Harm reduction hub, 17 days of highlights + Meeting and Event Highlights for the Week of December 15, 2025

Hi there, 

Since meeting with Public Health Madison & Dane County, and then attending the Board of Public Health meeting on Friday, I've been able to gather more information about the proposed harm reduction hub.  I still need to work my way through that additional info in order to give a more detailed update.  I appreciate your patience as I work to sort through everything.  

Starting tomorrow, December 15th, I will start sharing 17 days of highlights—one update each day through Dec 31st. These are the wins, improvements, and efforts that have shaped our District in 2025.  You can follow those daily updates on my District Facebook, Instagram and TikTok accounts.  I will also give a weekly recap of those posts here on my blog.  

If you'd like to schedule a meeting with me, here's my calendar to save a date. 

Learn more about accessing resources through United Way of Dane County's 211 database. This is a great way to identify resources you may be unaware of. 

Alder Madison, district17@cityofmadison.com 

Meeting and Event Highlights for the Week of December 15, 2025

Updates and Notices

Envision Downtown Madison kick-off meeting materials are now available! Thanks to the approximately 175 people who attended the Envision Downtown Madison kick-off meeting on December 2nd.  If you missed the meeting, you can still participate as all meeting materials are now available on the Downtown Area Plan webpage. This includes the meeting video, presentation slides, and digital versions of the engagement activities. A summary of comments will be prepared and shared in early 2026. See the Spanish version of the video recording here. If you have any questions, or would like to schedule a conversation or presentation with City staff, please reach out to downtownplan@cityofmadison.com

John Nolen Drive Project: Get current information about road closures and construction updates for John Nolen Drive.

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 special meeting will take place on Tuesday, December 16, at 6:00 p.m. in hybrid format. This is a special meeting to appoint election inspectors.
  • Meeting Details
  • Meeting Agenda
  • Register for Public Comment
  • Watch Online
• Common Council – Discussion: The Common Council discussion will take place on Tuesday, December 16, immediately following the special meeting, which starts at 6:00 p.m., in Room 215 of the Madison Municipal Building. This is a discussion on City strategies to maintain and improve lake health.
  • Meeting Details
  • Meeting Agenda
  • Watch Online
• Plan Commission: The Plan Commission meeting will take place on Monday, December 15, at 5:30 p.m. in virtual format. Agenda items include development-related requests in Districts 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 11, 12, 15, and 18.
  • 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.

Public Information Meetings (PIMs)

• Far West Operations Building, Monday, December 15: A public information meeting is scheduled for this project at 6 p.m., Dec. 15, 2025, via Zoom. Registration prior is required.

Announcements and News Releases

• Love Our Lakes: City Strategies to Maintain and Improve Lake Health: The City of Madison Common Council will host a focused discussion titled “Love Our Lakes: City Strategies to Maintain and Improve Lake Health.” This conversation will highlight both ongoing and future initiatives to protect, restore, and enhance the… [posted December 12, 2025]
• Affordable Housing Fund to Support 400+ New Homes: The City of Madison’s Common Council has approved nearly $14 million from the Affordable Housing Fund to support the creation of approximately 425 new rental homes across the City, with more than 260 of those offering permanent affordability. [posted December 10, 2025]
• Common Council passes third Housing Forward package of 2025 : The City of Madison Common Council approved two more housing-focused ordinances during its December 9 meeting, capping off a year of impactful policy changes to make it easier to build more homes across Madison. [posted December 9, 2025]
• Streets Division Drop-off Sites on Winter Hours until April 11, 2026: The Streets Division drop-off sites at 4602 Sycamore Avenue and 402 South Point Road are now on winter hours. The winter hours began on Friday, December 5, 2025. The last day for winter hours is Friday, April 10, 2026.  Expanded hours return on… [posted December 8, 2025]
• New Snowplow Trading Cards Now Available!: The City of Madison is proud to present a new set of trading cards featuring our named snowplowing fleet. The cards are available for free at any Madison Public Library location and from the Streets Division offices while supplies last. [posted December 8, 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

• Conservation Volunteer Workday, Saturday, December 20: We invite volunteers to help make a difference in the health of our local environment by joining us for invasive species removal. These hands-on conservation efforts are essential in restoring native ecosystems and ensuring the vitality of our natural spaces.
• Bird & Nature Adventures | Starkweather Creek Area, Saturday, December 20: Holiday Nature Walk ~ Join Friends of Starkweather Creek for a healthy holiday walk outdoors to enjoy the beauty of winter along Starkweather Creek!  
• Bird & Nature Adventures | Warner Park, Sunday, December 21: Winter Solstice Walk ~ Join Naturalists Kathlean Wolf and Robin Kling for a fun free family and kid friendly walk on easy paths along Warner Pond Lagoon and through Warner Woods to the top of Sled Hill.
• Holiday Fantasy in Lights, Saturday, November 15, through Monday, January 5, 2026: Lighted holiday-themed displays set in beautiful Olin Park. Drive through from dusk until 10:00pm to enjoy this magical light show for free, brought to you by The Electric Group.

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