Community Connection- Week of May 25th, 2026

Hello District 18,

As we enter the final days of May, our community is coming together around meaningful gatherings and important civic conversations. This week includes Memorial Day, a time to honor and remember those we've lost. It's also a week filled with opportunities to stay connected to what's happening in our neighborhood and across the city.

Professional Expertise & Accountability: Our Interim Independent Police Monitor 

I support Madison's Interim Independent Police Monitor because accountability rooted in both professional expertise and genuine independence is a violence prevention strategy.

Think about it: if we want to reduce harm in our community—whether that's police-involved incidents, systemic inequities, or broken trust—we need accountability systems that are both professionally rigorous and structurally independent from the very institutions they're examining. That's not abstract governance talk. That's how we actually change outcomes.

Aeiramique brings 15+ years of criminal justice reform experience, including her role as Chief of Police Accountability in Baltimore, where she led work on restorative justice, community-police relations, and racial equity. Her expertise matters because it shapes how she reads complaints, questions policies, and identifies patterns that affect our most vulnerable community members. But just as important: she's shown a willingness to release critical reviews and push for genuine office autonomy even when it's uncomfortable. That independence is how we know the work isn't being shaped by pressure to protect the department.

In my work with violence intervention and peer support, I've learned that people heal and trust builds when accountability is real when it's not performative or controlled by the very people being examined. The same is true in policing. We deserve an Interim Independent Police Monitor with both the professional knowledge to investigate fairly and the institutional independence to do that work without compromise.

When you encounter headlines about police conduct, ask the questions: Who's investigating? What's their background? Do they have genuine independence? That's how we ensure accountability that actually serves our community.

Up next week: Why we need Body worn Cameras.

Updates and Notices

The City of Madison's administrative offices will be closed on Monday, May 25, 2026, for Memorial Day.

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.

• Joint Campus Area Committee: The Joint Campus Area Committee meeting will take place on Thursday, May 28, at 4:45 p.m. in virtual format. Agenda items include an update on the Regent Street reconstruction.
  • 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)

• Virtual Open House | District 16 Parks, Thursday, May 28, 2026: Madison Parks is holding a series of virtual public input sessions for the Southeast Park Development Plan process coinciding with the City Planning Division's Southeast Area Plan and mapping area. The meetings will include an overview of the planning effort's goals, a review of the neighborhood parks included, and an opportunity for area residents and park visitors to share their thoughts on future park improvements.
• Public Information Meeting: South Point Public Works Facility, Thursday, May 28, 2026: A public information meeting has been scheduled for 6 p.m., May 28, 2026, via Zoom. Registration is required. This meeting is intended for the public to attend to learn more about the South Point Public Works Facility project.

Everyone belongs here.

Alder, District 18