Updates 1/15-1/21

Sign up for Winter Snow Alerts

The weather outside continues to be frightful. Trust me, I was just as unhappy as anyone else this weekend having to literally dig my car out of the several feet of snow only to learn I received a parking ticket, even though I could've sworn I parked on the correct side of the street. Regardless, I know street maintenance is doing the best they can with the resources they have available. Please take it easy, drive slow, and subscribe to winter snow alerts!

Subscribe here to receive Snow Plow Updates. More information about all City of Madison winter services can be found at www.cityofmadison.com/Winter.

MLK Day 

As MLK Day comes to a close, I wanted to take some space on this blog to honor Dr. King and the many black activists that fought for justice and equity. MLK Day is a federal holiday dedicated to celebrating the life and achievements of Martin Luther King Jr. It is also the only federal holidays that actively encourages everyone to volunteer to improve your community.

"Life's most persistent and urgent questions is: 'What are you doing for others'" - MLK

If you feel inspired by this, I encourage you to check out volunteer opportunities in Dane County. Volunteering to benefit your community could also look like shoveling your elderly neighbors driveway, donating winter clothes to a nearby shelter, or signing up to be a poll worker for the April 2024 election. 

Transportation Commission to Review Passenger Rail Study 

I wanted to highlight the passenger rail study that Transportation Commission will review this week. We have all been eagerly awaiting the consultants review of locations for an Amtrak line from Madison to Milwaukee. Though we are quite far from seeing this new line in action (projecting a 2028-2031 design and construction), we can still get excited about these initial steps of choosing site for the passenger rail. I look forward to an interesting and robust discussion at TC this week. See agenda and meeting link below. 

Meeting and Event Highlights for the Week of January 15, 2024

Streets Division Updates

• Winter Information: The City of Madison has a hub for all things winter from how to use salt correctly to winter recreation opportunities to free sand locations to snowplowing update email signups.  All of that is available at www.cityofmadison.com/Winter

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 here.

• Finance Committee: The Finance Committee meeting will take place on Tuesday, January 16, in virtual format at 4:30 p.m. Agenda items include the acquisition of property in Districts 12 and 13, approving contract amendments to complete work at the Royal Thai Pavilion in Olbrich Botanical Gardens, and providing Metro Transit with funding via Dane County for accessible transportation.
  • Meeting Details
  • Meeting Agenda
  • Register for Public Comment
  • Watch Online
• Transportation Commission: The Transportation Commission meeting will take place on Wednesday, January 17, in virtual format at 5:00 p.m. Agenda items include entering into agreements with Dane County to provide Group Access Services, Volunteer Driver Escort Services, and accessible transportation services, as well as approving the application for a pedal-cab service operator license for Badger Bike Taxi Cab.
  • Meeting Details
  • Meeting Agenda
  • Register for Public Comment
  • Watch Online
• Madison Food Policy Council: The Madison Food Policy Council meeting will take place on Wednesday, January 17, in virtual format at 5:30 p.m. Agenda items include approving contract language for City Agriculture Leases, approving a memorandum on land banking policy, and staff reports from the Business Development Specialist, Public Health Madison & Dane County, and Extension Dane County, UW-Madison.
  • Meeting Details
  • Meeting Agenda
  • Register for Public Comment
  • Watch Online  

Public Information Meetings & Sessions

Public Input Meeting - Galaxy Park, Thursday, January 18: Madison Parks is planning to make improvements to Galaxy Park in 2024! Galaxy Park is a mini park located on Madison's east side. The park currently offers a playground and sun shelter. Parks has prepared two plan options to add additional amenities.

Announcements & News Releases

• South Madison Community Invited to Try Virtual Reality during Penguin Party at the Library: Live the life of an Adelie penguin in the Antarctic by playing the Virtual Reality game Waddle: A Penguin's Tale, a learning game developed by FieldDay Lab at UW-Madison, at Goodman South Madison Library on Friday, January 19 from 1-3pm.
• Meet Zeke and Freddie: Badges presented to MPD's newest K-9 officers: MADISON, Wis. – The Madison Police Department is formally welcoming its two newest K-9 officers to the unit.K-9 Zeke and K-9 Freddie were awarded their badges Thursday during a special swearing-in ceremony.
• Thank You! 60th Anniversary of City’s Civil Rights Equal Opportunities Ordinance : The Department of Civil Rights would like to thank everyone who came to the 60th Anniversary of the City of Madison Equal Opportunities Ordinance Celebration. DCR would also like to express appreciation to everyone who supports the civil rights work…
• Five Resumes Received for the District 19 Common Council Vacancy : Council Executive Committee Will Meet on January 23rd to Recommend Interim Alder
• Cinesthesia Film Series Returns to Central Library January 17: Cinesthesia is back! This eclectic movie series hosted by cinephile Jason Fuhrman returns to Central Library for monthly screenings. Check out the lineup for 2024...

Events 

• Groove & Glide, Friday, January 19: Make the most of winter at a Groove and Glide event! Experience the fun and beauty of ice skating under the lights with fun music and games.  All ages and experience levels are welcome. Grab your friends, a date, or the whole family, and come have some fun on the ice. 
• Bird & Nature Adventures | Starkweather Creek Area, Saturday, January 20: Outings in the Starkweather Creek area vary each month - be sure to check the starting location. Adventures typically at 10:00am on the 3rd Saturday of the month, year-round, and frequently start at the Goodman Community Center, unless noted otherwise. Outings include nature walks, canoe/kayak adventures, bicycling tours, and more, and are sponsored by the Madison Friends of Urban Nature, Madison Parks, Badgerland Bird Alliance, Goodman Community Center, Madison Audubon Society, and Friends of Starkweather Creek. No registration is required. Pets are not allowed.
• Candlelight Snowshoe Walk, Saturday, January 20: Join Madison Parks, Wild Warner and the Friends of Cherokee Marsh in this free, family-friendly event at Warner Park. See the park by candlelight and warm up by the fire. Limited snowshoes will be available to borrow during the event, or bring your own or wear appropriate winter footwear. No registration is needed. This event will take place with or without snow cover but may be canceled if conditions are icy or otherwise unsafe.
• Learn to Ice Fish, Sunday, January 21: Learn to Ice Fish with Madison Parks and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources! Participants will learn ice fishing techniques and how to properly, and safely ice fish. This is a free event offered during the Free Fishing Weekend and no fishing license is required. Advanced registration is required. This event is open to adults and children and is ideal for persons aged 7 years and older. Children must be supervised by a parent or adult guardian. Participants will be asked to sign a waiver for themselves and their children, upon arrival. 
• Bird & Nature Adventures | Warner Park, Sunday, January 21: The Art of Winter with Kathlean Wolf ~ At a time when the sun is dim and the landscape has faded to grayscale, the artistry of nature is hidden all around us. Join Wild Warner Naturalist Kathlean Wolf for a free guided walk or take a walk on your own to enjoy contrasts in the landscape, fallen leaves exposing the shapes of trees, dried summer plants creating snow-capped sculptures and ice and frost creating fantastic scenes.