This is a great opportunity to come out to local parks, build community, strengthen relationships, and have fun! Click on the following parks to see dates, times and activities for:
  • Meadowood Park (June 22)
  • Owl Creek Park (June 23) *IN DISTRICT*
  • Allied Park (June 27)
  • Darbo/Worthington Park (June 28)
  • Penn Park (July 14)
  • Aldo Leopold Park (July 19)
  • Warner Park (July 27)
  • Elver Park (August 15)

Resource for Rent/Mortgage Assistance

Since relaunching in October 2021, the Dane CORE 2.0 Emergency Rental Assistance Program has provided $19.2 Million of direct rental assistance to over 3,250 households in the Madison community. And even though tens of millions have already gone to direct support, funding for households is still available. The City of Madison is also using all possible avenues to seek additional funding to ensure that families and households who are eligible for the program can receive their full 18 months of eligibility, which can provide much needed housing security and stability. Due to continuously high application volumes, the average time to assign applications is currently about 45 days. Our providers continue to make progress in shortening that timeline, but we strongly encourage applicants to submit their requests as early as is feasible. Please do not hesitate to reach out and refer to partners to help households move through the application. A comprehensive list of all locations and times available to the community for in-person assistance is below:

1. Monday 
   • 9am-1pm | UW South Madison Partnership | 2238 S. Park St, Madison 53713 | Call (608) 235-1027 to schedule appointment
   • 11am-6pm | Hawthorne Library | 2707 E. Washington Ave, Madison 53704 | Call (608) 957-5623 or (608) 514-9321 to schedule appointment
2. Tuesday
   • 9am-1pm | UW South Madison Partnership | 2238 S. Park St, Madison 53713 | Call (608) 235-1027 to schedule appointment
   • 12pm-3pm | The Salvation Army of Dane County | 3030 Darbo Dr, Madison, 53714 | Call (608) 957-5623 or (608) 514-9321 to schedule appointment
   • 2pm-5pm | Lakeview Library | 2845 N. Sherman Ave, Madison, 53714 | Call (608) 957-5623 or (608) 514-9321 to schedule appointment
3. Wednesday
   • 10am-1pm | FOSTER of Dane County | 700 Rayovac Dr, Madison, 53711| Call (608) 284-8716 | Appointments not required
   • 10am-1pm | Meadowridge Library | 5726 Raymond Rd, Madison 53711 | Call (608) 235-1027 to schedule appointment
   • 10am-3pm | Neighborhood House Community Center | 29 S. Mills St, Madison, 53715 | Call (608) 957-5623 or (608) 514-9321 to schedule appointment
   • 12pm-3pm | Vera Court Neighborhood Center | 614 Vera Ct, Madison, 53704 | Call (608) 957-5623 or (608) 514-9321 to schedule appointment
   • 1pm-4pm | Lakeview Library | 2845 N. Sherman Ave, Madison, 53714 | Call (608) 261-9817 to schedule appointment
4. Thursday
   • By appointment only | East Madison Community Center | 8 Straubel Ct, Madison, 53704 | Call (608) 957-5623 or (608) 514-9321 to schedule appointment
   • 9am-1pm | UW South Madison Partnership | 2238 S. Park St, Madison 53713 | Call (608) 235-1027 to schedule appointment
   • 9am-3pm | Community Action Coalition | 4101 E. Towne Blvd, Madison, 53704 | Call (608) 261- 9817 to schedule appointment
   • 11am-3pm | Pinney Library | 516 Cottage Grove Rd, Madison, 53716 | Call (608) 957-5623 or (608) 514-9321 to schedule appointment
5. Friday
   • 9am-1pm | Meadowridge Library | 5726 Raymond Rd, Madison 53711 | Call (608) 235-1027 to schedule appointment
   • 9am-3pm | Pinney Library | 516 Cottage Grove Rd, Madison, 53716 | Call (608) 261-9817 to schedule appointment
   • 11am-2pm | The Salvation Army of Dane County | 3030 Darbo Dr, Madison, 53714 | Call (608) 957-5623 or (608) 514-9321 to schedule appointment
   • 12pm-5pm | Neighborhood House Community Center | 29 S. Mills St, Madison, 53715 | Call (608) 957-5623 or (608) 514-9321 to schedule appointment