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Common Council

Week of May 5th

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Dear District 16 Residents,

It’s been a busy couple of weeks since I was sworn in as District 16 Alder! I’ve attended my first committee meetings, met with leaders of city agencies, and showed up at community events to listen to my neighbors. Here’s a little more about what I’ve been up to since April 15th:

Sean picking up litter at Door Creek Park to celebrate Earth Day

To celebrate Earth Day, I joined folks from across District 16 to help clean up litter and trash from Door Creek Park. Earth Day was founded by Wisconsin Senator Gaylord Nelson, who believed we must maintain and protect our natural resources, and that access to those resources should be treated as a human right. I couldn’t agree more. It was wonderful to get outside with my neighbors and make a tangible impact in our community. I even got to take a peek at the new park shelter, which will be opening later this summer!

Earlier this week, I joined the Meadowlands Homeowners Association for their annual meeting to introduce myself and hear directly from residents about what their community needs.

Olbrich Thai Pavilion

I was also invited to tour Olbrich Gardens and meet with their executive director to discuss how we can maintain such an important community resource for generations to come. I was able to see the completed renovations to the Thai Pavilion, which is once again open to the public. Thank you to the staff and volunteers that keep our gardens so beautiful! And for all the birders out there: I even got to see one of the Barred Owls that currently call Madison home. 

Finally, I joined Governor Tony Evers and leaders from across Dane County for the Schools Make Madison Summit, hosted by the Madison Public School Foundation. We got to hear about literacy, attendance, and how these two areas shape student success. 

Our next Common Council meeting will be this upcoming Tuesday, May 6th, at 6:30pm. You can attend in-person at the City-County Building downtown or tune in live on City Channel. I am proud to be sponsoring my first resolution as an alder to provide more protection for our Metro Bus drivers. In the face of recent physical altercations, we need to make sure that our drivers have the resources they need to keep themselves and their passengers safe.

As always, you can reach me at district16@cityofmadison.com. I am eager to hear from you!

-Sean

P.S. We now have an official District 16 Facebook page! I encourage you to follow along for important city updates and information about what’s happening across our district.

Kicking off Small Business Week

Sean in front of FEED Kitchen on Sherman Avenue

Yesterday, I joined several alders in partnership with Madison Metro and the Office of Business Resources to kick off Small Business Week! We toured small businesses across the city and heard from local business owners, including two in District 16.

Small businesses play a vital role in Madison’s economy and are critical to the success of our neighborhoods. Be sure to shop local this week – and all year round!

Low Mow May

It’s officially May, and therefore the start of “Low Mow May”. Low Mow May began as an effort to improve the health of our local pollinator population. Pollinator populations are dwindling across the country, and they play an essential role in the health of our ecosystems and our planet.

During summer months, lawns that are taller than 8 inches are subject to a notice from city inspectors that direct the owner to mow their lawns or face a fine. Typically, pollinators do best with grass that is 4-5 inches long. To help with the Low Mow May effort, the Building Inspection Division will once again push mowing enforcement dates into the month of June. Temporarily suspending enforcement of the City's grass length ordinance during May allows our pollinators more time to thrive.

Farmers Markets Are Back!

Farmers markets are popping up around the city as summer approaches and more fresh produce is available. From the Dane County Farmers Market on the square to local neighborhood markets scattered throughout Madison, I hope you find an opportunity to get outside and buy local!

Additionally, at the west side community market residents will be able to participate in food scrap drop off, which began this past Saturday, May 3rd.  You can find other City of Madison food scrap drop off locations here and Dane County Waste and Renewables food scrap drop off locations here.

Farmers Markets: Find the locations and schedules for markets near you!

Boards, Commissions, and Committee Meetings

Note: This is not a complete list of meetings for this upcoming week. All meetings and their details can be found at the Meeting Schedule page.

  • Common Council: The Common Council meeting will take place on Tuesday, May 6, at 6:30 p.m. in hybrid format. Agenda items include:
    • Item #63 – TID #55, to assist with the development of the former Voit Farm property, now the recently-approved Starkweather Neighborhood. While this is not in District 16, the boundaries of the TIF run close to District 16 at Stoughton Road and Milwaukee St. Here are some resources that you may find helpful:
    • Item #70 - a resolution updating city ordinances to add Disorderly Contact directed at a City Transit Operator. This proposal extends to Metro Transit bus drivers the same protections provided to Election Officials, in response to the recent increase in assaults against bus drivers over the past few months, which is part of a nationwide trend. I am proud to be a co-sponsor of this resolution.
  • Board of Public Works: The Board of Public Works meeting will take place on Wednesday, May 7, at 4:30 p.m. in virtual format. Agenda items include approving plans and specifications for public improvements required to serve Phase 1 of the Subdivision known as Starkweather Plat.
  • Equal Opportunities Commission: The Equal Opportunities Commission meeting will take place on Thursday May 8, at 5:00 p.m. in virtual format. Agenda items to be announced.

If you would like more information about becoming a member of a City board, commission, or committee, please visit the page linked here.

Announcements and News Releases

Please visit the City news webpage to find additional news and announcements and to subscribe to receive notification of news releases as they are posted.

Events

Additional upcoming events can also be found on the City events calendar.

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District 16 - Alder O'Brien

Alder Sean O'Brien

Alder Sean O'Brien

District 16
Contact Alder O'Brien