December Office Hours and Other Highlights for the Week of December 6

December Office Hours

I will be hosting office hours this week on Thursday (December 9) from 4:30pm to 6:30pm. I will be using Zoom (with video): REGISTER

Please use the registration above to get the Zoom link. When you register, you'll also get an e-mail reminder on the day of Office Hours. You can register in advance or the day of.

Note: I have set it up so I can only meet one person at a time. If I'm meeting with someone else, there will be a small waiting period in a meeting lobby. If you don't want to use Zoom, I will be answering calls (608-912-0000) during this time as long as I'm not speaking with someone else. 

If you have a question, concern, or topic of interest that you would like to discuss, but Thursday doesn't work for you, you can e-mail me.

Old Middleton Road Project at Transportation Committee

Staff hosted a virtual neighborhood meeting last week and detailed some minor changes to the Old Middleton Road project based on feedback it has received. Changes included some additional speed calming methods and some sidewalk changes. You can watch the recording on the project page. Old Middleton Road and Craig Avenue Resurfacing | Engineering

The project will be discussed on Wednesday at the Transportation Committee. 

• Meeting Details
• Meeting Agenda
• Register for Public Comment

West Interceptor Shorewood Relief Project

Construction will resume this week on the West Interceptor Shorewood Relief project.

The section of the bike path from Indian Hills Park to the railroad crossing will be closed for approximately 6 weeks. During this closure, the detour route will cross University Avenue and use Whitney Way and Old Middleton Road to reconnect with the path (see map 1).

Construction will proceed from the golf course west to Indian Hills Park. When pipe construction has progressed into Indian Hills Park, the detour route will be changed. A section of the path at the RR crossing will be temporarily restored to give access to the new detour route along Flambeau Road (see map 2).

Completion of the Phase 1 pipe installation is expected in March 2022. Site restoration will take place in Spring 2022. This will include permanent restoration of the bike path.

You can learn more here: West Interceptor Shorewood Relief (madsewer.org)

Staff Reports on Reindahl Park and the Men's Shelter

The City-County Homeless Issues Committee will receive City staff updates on Reindahl Park and the men's shelter at its meeting on Monday.

• Meeting Details
• Meeting Agenda
• Register for Public Comment

Task Force for Government Structure - non-Binding Referendum Results

On Tuesday, the Common Council will discuss for the first time the results of Spring 2021 advisory referendum questions on full-time vs part time, council size, term lengths and limits. The Council will decide next steps, including whether to go forward with a binding referendum.

• Meeting Details
• Meeting Agenda
• Register for Public Comment

Public Hearing on Amended 2022 Public Housing Agency Annual Plan

The Community Development Authority is holding a public hearing on the amended 2022 Public Housing Agency (PHA) Annual Plan at its meeting on Wednesday.

• Meeting Details
• Meeting Agenda
• Register for Public Comment

MPD Strategic Plan Proposal, OIR Recommendations Progress Report, MMSD Safety

The Public Safety Review Committee is discussing several items of note regarding the Madison Police Department and policing in Madison at its meeting on Wednesday.

• Meeting Details
• Meeting Agenda
• Register for Public Comment

For more information about additional meetings scheduled for this week, please consult the City Meeting Schedule online here

Events, activities, seminars, etc.

• Andi Cloud invites Madison residents to hunt for a hand-made medallion in City of Madison parks. The clear, acrylic medallion has the Great Seal of the Ho-Chunk Nation engraved and is hidden within a City of Madison public park. Clues will be published online starting Wednesday, December 1, 2021. A new clue will appear daily through Friday, December 10, 2021, unless the medallion is found before that date. The person who finds the medallion will get to keep it and will also win a $50 gift card! Learn more about how to participate.

• In partnership with the Wisconsin Book Festival, author Patty Loew will appear live on Crowdcast on December 9 at 7pm to discuss her book, Seventh Generation Earth Ethics, and the increasing pressures to turn Indigenous lands into "sacrifice zones"--geographic areas that are permanently affected by environmental damage.

• Two Madison Public Library locations are offering FREE tech repair for tablets, laptops, and phones! Drop-in programs hosted at Lakeview and Meadowridge Libraries. Learn more here.

• Helpful sewers from the Sewing Machine Project are offering free, onsite mending services at Central Library every Thursday, from 10am – 12pm throughout December and January (not available December 23). They can mend clothing, coats, and any other fabric-related repairs, with the exception of zippers. No sign-up required! Drop in anytime.

Announcements, press releases, press conferences, etc.

• The Streets Division will be performing a last chance leaf collection. Residents who still need curbside leaf and yard waste collection need to get their yard waste out for pickup by Sunday, December 5. Streets Division crews will be running at full capacity to collect as much as they can as quickly as possible to hopefully beat the winter snows. If you miss that final pickup or if you would rather not take the chance that a snowstorm will bury your leaves on the terrace until the spring, then the drop-off sites are available (but be advised – reduced winter availability begins December 3). More details about the last chance pickup can be found here.

• The Madison Police Department is launching a new tool to help improve communication between officers and the community, all through the touch of your fingertips. Starting Wednesday, the department will use SPIDR Tech, a service that sends text messages to smartphone users who call 911 or the department's non-emergency line. The Madison Police Department is the first agency in the state of Wisconsin to use this type of technology. Learn more here.

• The City of Madison Streets Division is happy to announce a new item we can place into our recycling containers. Madison residents can now recycle empty and dry paper cups. This includes takeout coffee cups and paper fast food cups. Learn more here.

• Do you want to receive up to $3,000 for your group? If so, you should apply for a grant from By Youth For Youth, a youth-led grant program offering up to $3,000 for student-led projects, clubs, and ideas that will better Dane County. More information can be found here. Apply for a grant here. Applications are due by January 9, 2022.

Save the Date

• All potential applicants for the Neighborhood Grant Program must meet with city staff by January 17. Applications will be due February 7. Please send an email to neighborhoods@cityofmadison.com to request your pre-application meeting, and check the city's webpage in mid-December for 2022 program materials.

• On Tuesday, December 14, Andi Cloud wraps up her Storyteller Residency by getting personal! The virtual event, Being Hinu: Growing Up Ho-Chunk in the 20th Century, will provide a look into Andi's life, including pivotal moments where she learned her tribe's ways and started to define what the Ho-Chunk life means to her. Register here.

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

-Keith F