Happy 2023! Lots of Info about Events, Meetings, and More

Greetings friends and neighbors! 

Happy 2023 – I hope the New Year is off to a great start for all. The year is definitely off to a busy start with meetings having resumed from the holiday break. I'd like to highlight some upcoming events, city work and project/policy updates of interest, along with citywide information collected by Common Council office staff.

2023 coffee with a cop

The 1st East District "Coffee with a Cop" event of 2023 will take place tomorrow, Tuesday 1/10, 5-6:30pm at the Pinney Library (516 Cottage Grove Rd). Please note the time change; these meetings have historically been scheduled during the day and serve as an opportunity to meet Officer Graham, the East District Neighborhood Resource Officer (NRO), who coordinates and often facilitates the meetings. The meeting will offer both an in-person and virtual option. Virtual meeting link and call-in information is below:

• Link to Join Virtual Meeting
• Meeting ID: 849 1944 7192 | Passcode: 336104

Small Tree Pruning

City forestry crews will soon be pruning trees in our area. The city and departments objective is to prune every small tree and/or trees that have been planted within the last 10 years. The map below shows the areas where pruning will occur. These include both residential (Elvehjem & East Buckeye neighborhood streets S. Thompson, E. Buckeye, Vondon, Droster, and Cottage Grove Roads, Ellen Avenue, Femrite and Painted Post Drives ) and industrial (Progress, Meier, and Agriculture Roads, Dairy and Femrite Drives and Daniels Street) areas. 

Information about citywide pruning operations and schedules is available on the city forestry webpage.

City Updates Salt Use Ordinance for Public Sidewalks  

The City of Madison new ordinance limits the use of salt or other melting agents to the amount necessary to treat the ice so it can be removed. The new change also allows the City to educate and enforce salt standards to property owners who use too much salt or melting agents. The goal of the ordinance change will keep sidewalks safe for pedestrians and also help the community cut down on salt use, which helps our area waterways. When salt moves into local waters, it contributes to making the City's lakes and groundwater more salty, which is a public health concern.

Rules for Property Owners:

- Excess salt and chemical melting agents may not accumulate on the sidewalk and must be removed following ice or snow melt.     

- The owner of each lot or part of lot shall remove all snow and ice upon the sidewalk abutting the premises owned no later than noon of the day after the snow or ice has accumulated on the sidewalk, regardless of the source of accumulation.

- The owner of property abutting sidewalks on two intersecting streets shall remove all snow and ice from the sidewalks of both streets, including that portion of the sidewalks bordering the crosswalk, including the curb ramp, if any, regardless of the source of the snow accumulation.

- First offense: $124; second offense: $187

- The City's Building Inspection Division will be responsible for enforcing the new ordinance. 

Trash & Recycling Information

There will be no trash or recycling collection by the Streets Division on Monday, January 16, 2023 in observance of the Martin Luther King, Jr holiday. The drop-off sites will also be closed. If your trash and recycling is collected on Mondays by the Streets Division, you should place your scheduled cart(s) to the curb for collection by 6:30am on Tuesday, January 17, 2023. Only residents that have a Monday collection day will experience a delay in refuse and recycling pickup services.

If you are unsure if the holiday will cause your trash & recycling to be delayed a day, consult your collection schedule. You can download the one for your home today by entering your address into the form at www.cityofmadison.com/CollectionSchedule.

Transit-Oriented Development

The Planning Division will be hosting a virtual public meeting on Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) Overlay Zoning on Thursday, January 12th at 6pm.  Advanced signup is required.  The meeting will contain information from previous public meetings and Committee meetings covering what TOD Overlay Zoning is, why it is being pursued, and the various components of the drafted ordinance that will be in front of Council on January 17th.  Staff will be showing some information and case studies on how the TOD Overlay relates to national and local historic districts due to the additional interest in that topic generated by the Transportation Policy and Planning Board's and Plan Commission's recommendations to Council that historic districts be included within the Overlay area.  More information on TOD Overlay Zoning is available on the project website. 

Proposed Zoning Code Change to Update Definitions of Family

This proposed ordinance amends several sections of city ordinance (Chapter 28) in order to change the current definition of "family" in the zoning code. The family definition restricts the number of people who can live in an apartment or house together based on the zoning district, their ownership status or their relational status. The original intent of the family definition was to protect single family neighborhoods from college student renter households and was added to Madison's zoning code in 1966. Today, the restrictive family definition negatively impacts Madison's goals of increasing housing supply and equity. This proposed ordinance change expands the definition of family in order to expand housing options and equity.

This proposal was supposed to be heard before the Plan Commission at its meeting today (January 9th) but will be referred to June 12, 2023 at the request of the (ordinance) sponsor.

Elected and Appointed Official Code of Ethical Conduct Passed

Last week the Common Council unanimously passed an Elected and Appointed Official Code of Ethical Conduct. Previously, elected and appointed officials – which include the mayor, council, and appointees to boards/committees/commissions – have lacked such rules, which apply to other city employees. The new code expects elected and appointed officials to maintain utmost standards of personal integrity, trustfulness, honesty and fairness in carrying out public duties and to never use their position to bully, harass, abuse or discriminate against others. "It sets the tone from the beginning (of elected and appointed officials terms), said council Vice President Jael Currie, who chaired a council Executive Committee subcommittee to establish the code. "The passing of this code demonstrates our commitment to accountability and the continued learning and unlearning we all need to do as we advance the work of becoming a more inviting, equitable and inclusive community." I am really pleased we were able to develop and pass these standards. Additional information is within this linked press release. 

Have a happy and safe rest of your week! Jael 

Meetings

Police and Fire Commission: The Police and Fire Commission meets virtually on Monday, January 9, 2023 at 5:30 PM. Items on the agenda include status updates regarding hiring/recruitment from MFD and MPD.

Meeting details

Meeting agenda

Register for public comment

Watch online

City-County Homeless Issues Committee: The City-County Homeless Issues Committee meets virtually on January 9, 2023, at 5:30 PM. Items on the agenda include a presentation on regional housing strategy & affordable housing options outside the City of Madison and an update on the men's shelter development.

Meeting details

Meeting agenda

Register for public comment

Watch online

Common Council Executive Committee: The Common Council Executive Committee meets virtually on Wednesday, January 11, 2023, at 5:30 PM. This agenda includes interviews of (Interim) Alder District 12 candidates.

Meeting details

Meeting agenda

Register for public comment

Watch online

State Annual Celebration | Monday 1/16/23, noon | State Capitol Rotunda

Themed "Let Justice Rule," the 2023 event continues Wisconsin's annual celebration of Dr. King's life and legacy in words and music. Program participants include Gov. Tony Evers, the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra conducted by Andrew Sewell, the Foundation of Life Praise Band, the Prince Hall Masonic Honor Guard, and the Kalaanjali Dance Company, with guest speaker Laurie A. Carter, J.D., president of Lawrence University in Appleton. Hear the event, free and open to the public, live on Wisconsin Public Radio and on PBS Wisconsin.

City County Observation | Monday 1/16/23, 5:15-7:30pm | Overture Center Capitol Theater

The annual Madison and Dane County MLK Day Observance returns in person this year! The keynote speaker will be Donzaleigh Abernathy, goddaughter of Martin Luther King Jr., daughter of Rev. Ralph Abernathy, and award-winning actress & writer. There will be a sing-in of freedom songs led by Tamera Stanley from 5:15–5:45 pm, followed by the MLK Day Observance from 6–7:30 p.m. The event will be broadcast live on Madison CityChannel and WORT 89.9FM.

Schedule of Additional King Day Celebrations

•  Frank Jonczyk, Crew Leader at 'Bucky's House,' Retires From MFD
• United Nations affiliated global NGO Together for Safer Roads recognized Madison with its Fleet Advocacy Award at TSR's international Annual Stakeholders Meeting in New York City, primarily for the work of Madison Vision Zero launched in 2020, which has already saved lives.
• City of Madison's Vision Zero Newsletter - First Issue of 2023 has arrived!
• Snow Equipment Name Suggestions Window Closes Next Week
• Statement of Mayor Rhodes-Conway Regarding Council Approval of Madison's Complete Green Streets Policy
• Interested in beautifying your neighborhood? The 2023 Neighborhood Grant Program is Now Open! Applications are due February 20. 
• How to Have Your Christmas Tree Collected –  set out by January 17.
• 5 Easy Ways to Use Less Salt
• Clerk's Office Counter is Closed and will be unable to provide in-person services on Friday, January 13, and on Tuesday, January 17, as the office moves from the City-County Building to the Madison Municipal Building.

• Groove & Glide: Friday, January, 13, 2023, 6-8pm at Westmorland Park, no skate rentals, a limited number of loaner skates available.
• Candlelit Snowshoe Hike: Saturday, January 14, 2023, 4:30pm to 7:30pm at Aldo Leopold Nature Center.
• Learn to Play Hockey with Madison Capitols: Sunday, January 15, 2023, 9-11am at Tenney Park Ice Rink.
• Madison-Dane County MLK Day observance: Monday, January 16, 2023, beginning at 5:15pm
• Greater Madison Music City (GMMC) report is available on the Madison Arts website