Meeting and Event Highlights for the Week of April 25, 2022

At the Common Council meeting last week, the Council approved the Lake Mendota Drive Reconstruction project's roadway geometry resolution.

Thank you to all those who sent in feedback. The City held three public information meetings, multiple committee meetings and numerous private/group discussions. The project was shaped by the City's policies, but residents' feedback did help contribute to changes. You can read a review of the process.

Future Expected Schedule

• 4/29/2022: Mail Estimated Assessments, Public Hearing Notice for 2022 Project (estimated date)
• 5/11/2022: BPW Public Hearing on 2022 Project (estimated date)
• 5/24/2022: Common Council Hearing on 2022 Project (estimated date)
• 6/9/2022: Bid 2022 Project (estimated date)
• 8/1/2022: Begin Construction on 2022 Project (estimated date)
• Winter 2022: Start public meetings for 2023 reconstruction project

My colleagues elected me to serve as President of the Common Council for the next year. I'm humbled by their support and excited for the opportunity to serve Madison in this new way. In addition to continuing to serve District 19 as Alder, I plan to focus on providing the council office the tools they need to thrive, improving resident engagement, improving the training process for alders and committees, and developing methods to deal with conflict and disagreement.

The Council took steps to establish a Resource Recovery Special Charge. I posted more details about this last week. There is a new FAQ available.

The Council voted to request the Police Department establish parameters for a body worn camera pilot in 2023. The pilot parameters and budget will still need to be approved at a future council meeting. I remain incredibly concerned at the cost of the pilot and City-wide implementation of body worn cameras. Our City continues to struggle with a significant structural financial deficit. 

• University Avenue Reconstruction Public Information Session: 4-6 p.m., May 3, IN PERSON at the Best Western Plus Inntowner, Bascom Meeting Room, 2424 University Ave.

  • Construction to begin the week of May 9
    • The north side of the road will be reconstructed this year, and the south side in 2023.

• The City of Fitchburg is hosting an open house regarding the annexation of the Town of Madison on Thursday, April 28, at 6:30 p.m. at the Quartz Benefit Building, 2650 Novation Parkway. Fitchburg has a dedicated web page for the Town of Madison annexation, which can be viewed here.

• Dane County is updating the Noise Compatibility Plan for Dane County Regional Airport. A public outreach open house will be held on Tuesday, April 26, from 5pm-8pm, at the Dane County Regional Airport in Conference Room 1, near baggage claim. More information can be found here.

• The community is invited to attend a virtual public information meeting to learn about the Glenway Golf Park improvements. Learn more here and register to attend the virtual meeting here.

• For information about City meetings scheduled for the week of April 25, please consult the City Meeting Schedule.

• Make Music Madison is a free, citywide, outdoor day of music held annually on the summer solstice. Initiated in Madison in 2013, our festival is part of the larger Make Music Day, an international summer solstice music celebration occurring in 1,000+ cities across the globe. The 2021 event featured 312 concerts at 112 venues with over 1,000 individual musicians. Registration to perform or host a performance opens this month. Learn more here.

• The Fair Housing Center of Greater Madison is offering a free online fair housing training seminar for owners and managers of rental properties, or staff operating residential programs, in Madison on Thursday, April 28, 11:00 – 12:30 a.m. To register for this free online seminar, visit https://tinyurl.com/MadisonFairHousingTraining or call 608-257-0853. The seminar will include information about the protected classes and prohibited practices delineated by local, state and federal fair housing laws, as well as emerging issues such as sexual harassment and hate incidents in housing situations. The material presented during the seminar is intended for general information purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Recording of the seminar is not permitted.

• Due to the Transportation Security Administration's announcement that it will no longer enforce its Security Directives and Emergency Amendment requiring mask use on public transportation and transportation hubs, wearing masks is now optional on Metro Transit buses and at its facilities. Metro greatly appreciates all of its riders' cooperation during the extended time this mandate was in place.

• Are you a local musician? Do you want to be part of the city’s musician list? Please contact Angela Puerta, City of Madison Planning Division.

• Yard waste collection for the spring is wrapping up soon. Be sure you know when you should be setting out yard waste by checking here. Brush collection is ongoing. Get the dates when you should be setting out brush here.

• April is Earth Month! One easy way to celebrate is to be sure you’re recycling the right stuff. For example – just because it’s plastic doesn’t mean it goes into your recycling cart. Get the rules here.

• Take the Network Redesign Draft Plan Survey and give Metro your feedback. Over the next few months, staff will be analyzing feedback on Metro's Network Redesign Draft Plan and making adjustments. The online survey is available in English and Spanish and will be available until the end of the month. Paper copies of the survey are available in English, Spanish and Hmong. Call 608-266-4466 or email mymetrobus@cityofmadison.com to request a copy.

• The City of Madison Engineering Division will allow use of low-carbon concrete in the construction of public sidewalks and curb and gutter thanks to the work and initial passion of a couple local Girl Scout troops. Read more here.

• Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway and Alder Nasra Wehelie proposed a resolution on Tuesday, April 19, to begin the process of treating Well 15 on Madison’s east side to remove PFAS contamination. Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a class of chemicals that do not readily break down in nature, and have been linked to negative health effects. They were discovered in Well 15 on Madison’s east side during voluntary testing in 2017, and the well was later closed down. Read more here.

• Support a Utility Box Installation in your neighborhood. Artists are compensated $500 for a license of each image used in the program. This project's funds will be used to pay artists and cover the costs of installing the art on utility boxes. Contributions of any size are welcome, but a $2,500 contribution will fully cover the cost of a box wrap in your neighborhood and a box in a neighborhood where there aren't as many financial resources.

If you have questions, comments, suggestions, etc., feel free to reach out: district19@cityofmadison.com

-Keith F