Week of May 4 Updates - Madison Housing Week, Downtown Police Town Hall, and more

Madison Housing Week

Madison Housing Week starts today! From walking tours, to lunch and learns and community presentations there will be a variety of events. You can register at the Madison Housing Week website.

Downtown Police Town Hall Meeting

Downtown stakeholders are invited to attend a Madison Police Department town hall meeting on Monday, May 4 at 6:30 p.m. with Madison Police Chief John Patterson, assistant police chiefs, and Central District command staff and officers. The goal of the meeting is to directly connect community members with the officers and commanders who serve their neighborhood. Downtown public safety and quality of life issues will be discussed. The meeting will be at the Central Library, 201 West Mifflin Street, on the third floor.

Meeting and Event Highlights for the Week of May 4, 2026  

Updates and Notices 

• Spring Yard Waste Collection Ending Soon: Don't miss out on your yard waste pickup chance. Get the date when you should put out yard waste for pickup on the Streets Division's website. 
• Recycle Better: Last call to sign up for the Recycle Better class with Sustain Dane. Help yourself and your neighbors be better recyclers! Classes start next week. More details are on the Sustain Dane website. 

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, May 5, at 6:30 p.m. in hybrid format. Agenda items include amending the zoning code to include a new accessory use: “fairground." 

• Meeting Details 
• Meeting Agenda 
• Register for Public Comment 
• Watch Online 

Board of Public Works

The Board of Public Works meeting will take place on Wednesday, May 6, at 4:30 p.m. in virtual format. Agenda items include authorizing engineering services for the Wingra Proper Watershed Study. 

• 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. 

Public Information Meetings (PIMs) 

• Southwest and Southeast Area Plan Final Review Processes Begin May 5!: Final review and approval processes will begin next week for the Southwest and Southeast Area Plans. Drafts can be accessed here: Southwest Area Plan and Southeast Area Plan.   
• MPD Community Conversation - Central District, Monday, May 4: Meet the officers serving the downtown area of Madison during this town hall discussion. Central District Captain Kipp Hartman and Madison Police Chief John Patterson will be available to answer questions and address community concerns about public safety. 
• West Towne Pond Improvements, Tuesday, May 5: The project consists of improvements to the existing West Towne Detention Basin on Madison's west side.  The primary goal of these improvements is to increase the stormwater storage capacity of the detention pond, thereby reducing future peak stormwater flood elevations in the area. Registration is required. 

Announcements and News Releases 

• 2026 Property Tax Base of the City of Madison: The City Assessor is responsible for the assessment process including… [posted May 1, 2026] 
• Mayor Rhodes-Conways Signs Haymarket Declaration: Announced on May Day in Chicago, the accord is a joint commitment to use the power of cities to defend democracy, worker's rights, and the livelihoods of our residents. [posted May 1, 2026] 
• Dane County Residents Exceed 10,000-Trip Goal in Spring Roll Challenge: Dane County residents and commuters logged more than 10,700 car-free and carpool trips during RoundTrip Greater Madison's Spring Roll Challenge in April, saving over $13,900 and avoiding 22 tons of CO₂ emissions. [posted May 1, 2026] 
• Snowy Winter Leads to Twice as Many Sidewalk Clearing Complaints: Several impactful snowstorms during the 2025-2026 winter season led to an increase in the number of sidewalk shoveling complaints received and citations issued. [posted April 30, 2026] 
• MPD releases Annual Report: MADISON, Wis. — The Madison Police Department is pleased to present its 2025 Annual Report.The report highlights our commitment to community outreach while providing high-quality police services. In 2025, the Madison Police Department invested in… [posted April 29, 2026] 
• Madison Fire Seeks Community Input During Hiring Process: The Madison Fire Department is hiring the next class of Firefighter/EMT recruits, and community involvement is an important part of the process! Sign up to be a part of our Combined Oral Board interview panels. [posted April 27, 2026] 

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 

• Wright Design Series - When a Barn Isn't Really a Barn: Design Through Discovery, Tuesday, May 5: Paula Verboomen will explore how curiosity, deep listening, and iteration reveals clients' true needs. With this understanding, and a holistic approach to design, architectural solutions are a natural extension of the client and offer delight in unexpected ways. Her presentation will focus on a range of projects spanning her career, bringing to life her client-centric and collaborative approach. 
• FOOT Madison Irish Set Dance, Wednesday, May 6: Looks like we'll have a little more time to enjoy the wonderful dance floor in historic Normal Hall (the building we've incorrectly been calling the Olin Park Pavilion). Madison's Parks Division has delayed its renovations projects for a while, so we now can have a spring FOOT-Loose Dance Series. 
• Open House - Odana Hills Golf Course and Park, Wednesday, May 6 - 6:00pm - 8:00pm and Thursday, May 7 - 11:00am - 1:00pm: The City of Madison Parks Division is excited for the new partnership with Michael and Jocelyn Keiser and the Madison Parks Foundation. Through the Keisers' philanthropic vision and generous donation, we have an opportunity to reimagine, redesign and reconstruct Odana Hills Golf Course. 
• Free Homebuyer Education Class (in person), Saturday, May 9: Take the first step to owning a home and join us in this Home Buyer Education Workshop. This FREE Homebuyer Education workshop takes place in-person at a Madison area location to be determined on Saturday, May 9, 8:30 am – 3:30 pm! Lunch will be provided. Our first-time home buying workshops cover the following…  
• Let's Get Growing, Saturday, May 9: Join the Dane County Cancer Coalition for Let's Get Growing, supporting cancer prevention and care programs. 
• Bird & Nature Adventures | Owen, Saturday, May 9: World Migratory Bird Day for Kids ~ Join Rebecca Gilman for a Kid-friendly Bird and Nature Walk as we look for migratory birds and learn about ways to help them during migration.   
• Bird & Nature Adventures | Turville Point, Sunday, May 10: Month of Maying ~ Birds do it, bees do it, even educated fleas do it, let's do it, let's fall in love!  Join Naturalist Kathlean Wolf for a free fun family friendly outing to enjoy Spring birds, bugs, flowers, and the burst of life occurring around you. 

Additional upcoming events can also be found on the City events calendar.