Highlights for the Week of May 22, 2023

• TIME SENSITIVE: The West Area Plan Community Survey Ends May 31, 2023: The City planning team has been collecting community feedback over the past 4 months on assets, issues and opportunities. If you have not had the chance yet, please share what you like best about the West Area and what you would like the plan to cover by completing the West Area Community Survey! It will close May 31. You can visit the webpage to see what others have been saying. PLEASE PARTICIPATE ASAP! Your feedback will be used to draft initial concepts and recommendations. The planning team will schedule community feedback opportunities for July and August to review the initial recommendations. Subscribe to the Plan’s email list to receive feedback opportunities and other Plan information.
• Metro’s New “Ride Guide” Staff Will Help the Public Navigate Changes to Metro Service and Schedules Coming June 11th: If you rely on public transit, please note that Madison Metro is completely updating its service starting on Sunday, June 11, 2023.  Plan early, in case your routes have changed.

MEETINGS:

Sustainable Madison Committee: The Sustainable Madison Committee meeting will take place on Monday, May 22, 2023 in virtual format at 4:30 PM. Agenda items include a presentation by RENEW Wisconsin on the proposed utility rate cases from Madison Gas and Electric and Alliant Energy and more.

o Meeting Details

o Meeting Agenda

o Register for public comment

o Watch Online

Plan Commission: The Plan Commission meeting will take place Monday, May 22, 2023 in virtual format at 5:30 PM. Agenda items include a resolution adopting a Public Participation Plan for the City of Madison Comprehensive Plan Interim Update (2023) and authorizing the Planning Division to draft amendments to the text and maps in the 2018 Comprehensive Plan, and more.

o Meeting Details

o Meeting Agenda

o Register for public comment

o Watch Online

Transportation Commission: The Transportation Commission meeting will take place on Wednesday, May 24, 2023 in virtual format at 5:00 PM. Agenda items include an update on the Metro Network Redesign Implementation, adopting the Reiner Neighborhood Development Plan, a supplement to the City of Madison Comprehensive Plan and more.

o Meeting Details

o Meeting Agenda

o Register for public comment

o Watch Online

District 11 Town Hall at Sequoya Library on May 22, 2023 (District 19 residents invited): Property Assessments will be the topic at the District 11 Town Hall on Monday, May 22nd at 7:00 pm. We will be joined by the City of Madison Assessor, Michelle Drea, Esq. who is responsibility to discover, list, and value each taxable real estate parcel and each taxable personal property account. The title of the presentation is "Property assessment in Madison: Understanding the taxation puzzle and finding your voice."

WisDOT and City of Madison Host Public Meetings for Interstate Study, May 23 and June 1, 2023: The Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) and City of Madison invite you to attend one of two meetings to discuss potential changes to the Interstate and interchanges in the Madison area. These alternatives are part of WisDOT’s larger  I-39/90/94 corridor study that stretches from Madison to Wisconsin Dells. View study information and the proposed alternatives, submit comments, and sign-up for email updates on WisDOT’s project website: tinyurl.com/InterstateStudyPI. Both meetings will start at 6 p.m. with a brief presentation, followed by an open house.

· Tuesday, May 23, 6:00-7:30 p.m.

American Family Insurance Headquarters, Building A, Room A2151

6000 American Parkway

Madison, WI 53783

· Thursday, June 1, 6:00-7:30 p.m.

Steamfitters Local 601 Training Facility

6310 Town Center Drive

Madison, WI 53718

EVENTS:

• East Side Farmers' Market, Tuesday, May 23, 2023: The Eastside Farmers' Market is Madison Wisconsin’s finest weekday farmers' market. Our goal is to bring the freshest Wisconsin grown food direct to the heart of the East side. Our vendor members are agricultural producers and food artisans who make value added products from Wisconsin's agricultural bounty.
• Dane County Farmers' Market - Wednesday Market, Wednesday, May 24, 2023: The Wednesday Dane County Farmers’ Market is located on the 200 block of Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd, in between the Madison Municipal Building and the City County Building. While more intimate than the Saturday Market, you will still find many of your favorite Dane County Farmers’ Market members, as well as a full array of fruits and vegetables, eggs, cheeses, honey, maple syrup, bakery items, cut flowers, plants, and many specialty items.
• West Side Community Market – Saturday, May 20, 2023: The market is located at 505 S. Rosa Rd. in Research Park and is open every Saturday from 7:30 am – 12:30 pm through November 4, 2023. Food Share is accepted, free parking, and accessible by bus.
• Madison Parks & MSCR Open House, Wednesday, May 24, 2023: The community is invited to attend a ribbon cutting and open house for Madison School & Community Recreation and Madison Parks at our new lakeside offices. The event begins with a short presentation followed by an official ribbon cutting! Then stay for the games, activities, and building tours.
• Annual Spring Break-A-Way 3on3 Basketball Tournament Series, Friday, May 26, 2023: After March Madness, the real tournament begins with the Annual Spring Break-A-Way 3on3 Basketball Tournament Series. Northside teens compete in a double-elimination tournament while enjoying a free meal. With on-site registration, players simply have to show up with two friends, or we will find a team for drop-in players. The tournament series is held on Friday nights: April 28, May 19 & May 26 (5pm-8pm), and includes middle school and high school divisions.
• NewBridge Summer Concert Series, Friday, May 26, 2023: FREE community concert sponsored by NewBridge Madison, Party @ the Park, Brittingham Park.
• Bird & Nature Adventures – Edna Taylor Area, Saturday, May 27, 2023: Signs of Spring with Mary Binkley ~ Join Naturalist Mary Binkley for a free fun fascinating family-friendly guided walk or take a walk on your own any day in May to follow beautiful walking trails at Aldo Leopold Nature Center and Edna Taylor Conservation Park to look for Signs of Spring! Are Sandhill Cranes trumpeting their calls by the wetland? Do you see budding leaves, and spring flowers emerging? Use a guidebook or apps such as Merlin and Seek to help you ID birds and plants and post your findings!
• Vegan Sausage Fest, Saturday, May 27, 2023: Vegan Sausage Fest will showcase how you can have delicious, creative dishes that feature local products and produce.
• Coffee with Neighbors: Thurber Coffee Open House, Sunday, May 28, 2023: Stop by Thurber Park (3325 Thurber Ave) to chat with artist-in-residence, Ash Armenta (they/them) and sip coffee with neighbors. All ages welcome, masking inside the space is encouraged.

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

• Violence Prevention Funding Supports Community Programs: Public Health Madison & Dane County is now accepting applications from local community organizations to receive funding that supports violence prevention efforts in Dane County. “We are taking a public health approach to tackling this complex and far-reaching issue. That means looking at things like poverty, housing inequality, and lack of social connectedness, each associated with violence. But, we can’t do it alone,” said Director of Policy, Planning, and Evaluation, Aurielle Smith.

• Make Music Madison Returns This Summer, June 21st: For the 11th year in a row, the City of Madison will become a stage with hundreds of free live performances throughout the City. Coffee shops, community centers, front porches, public libraries, and park shelters will be jamming will all kinds of music that will make you want to dance! The City is thrilled to once again be supporting this event. Registration for performers and venues is open now through May 25 at makemusicmadison.org. Registration is free.

• Free Summer Metro Bus Pass Program for MMSD Students: For the third year in a row, the City of Madison is giving every Madison Metropolitan School Districts Middle and High School student a free Metro bus pass for the summer. This summer Metro has made 7,000 passes available to MMSD students.
• WisDOT and City of Madison Host Public Meetings for Interstate Study: The Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) and City of Madison invite you to attend one of two meetings to discuss potential changes to the Interstate and interchanges in the Madison area. These alternatives are
• Friends of Madison Public Library BIG BOOK SALE: Seven library Friends' groups are pooling their inventory for a large sale of gently used and donated books. The sale takes place Saturday, June 3, 2023, 9am-3pm, rain or shine, at the Madison Public Library Service & Support Center at 1301 W. Badger Road in Madison. All proceeds benefit Madison Public Libraries.
• May is Mental Health Awareness Month : One in five adults in the U.S. experiences mental illness each year and less than half of them receive treatment, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness PDF .
• Open House Planned for MSCR and Madison Parks: Madison School & Community Recreation (MSCR) and Madison Parks invite the community to a Ribbon Cutting Dedication and Open House in their new central, lakeside offices, located at 328 and 330 E. Lakeside Street.
• Madison Awarded Women’s Pro Soccer Franchise in USL Super League: The City of Madison and the ownership of Forward Madison FC announced today that the Club has secured the rights to a USL Super League franchise, contingent on facility improvements.
• Food Scraps Recycling Drop-off Returns to South Madison Farmers’ Market Tuesday, May 23, 2023: The City of Madison in partnership with Sustain Dane and Neighborhood Food Solutions is happy to announce that Food scraps drop off has returned to two Tuesday evening farmers’ market. The Eastside Farmers’ Market in McPike Park and the South Madison Farmers’ Market at the corner of South Park and West Wingra will both be open starting May 23. You can find out more details about the food scraps you can drop off for composting and other important specifics at www.cityofmadison.com/FoodScraps.
• Violence Prevention Funding Supports Community Programs : Public Health Madison & Dane County is accepting applications from local community organizations to receive funding that supports violence prevention.
• Madison’s Annual Drinking Water Quality Report Is Now Available! Postcards are beginning to arrive in mailboxes across Madison letting people know their drinking water continues to meet or exceed all federal and state standards for health and safety. Please read my separate blog post on Well 14, which services a large portion of District 19.

STREETS DIVISION UPDATES:

• The 2023 spring curbside yard waste collection is now over. Curbside pickup will resume in the fall. You should take your yard waste to a drop-off site instead at this time.
• Mineral Point Rd. - Construction related to the new Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system has started along Mineral Point Rd. Work in 2023 will be at 5 intersection including Rosa, Island, Grand Canyon, Westfield, and High Point. The bike lane will be closed at these locations but bikes may use the sidewalk (please use caution and yield to pedestrians). The work at all of these intersections is anticipated to be completed August 2023. For more information on construction projects related to Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), visit the BRT webpage.
• Street Closure--S Broom Street & W Wilson Street: Starting Monday, May 22, S Broom Street will be fully closed to traffic between W Wilson Street and W Doty Street, and eastbound W Wilson Street will be closed between S Broom Street and S Henry Street. 
• We’re still seeing a lot of folks unaware that Badger Rd drop-off site is permanently closed. It’s a tough feeling to have a car loaded with stuff only to find out upon arrival that the site is closed. Please encourage your neighbors, friends, family and so on to check our drop-off site webpage before loading their car. The hours, locations, and restrictions are all available there. The drop-off site webpage is www.cityofmadison.com/DropOffSites
• Remember large item pickup is also different than in years past, too. Crews do not roam around looking for items the week opposite recycling. You need to fill out a work order form to get your home on our pickup schedule. When you make your work order, you set the item out on the date you choose, and collection occurs during the work week following your set-out date.
• Brush collection is still ongoing and will last into September. More information about brush collection can be found at www.cityofmadison.com/BrushCollection.
• There has been more talk in the news about how to handle your batteries due to a disastrous fire in Columbia County at their facility that handles trash and recycling. Lithium batteries are a fire hazard if disposed of incorrectly. Please follow the guidelines spelled out on the Streets Division’s battery page to be sure you do it right.