City-County Building
Common Council

Week of September 29th

posted 

Dear Neighbors,

Happy fall! I hope that you are finding time to enjoy the warmer-than-usual weather and getting to partake in all the fantastic fall events that are happening around Madison with friends, family, and loved ones.

Earlier this month, I joined the Madison Reading Project at their Breakfast with the Book Bus to learn more about the important work they do to promote literacy across Madison and Dane County. It was so wonderful to see teachers, families, and community leaders and show our city’s support for their mission.

Sean at the Madison Reading Project Breakfast with the Book Bus event

I also had the opportunity to join Alders Madison, Guequierre, and Govindarajan as we met with state representatives to advocate for increases in shared revenue, the creation of a regional transit authority, expanded funding for homeless services, childcare options, and so much more. Thank you to Senator Dianne Hesselbein and Representatives Bare, Stubbs, Hong, and Joers for having us. It is so important that we have strong relationships across all levels of government to keep Madison moving forward and bring much-needed resources to our communities.

With with State Rep. Stubbs

I also joined Smart Growth and development leaders for a roundtable discussion on current projects happening in District 16, as well as potential limitations and barriers. Madison is a rapidly growing city, but we can ensure responsible growth through regular conversations and intentional engagement with neighborhoods, community organizations, small businesses, and developers.

Lastly, thank you to everyone who came out to my most recent office hours at the Meadowlands Apartments. This was my fourth set of office hours, and I'll continue to host them throughout the district to meet with residents and hear directly about your hopes and concerns. My next office hours will be at Fire Station 14 on October 1st from 4:30-6:30pm. I hope to see you there! If you’d like to share any materials in advance, please send them to district16@cityofmadison.com.

As always, please don’t hesitate to reach out. I’m eager to hear from you!

-Sean

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Housing Forward Proposals Public Information Meeting:

The second set of Housing Forward Proposals will have a Public Information Meeting on Tuesday Sept. 30th from 5:00-7:00pm. These proposals were introduced at the September 16th Common Council meeting. I am a co-sponsor for all three proposals to making building and creating housing choice in Madison easier.

  1. Legistar 89916: reduce minimum lot width and lot area within certain zoning districts and to reduce the rear setback for alley loaded one-story attached garages.
  2. Legistar item 88917update the existing step-down rules for larger buildings when adjacent to a residential district.
  3. Legistar item 89918: allow detached Accessory Dwelling Units to have two units and not be included in maximum permitted use accessory structure size

These are not the last of the Housing Forward proposals – several more will be introduced later in October. Future proposals will include updates to TOD (Transit Overlay District) zoning, allowing for cottage courts, and updating zoning for Planned District neighborhoods.

Yard Waste Pick Up:

As a reminder, brush collection has ended for the season, and yard waste collection will be beginning shortly. You can use this link to find the next date for Yard Waste pick up. It is against state law to place yard waste in the trash. Additionally, please do not place yard waste in recycling containers and do not place leaves in the street. If you use bags, the city will cut open the bags and leave them on your terrace or in your garbage can. Being responsible with our yard waste is extremely important for the health of our watershed and lakes. Leaves contain high amounts of phosphorus and can cause murky waters and algae blooms.

Planned Parenthood Shutting Down Abortion Access – Oct. 1st.

Last week, Planned Parenthood announced that they would be stopping future appointments for abortion services in their clinics across Wisconsin due to Medicaid cuts enacted by the Trump administration. The shuttering of these services on October 1st will have a staggering impact on our community, and they are not the only cuts that our city will be facing as the true impact of federal legislation is realized.

Navigating this landscape will be difficult, but Public Health Madison & Dane County have navigators ready to assist people in finding abortion services and securing the funds needed for care, emergency contraception, and pregnancy support.

You can reach the Nurse Navigators on weekdays from 8:00am-4:30pm by calling or texting (608) 690-0893 or filling out an online form. All counseling is free and confidential. Both the City and County will continue to support residents every step of the way as we reaffirm our commitment to protecting accessibility of reproductive and family health care and that includes abortion services.  

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 Discussion: A Common Council Discussion will take place on Tuesday, September 30, at 6:00 p.m. This is a briefing on the Bartillon Purpose-Built Permanent Men's Shelter and its history to current status, as well as key issues that lie ahead, including funding. This is a discussion, which means that there will be no formal actions taken (no votes, no introduction of legislation, no moving of amendments etc.). Members of the public are welcome to observe the discussion, however no public comment or input will take place. This can be watched in-person in Room 201 of the City-County Building or online.
  • Finance Committee: The Finance Committee meeting will take place on Monday, September 29, at 4:30 p.m. in Room 215 of the Madison Municipal Building at 215 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. Agenda items include 2026 Capital Budget deliberations and the proposed amendments. You can find the complete document of amendments here.
    • Amendment #1 - A technical correction that fixes language in the Fleet Service agency budget. there will be no financial impact for 2026.
    • Amendment #2- Changes to the schedule for State Street improvements funding in the CIP. Move to being in 2028. There will be no financial impact for 2026.
    • Amendment #3 - Adding repairs to the Madison Central library to the horizon list for study. There will be no financial impacts for 2026.
    • Amendment #4 - Replacing a City-maintained fence along Edgewood Drive in 2026. This will come at a cost of $120,000, with  the Taxes on Average-value Home (TOAH) beign $0.15.
    • Amendment #5 – Adding body-worn cameras to the horizon list for future analysis by staff. A note to highlight is that to fully implement body cameras will cost between $3.2 - $6.7 million and will require five additional full-time staff (see the Financial Department Analysis) There will be no financial impact for 2026.
    • Amendment #6 – Improvements to lighting along the Southwest Commuter Path. This will have a financial impact of $844,000 paid for by TIF funds. This will not have a financial cost for individual homes in Madison.
    • 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

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