Meeting and Event Highlights for the Week of December 8, 2025

In the D19

• The Common Council takes up five matters recommended for approval last week by the Plan Commission, Finance Committee, Community Block Grant Committee and Board of Public Works:
  • Agenda item 11 (Legistar 90552) amends the Transit Oriented Development Zoning Overlay (TOD Overlay) permitting more housing types and restricting new auto-oriented buildings of some types (but not affecting existing businesses). The TOD Overlay includes sections of Mineral Point Road, Whitney Way, and University Avenue in District 19. The Plan Commission recommended a substitute version (version 2).
  • Agenda item 12 (Legistar 90553) re-zones 659 N Whitney Way and 5003 University Avenue from Neighborhood Mixed Use (NMX) to Regional Mixed Use (RMX) consistent with the adopted West Area Plan.
  • Agenda item 13 (Legistar 90554) re-zones 402-434 and 429 Gammon Place and 433 S Gammon Road from Commercial Corridor (CC) to Regional Mixed Use (RMX) and 5701-5801 Mineral Point Road and 422 S Rosa Road from Suburban Employment (SE) to Regional Mixed Use (RMX) consistent with the adopted West Area Plan.
  • Agenda item 52 (Legistar 91020) requests award of a contract for playground equipment to Best Value Contracting including $61,710.66 for Skyview Park.
  • Agenda item 58 (Legistar 90965) requests approval of $5.6 million of affordable housing funds for MSP Real Estate’s 437 S Yellowstone Senior Apartments.
• Bird & Nature Adventures | Owen, Saturday, December 13: Story Walk ~ Families with kids will enjoy this special storybook walk!   Naturalists Beth Whitaker and Noelle Chambers will take you on a fun nature walk with stops along the way to do readings from popular children's book "Bird Count" by author Susan Edwards Richmond.  Learn how kids can participate in a Bird Count such as the upcoming Madison Christmas Bird Count to help count birds for science.

Updates and Notices

Winter Storms and Extreme Cold: The best way to stay safe during extreme winter weather is to be prepared and stay indoors. Learn how to prepare for winter storms.

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 meeting will take place on Tuesday, December 9, at 6:30 p.m. in hybrid format. Agenda items include amending the Zoning Code to create a housing type called “Cottage Courts.”
  • Meeting Details
  • Meeting Agenda
  • Register for Public Comment
  • Watch Online
• Board of Park Commissioners: The Board of Park Commissioners meeting will take place on Wednesday, December 10, at 6:30 p.m. in virtual format. Agenda items include updates on the Southeast and the Southwest Area Plans.
  • 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.

Announcements and News Releases

• Make Sure Your Home is Winter Ready!: A reminder for home and business owners to make sure your water pipes are protected from freezing or bursting this winter. [posted December 3, 2025]
• Madison Completes the Second Year of the Building Energy Savings Program:  City staff are proud to announce that 85% of required commercial buildings are in compliance with the program. [posted December 1, 2025]
• Metro Transit December Service Updates: Starting Sunday, December 7, Metro will implement several route, schedule, and stop adjustments, including the closure of the South Transfer Point. [posted December 1, 2025]
• Jeffrey Clay Erlanger Civility in Public Discourse Award Winner is Eve Galanter : The award was created by the Common Council to honor Madison residents who exemplify Erlanger’s model of fairness, openness, and civility in public discourse. [posted December 1, 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

• Girls' Mentorship Group, Tuesday, December 9 (This event occurs on multiple dates): Join Keena Atkinson of R'oujie Wellness on Tuesday evenings at Warner Park Community Recreation Center! This free series is designed for females aged 11 to 18. Pre-registration is requested but not required.
• City of Madison Economic Development Strategy Public Workshop, Thursday, December 11: The City of Madison, in partnership with EQT By Design and 4th Economy, is holding a public workshop to engage community members in shaping the city's economic development plan.
• Warner Family Fun Night, Friday, December 12: Join us at WPCRC for Warner Family Fun Night! Families can create art projects, play in the gym, watch a movie or win some prizes playing bingo!
• Bird & Nature Adventures | Turville Point, Sunday, December 14: Winter Magic ~ Join Naturalist Andria Blattner with Friends of Olin Turville on a guided walk to discover the magic of winter at Turville Point and learn about the plants and animals that call it home. We will follow the winding trails past old oaks to the hilltop restored prairie and majestic pines where Great Horned Owls nest in winter as snow falls around them.
• 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.