Alder Patrick Heck
Contact Information
Home Address:
123 N. Blount St #303- Phone: (608) 286-2260
- district2@cityofmadison.com
- Contact Alder Patrick Heck
- Contact Council
Council Office
210 Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd
Room 417
Madison, WI 53703
Phone: (608) 266-4071
Fax: (608) 267-8669
WI Relay Service
Alder Heck’s Updates
Updates & Week of Oct. 5 Meetings of Interest for District 2
District 2 Updates and Meetings of Interest
City meetings remain online only with details listed in City Meetings of Interest below; all have virtual public participation options.
Stay in touch with your neighbors through either Capitol Neighborhoods, Inc. or Tenney-Lapham Neighborhood Association.
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There are four sections to this week's update:
- Racial Equity & Policing
- COVID-19 Resources & Information
- Other District 2 Updates
- City Meetings of Interest to District 2
- Public Safety Review Committee Budget Subcommittee
- Equal Opportunities Commission Executive Committee
- Common Council
- Public Safety Review Committee OIR Subcommittee
- Body-Worn Camera Feasibility Review Committee
On Tuesday beginning at 6:30pm, the Common Council meeting will include consideration of the slate of proposed appointments to the new Police Civilian Oversight Board. See Agenda Item #16 in the Common Council agenda below for the list of appointees.
From the Mayor: Reimagining Public Safety - Progress and Budget Priorities
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From MMSD: Neighborhood Food Sites and from Community Action Coalition: Dane County Food Pantry Network
From the City: Community Resources Section on the city's COVID website, including housing and eviction information
WI Dept. of Health Services Cases by Neighborhood (Census Tract)
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Clean Streets/Clean Lakes Parking Enforcement Resumes October 5. Note that Residential Permit Only parking enforcement is still suspended.
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From the City Clerk's Office: Voter ID Questions Answered and Voter Registration Questions Answered
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Learn about the MMSD 2020 School Referenda, on the ballot on Nov. 3
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From Metro: Oct. 14 Public Hearing Scheduled - Give Feedback on Service Changes & Network Design Plan
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Beginning Oct. 1 and running through the fall season, Cascade Asset Management is accepting personal electronics for recycling and secure data destruction – read here
Neighborhood Steering Committee Forming For Proposed Redevelopment on 400 Block E. Washington
Update on E. Washington and Traffic/Speeding
I've received some feedback concerning the past week's implementation of reduced speed limits on E. Washington. A reminder that this speed limit reduction and the re-timing of the stoplights as part of the City's Vision Zero program has been in the works for a couple of years. Vision Zero is not a reaction to this year's uptick in dangerous and loud driving behaviors on E. Washington and nearby streets and is not necessarily expected to greatly reduce those problematic behaviors. Vision Zero's primary goal worldwide is to eliminate deadly vehicle crashes and greatly reduce crashes with severe injuries. It is not meant to address all forms of bad or illegal driving and is definitely not meant to address loud vehicles. It is meant to save lives and is a proven strategy in many cities and countries.
That said, there is some hope that making E. Washington less attractive to cruising, rude driving, etc., by slowing speeds, re-timing lights, etc., could reduce the behavior problems. Traffic Engineering, however, will continue its more direct efforts to make E. Washington less attractive by continuing to use messaging, lane closures, etc., and MPD will do enforcement when they can. The police do have grant funding to conduct some weekend enforcement along E. Wash, but as I have mentioned, MPD does not have the capacity to conduct traffic enforcement during many of the hours when rude or illegal driving is at its worst. Unfortunately, those times tend to coincide with the times when MPD is often extremely busy and on "priority calls only" - evening hours and weekends. Like any other city agency, MPD must also be mindful of their budget and cannot pay overtime to patrol officers for traffic enforcement efforts unless they have the funds to do so.
Some neighbors want more traffic enforcement, but that would require an increase in the police budget, which as you know, is not particularly likely due to the City's approximately $20M operating budget shortfall expected in 2021 due to COVID-19 and other issues. MPD is also not interested in pulling resources from other efforts to devote them to traffic enforcement. Another factor is that there are some residents asking for reductions to and/or redirecting of MPD's budget. There are also inequities in traffic enforcement; research has shown that people of color are stopped and ticketed at overly high rates, which should be considered when asking for more enforcement.
I hope Traffic Engineering and MPD can continue to find ways to address the problems and also find ways to prevent bad driving on other nearby streets. I am working with City Engineering and Traffic Engineering to see if next year's resurfacing of E. Gorham St. can include some curb bump-outs, more visible crosswalks, more Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacons, etc. We should all work together with our neighborhood associations and other organizations to identify and prioritize traffic calming efforts - there is not city funding available to put a stop sign at every intersection nor would that be wise from a safety and traffic engineering perspective. It also is not equitable to expect District 2 to receive an inordinate amount of attention and funding compared to less engaged and less empowered portions of the city. Together we need to evaluate the most highly impactful options that are also the most feasible, including advocating for more Vision Zero implementation citywide.
City of Madison Issues Plea for All to Complete the Census Despite Confusion
Reminder: 126 Langdon Appeal Referred to Dec. 1 Common Council Meeting
Core Spaces, the developers of the proposed Hub II development at 126 Langdon Street, has asked that their appeal of Plan Commission's July 27 denial of their Conditional Use Permits be referred until the Dec. 1, 2020, Common Council meeting. This means that no consideration of the appeal will occur until then. The developer may choose to submit a new application with a revised proposal rather than pursue their appeal, but that is to be determined.
Halloween Information
Public Health guidance for Halloween and other information:
- Public Health Madison & Dane County Halloween Tips
- Wisconsin Department of Health Services: Halloween
- Wisconsin State Journal: State officials advise against trick-or-treating but Dane County says it's OK if modified
Reminder: Webpages for Ongoing District 2 Street Construction Projects
Click on the projects below for information:
- East Dayton St. between N. Livingston and N. Blair
- East Gorham St. Between N. Livingston and N. Butler
2021 City Budgeting Process Continues
The Mayor will submit her Executive Operating Budget on Tuesday, Oct. 6. Common Council's consideration of the 2021 Executive Operating Budget will start at the Finance Committee meetings of Oct. 12 and 13 with Finance Committee amendments to the Operating Budget offered on Oct. 26. The Operating Budget will be finalized on Nov. 10 and 11 at the same meetings as the Capital Budget. Both the Capital and Operating Budgets for each city department throughout the budgeting process can be accessed here.
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Subcommittee to discuss possible recommendations from the budget report that will be brought back before PSRC
9/1/20 COMMON COUNCIL Refer For Public Hearing to the COMMON COUNCIL
9/24/20 DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY COMMITTEE Return to Lead with the Recommendation for Approval to the BOARD OF PUBLIC WORKS
9/16/20 BOARD OF PUBLIC WORKS RECOMMEND TO COUNCIL TO ADOPT - REPORT OF OFFICER
9/16/20 PUBLIC SAFETY REVIEW COMMITTEE RECOMMEND TO COUNCIL WITH THE FOLLOWING RECOMMENDATIONS - REPORT OF OFFICER
9/16/20 PUBLIC SAFETY REVIEW COMMITTEE RECOMMEND TO COUNCIL TO ADOPT - REPORT OF OFFICER
9/16/20 PUBLIC SAFETY REVIEW COMMITTEE RECOMMEND TO COUNCIL TO ADOPT - REPORT OF OFFICER
The proposed resolution prohibits the use of tear gas as of February 2, 2021 and requests a study of alternatives by the Madison Police Department (MPD). The resolution defines tear gas as various chemical agents. Costs fluctuate from year to year in correspondence with usage, training needs or expiration. In 2019, the department spent approximately $3,600 on chemical sprays. While there would be savings associated with not purchasing these items, an alternative could consume some or all of these savings or require additional funding from the Common Council. Staff time (including overtime) would be involved in order to produce this study. With the major events impacting MPD's overtime budget (shots fired incidents, COVID, protests), the Department will likely need an additional appropriation to cover overtime costs.
No additional City appropriation is required with approval of the proposed ordinance. Adopted RES-20-00613 (File 61605) amended the 2020 Adopted Capital Budget to appropriate $750,000 to the Small Business Equity and Recovery capital program. The 2021 Executive Capital Budget includes an additional $2.5 million for the Small Business Equity and Recovery capital program.
DRAFTER'S ANALYSIS: As the City of Madison, residents, business owners and development community continue to adjust to the challenges the COVID-19 pandemic has brought, we recognize the need to invest in supporting our small business community. Many small businesses face the real prospect of permanently closing. We recognize the historic and current inequities in funding and support for small businesses owned by people of color. The Small Business Equity and Recovery COVID Grant Program aims to focus on businesses owned by people of color.
Agenda Item 84
Authorizing the Mayor and City Clerk to Enter in a City-Sponsored Bicycle-Sharing Program Operating Agreement with B-Cycle LLC (2021-2040)
The proposed resolution rescinds Emergency Order #2, issued on May 6, 2020, under which City staff were permitted to create temporary permissible encampments (TPEs) in parks and greenways to which City ordinances that prohibit camping would not apply. This order was intended to align with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance, which recommended that municipalities refrain from breaking up TPEs, and instead encourage sanitation and social distancing at TPEs. City staff have reported problems at TPEs, including police calls for service. This resolution would rescind this order, meaning TPEs would no longer be permitted. No additional appropriation is required.
NEW BUSINESS
Agenda Item 5 PRESENTATIONS
