Week of June 30th

Dear Neighbors,

Happy summer! I hope that you and your loved ones have been staying safe and cool over the last few days of hot weather.

There is so much happening across Madison this summer, including events right here in District 16. It was great to join the Elvehjem Neighborhood Association for their annual Fourth of July Celebration at Droster Park this past weekend. Thank you to all the organizers who worked to make the event a big success!

A special shout out to the Lost Creek Homeowners Association for inviting me to speak at their annual meeting and provide an update on city issues – including the redesign of South Stoughton Road and several other important projects.

I’ve been lucky enough to also attend some of the many sporting events our city has to offer, from a Madison Radicals ultimate frisbee game to the Madison Mallards Pride Night. I’m excited to attend a Night Mares game (our women’s softball team) and a soccer game with Madison Forward FC!

Finally, it was wonderful to sit down with Destination Madison to talk about the role that tourism plays in our economy. Last year, Madison had 9 million visitors who spent about $5 billion dollars in the city. We also discussed the importance of public transportation options – not only those who call Madison home, but for those who choose to visit. As many of us are preparing to travel and go on vacation, take a moment to think about the impact that your tourism is having on other municipalities. And most importantly, be sure to shop local – whether here in Madison or elsewhere!

For many, this Fourth of July feels different because our democracy and the very values our nation was founded on are being undermined. I hope that you and your families can celebrate the holiday together and take a moment to remember that the Fourth of July is a celebration of independence from a tyrannical king. We are a stronger nation when we stand together, when everyone – regardless of who they are, their immigration status, who they love, what religion they practice, or how they identify – is welcome in our communities. I will leave you with this quote from author and historian Heather Cox Richardson:

“One of the curses of history is that we cannot go back and change the course leading to disasters, no matter how much we might wish to. The past has its own terrible inevitability. But it is never too late to change the future.”

As always, please don’t hesitate to reach out if you need anything or want to get in touch. I’m eager to hear from you!

-Sean

Upcoming Public Information Meetings:

There are two upcoming public information meetings

1. The Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) invites you to their third public involvement meeting for the South Stoughton Road Study, covering 4.4 miles from Voges Road/Terminal Drive in McFarland to WIS 30 in Madison. The study will be presenting and requesting feedback on intersection conceptual alternatives to improve safety, mobility, and community connectivity issues for all travelers on the Stoughton Road South corridor.

   Tuesday, July 15th, 2025
   5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
   
   La Follette High School – Cafeteria
   702 Pflaum Road 
   Madison, WI 53716

2. The City of Madison is hosting a virtual public information meeting on the three Housing Forward resolutions that were introduced at the common council meeting on June 17th and I was proud to co-sponsor. This public meeting will include an informational presentation explaining the details of each of the proposals and allow time for questions. If you are unable to attend the virtual meeting, a video recording of the meeting will be posted publicly.

Wednesday, July 5th, 2025
6:00-7:00pm 
Virtual – Watch online

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, July 1, at 6:30 p.m. in hybrid format. Agenda Items of Interest include:
  • Item #1 - Celebrating July 2025 as Disability Pride Month (I am a sponsor)
  • Item #18 - Regulating density of such alcohol beverage licenses
  • Item #68 - Requiring elector signatures with application to fill vacancy on the Common Council (I am a sponsor)
  • Items #69-71 – Entering into agreements to provide Metro passes.
  • Item #74 - Supporting Low or Now Emission Grant Applications to Federal Transit Administration for hybrid-electric 40’ buses, equipment and charging infrastructure (I am a sponsor)
  • Item #77 - Amending the Police Civilian Oversight Board appointment process
    • Meeting Details
    • Meeting Agenda
    • Register for Public Comment
    • Watch Online
• Police and Fire Commission: The Police and Fire Commission meeting will take place on Tuesday, July 1, at 5:00 p.m. in virtual format. Agenda items include a discussion of the Police Chief hiring process.
  • Meeting Details
  • Meeting Agenda
  • Watch Online
• Board of Public Works: The Board of Public Works meeting will take place on Wednesday, July 2, at 4:30 p.m. in virtual format. Agenda items include authorizing an agreement with MSA Professional Services for engineering services for the Starkweather Creek and Olbrich Gardens Watershed Study.
  • Meeting Details
  • Meeting Agenda
  • Register for Public Comment
  • Watch Online

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

• City of Madison to Raise Disability Pride Flag in Honor of Disability Pride Month: Madison, Wi: The City of Madison is proud to host a Disability Pride Flag Raising Ceremony to commemorate the 35th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The ceremony and news conference will take place on Tuesday, July… [posted June 27, 2025]
• Concerts on the Rooftop Moved Inside: Due to the forecasted storms tonight, Thursday, June 26, Concerts on the Rooftop will be moved indoors in Monona Terrace's spacious exhibition hall. Don't miss Latin Pride Orquesta’s exhilarating brand of salsa music and charged live shows… [posted June 26, 2025]
• Madison Updates its ADA Transition Plan : Over the past year, the Department of Civil Rights and many other City of Madison agencies have worked to identify barriers to access in all city programs, facilities and the public right of way as they worked on revitalizing Madison’s American with… [posted June 26, 2025]
• Madison Sister City Delegation to Visit Obihiro, Japan : The trip was organized by the Madison-Obihiro Sister Cities Inc. board to work for peace and better understanding of all cultures. [posted June 26, 2025]
• The Sustain Dane - City of Madison Recycle Better Course Begins on July 2: The Streets Division is once again working with Sustain Dane to offer the online Recycle Better classes. The class is in the evening of July 2, 2025. This is the last opportunity to take the course this year. By taking the Recycle Better class,… [posted June 26, 2025]
• Metro Transit Now Accepting Credit Cards: Riders are now able to pay their adult rate bus fares with both physical contactless Mastercard or Visa credit cards as well as mobile wallets like Apple Pay, Samsung Pay, and Google Pay. [posted June 25, 2025]
• Parks Open House Thursday: The City of Madison Parks Division invites the community to view the draft 2025-2030 Park & Open Space Plan. Meet with staff and explore the plan's chapters at the POSP Open House on Thursday, June 26 from 3:30-6:30pm at Parks Lakeside Offices,… [posted June 25, 2025]
• 2025 Recyclopedia Booklets Now Available: Printed copies of the 2025 Recyclopedia are now available. You can pick up a copy at your local Madison Public Library location and the Streets Division offices. Copies can be mailed to you by contacting the Streets Division office that services your…[posted June 24, 2025]
• Street Closure for Concerts on the Square: Multiple streets around the Capitol Square will be closed on Wednesday, June 25th for the start of the annual Concerts on the Square event series. The streets will close at 3:00pm and will reopen by midnight. [posted June 24, 2025]
• Heavy Rain Continues, Urban Flash Flooding Expected, Avoid Flash Flooded Areas : The next few days are expected to have multiple, brief but heavy storm events which may result in urban flash flooding of roadways.  If you encounter a flooded area do not drive through.  Intense rains of this type can overwhelm the… [posted June 24, 2025]
• Phase 2 of Highland Avenue Project Begins Monday: Beginning at 5:00 am on Monday, June 30, the Madison Metropolitan Sewerage District (MMSD) will begin Stage 2 of its Highland Avenue project.  Southbound Highland Avenue will close at the VA Hospital driveway, and the westbound on-ramp from…[posted June 24, 2025]
• Street Closures and Parking Restrictions for Morgan Wallen Concerts at Camp Randall Stadium: The City of Madison is announcing several street closures and parking restrictions in preparation for the Morgan Wallen concerts at Camp Randall Stadium on Saturday, June 28 and Sunday, June 29. These measures are intended to support pedestrian… [posted June 23, 2025]

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

• Parks Alive at Galaxy Park, Monday, June 30: Parks Alive is back this year with more of what you love! Visit your local park and share fun, family-friendly activities while building connections with neighbors and creating memories with friends. As always, there will be free food, music and the occasional movie. Come out, get active and enjoy your local green space this summer.
• Movie in the Park | Dog Man, Monday, June 30: Grab a blanket or a lawn chair and join us for a free movie in the park! Movie: Dog Man(link is external) (2025) PG 1h 29m. Showtime: 6:30pm. This movie showing is part of the Parks Alive program. Parks Alive is 5 - 7pm.

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