Common Council

Meeting and Event Highlights for the Week of August 8, 2022

Election Day for the Partisan Primary is Tuesday, August 9th! Polls are open from 7am until 8pm. You can find your polling place at the City Clerk's voting website. A few polling places have changed since the last election. You should have gotten a postcard if your polling location has changed, but it's always helpful to just check. If you've moved, you can register at the polls on Tuesday - you'll need to bring documents for proof of residency.

There is still in-person absentee voting happening at some locations on Saturday the 6th and Sunday the 7th, however, due to state law, there is no voter registration on those days. There is no in-person absentee voting on Monday the 8th.

Overdose Spike Alert: Public Health Madison & Dane County is issuing a public health alert due to an increase, or spike, in drug overdoses in our community. Over the 24 hour period between August 1 and August 2, 2022, at least 7 people experienced a suspected drug overdose, and at least 2 overdoses resulted in deaths. This is 50% higher than we usually see in our community. More than half of the people who experienced an overdose thought they were using oxycodone, meaning there is a possibility of counterfeit pills circulating in the area. Counterfeit pills may contain lethal amounts of fentanyl or methamphetamine and are extremely dangerous because they often appear identical to legitimate prescription pills, and the user is likely unaware of how lethal they can be. Read More Here.

City of Madison jobs! The City of Madison is a great place to start or continue a path with your career! Take a look at some of the open positions right now, and check back from time to time to see new positions as they're posted.

Meetings

• The Common Council will not meet again until September, but many other committees meet this week, including the Plan Commission, the Transportation Commission, the Education Committee, the Women's Initiatives Committee, and the Equal Opportunities Commission. To see the full list of City meetings scheduled for this week, please consult the City meeting schedule.
• On Wednesday, August 10th, the Public Safety Review Committee will discuss the proposed ordinance that would prohibit the Madison Police Department and law enforcement responding under mutual aid from using tear gas, mace, impact projectile devices or other chemical agents for the purposes of crowd control. The virtual meeting begins at 5pm. For the meeting details and a signup link to comment, click here.

Events

• Parks Alive is a collaborative effort across multiple City departments and involves many community-based stakeholders and mobile resources. This is a great opportunity to come out to local parks, build community, strengthen relationships, and have fun! Click on the following parks to see dates, times and activities for:
  • Monday August 8th 4:30pm-7:30pm Parks Alive ~ Allied Park - Food Carts, Movie, MSCR FIT2GO
  • Tuesday, August 9th 4:30pm-7:30pm Parks Alive ~ Darbo/Worthington Park MSCR Art Cart, MPL, Bubbler--woodcut collage, book give away, Mentoring Positives food cart, Darbo Peace Walk at 6pm
  • Wednesday, Aug 10 4:30pm-9:30pm @Warner Park (Trailsway)  Parks Alive ~ Increase the Peace | Movies with Madison Parks - The Lorax MSCR Art Cart from 5-7:30pm, movie at 7pm
  • Thursday, August 11th 1:00pm-4:00pm @ Penn Park - Parks Alive ~ It Takes a Village Food carts, Fit2Go, Movie at 3:00 pm
• Madison Public Library Is Hosting Storytelling Events for Kids. From August 8th to August 20th across different libraries, the Madison Public Library We Read program is offering a chance to share stories in a unique way. For two weeks, each library will have workshops and/or self-directed activities for kids and families to enjoy. Activities include Bubbler-led making opportunities like creating your own digital comic or making a stop-motion animated video using iMovie. Bubbler Media Instructor Rob Franklin (Rob Dz) will also lead interactive spoken word poetry workshops and Alexis Dean, the Bubbler in the Neighborhood artist at Meadowridge Library, will lead a poetry-inspired storytelling session, as well. See this link for dates and times for each library and what activities are at which library.
• Thursday August 11th - Neighbors for Community Safety--a safety and violence prevention event Warner Park Community Center (1625 Northport Dr) Thursday, August 11 from 5-7pm Free and all are welcome! Join Public Health Madison and Dane County, the Northside Planning Council, and Alder Myadze for an evening where families and community members can come together as neighbors. We'll have a panel discussion about gun and community safety issues, resource tables (including Narcan training, gun locks, suicide prevention resources, and more), and lots of info on violence prevention and intervention strategies.
• 100 Black Men of Madison 27th Annual Back to School Celebration - Saturday August 13th, 8am-11am, Goodman South Campus of Madison College (2429 S Perry St) - All Dane County elementary and middle school students of limited income families and their parents are invited to participate in this drive-thru event. Elementary and middle school students accompanied by their parents will receive a new backpack full of school supplies until materials are exhausted. Given current health concerns, all students and parents are asked to remain in their cars, and please wear a mask while interacting with staff and volunteers. Questions? https://www.100blackmenmadison.org/contact or call 608-205-8572
• Dane Dances! 2022  "A Season of Celebration" Dane Dances! is a family friendly event on the stunning Monona Terrace rooftop EVERY FRIDAY EVENING IN AUGUST. The much-anticipated summer music series is a great way to get down and dance with your friends, coworkers, or family. The rooftop gets shaking as the sun sets against the iconic Wisconsin State Capitol with the breeze of Lake Monona at your back while you dance. Feel free to bring a blanket, chair and picnic basket; seating on the rooftop is limited. Sorry, carry-in alcohol is prohibited. Dane Dances! promotes inclusivity with a fun night of music and dancing to music and bands for all ages.

Announcements

• Guns to Gift Cards on Saturday, August 13th:  Dane County Sheriff's Office is organizing its first Gift Cards for Guns Buy Back event on August 13, 2022 at the Alliant Energy Center from 10am to 2pm. The address is 1919 Alliant Energy Center Way, Madison, WI 53713. The Dane County Sheriff's Office is collaborating with the Madison Police Department to provide community members a place to dispose of unwanted guns and ammunition, safely and legally.  They will collect the guns without asking questions or requiring identification. For more information, or to make a donation in support of the event, please see https://danesheriff.com/Services/Gift-Cards-for-Guns
• From Police Chief Shon Barnes: "Last week MPD was recognized nationally for the number of females who are recruited and stay with the department. NPR sent a reporter and photographer to Madison to get to know our staff and the good work they do in our community. Please see the links below:"
  • https://www.npr.org/2022/07/31/1111714807/increasing-women-police-recruits-to-30-could-help-change-departments-culture
  • https://www.npr.org/2022/07/17/1111912941/30-by-30-calls-for-30-of-police-recruits-to-be-women-by-the-year-2030
• MPD 2022 Summer Strategic Plan: How things are going two months in. The Madison Police Department has been focused on reducing shots fired calls, stolen auto incidents and hazardous driving. Read an update on how the plan is going. The summer plan began June 1 and runs until Oct. 31. The plan's effectiveness will then be reviewed and studied by department leadership.
• Are you behind on your rent? You may be eligible for rental assistance. Visit the Community Action Coalition of Southcentral WI Dane CORE webpage.
• Be a Volunteer Fall Food Cart Reviewer! The annual Food Cart Review will run September 12 - October 8, 2022, and you can apply to be one of the reviewers!  This review will determine which food carts will be allowed to vend in Downtown Madison from April 15, 2023 - April 14, 2024. Application deadline is Friday, August 19 at 4p.  You will be notified if you have been accepted as a reviewer by August 25th. Reviewers are required to visit at minimum 80% of the food carts in the review.  In 2019 we had 59 carts participate.  During the Review, you must be available 3-4 of the Saturday's between 9a-1p and be able to get Downtown during the week over the lunch hour (11a-2p).  All Reviewers are required to take a mandatory virtual training on Tuesday, August 30 from 6p-7p.  A love for food, small businesses and the vibrancy of our city is a plus! Click here to apply.
• Reminder: New Trash/Recycling Schedule Started Monday, August 1, 2022 - Due to the Town of Madison attachment, some folks (especially on the west side) may have new trash pickup days or a change in their recycling pickup. You can read the release and find the new pickup schedules here.
• Monkeypox Vaccine Clinic: With expanded eligibility guidance from Wisconsin Department of Health Services, Public Health Madison Dane County is opening a monkeypox vaccination clinic. The clinic will open with limited hours on weekdays, by appointment only, starting on Monday, August 1. Learn more about the updated eligibility and how to make an appointment at publichealthmdc.com/monkeypox. Monkeypox does not spread easily from person to person, and the virus is spreading mostly through close, intimate contact  with someone who has monkeypox.
• FREE HUD APPROVED HOMEBUYER EDUCATION CLASS / TALLER GRATIS APROBADA POR HUD PARA COMPRADORES DE CASA (Spanish interpretation available!) Are you looking to learn more about what it takes to buy your home? Please join us for this HUD-Approved and Free Homebuyer Education class from 5-8:30 p.m. Thursdays, August 18th and 25th at Fitchburg Public Library's Conference Room, 5530 Lacy Rd, Fitchburg WI 53711! Spanish interpretation will be available for the August classes! Our first time home buying workshops go over everything you need to know about buying your first home including how to find the right home, down payments, and securing a mortgage! Certificate of Completion included!
  Register using this link by August 15th: https://homebuyersroundtable.app.neoncrm.com/np/clients/homebuyersroundtable/event.jsp?event=17& ! For questions regarding this class contact Consumer Credit Counseling Service at 1 (800) 350-2227 and tell them that you have signed up for the Dane County Home Buyer Education Class. NOTE: This month's class is offered in 2 sessions, you MUST attend both sessions to complete the class. By registering for this class, you understand that you must attend both sessions.

August Moving Days - www.cityofmadison.com/MovingDays (And Donate, Donate, Donate!)

• August Moving Days: Daily Collections of Carts in Student Move Area: Starting at 6:30 a.m. on Monday August 1, 2022 residents in the downtown moving days area can place trash and recycling collection carts out for pickup. On every weekday between Monday, August 1 and Monday, August 15, Streets Division crews will be emptying collection carts within the downtown moving days area. You can read the full release here.
• August Moving Days: How to Recycle Televisions, Computers, and Other Electronics. Electronics must be delivered to the Streets Division's drop-off sites, or to a reputable private electronics recycler in the area . These steps will protect your data and ensure the hazardous materials inside them are handled and recycled safely. Many common electronic items, like televisions, computers, and printers, are banned from landfills  in Wisconsin. These items should not be placed to the curb or in the collection carts.
• August Moving Days: How to Use the Large Item Work Order System during the Move Out: Starting the week of August 7, 2022 and ending on Friday, August 19, 2022, the large item work order rules are different for items that are collected at no cost for residents who live in the downtown move-out area. There are no changes to the work order rules for large items that require a fee, like microwaves, televisions, or air conditioners. If you live in the student move out area, you will not be required to complete a work order for large Items that do not require a fee from August 8, 2022 until around 12:00pm on Friday, August 19, 2022. Read the full release here.
• August Moving Days: How to Set Out Appliances, Furniture, & Other Large Items for Collection. Please follow these guidelines so Streets Division collections will be faster and safer. If you are moving, it is in your best interest to set the items out within the guidelines so crews can collect the items quickly and minimize the congestion caused by large, slow moving collection vehicles.
  • Keep items away from obstructions like fire hydrants and street signs. Do not place items under overhead obstructions like low-hanging wires and low tree limbs, too
  • Keep the large item piles tidy. For example, if you have disassembled a desk, stack the wood pieces neatly.
  • Separate metal items and appliances, such as bed frames or air conditioners, separate from other material so they can be easily collected and recycled.
  • Do not pile bagged trash or recyclables on top of large items or appliances.
  • Remember to use your collection carts for trash and recyclables that can fit inside. And never make loose heaps of papers, clothes, or other waste that can blow around and clutter your neighborhood.

Please review that release or check the Streets Division's Moving Days webpage to be sure you are using the system the right way. The moving days website is www.cityofmadison.com/MovingDays.

If you live outside of the move-out area and have questions regarding the large item system, please review the large item website, www.cityofmadison.com/LargeItem.