Weekly Highlights, Week of April 20, 2026

I have long been critical of the functionality of the OIM and the body responsible for its oversite.  I was unaware that the hiring of an Independent Monitor was well advanced  when  I voted to move funding from the OIM to support BWC’s for Madison Police. Only 3 of the 20 Alders voted in support of the budget amendment as Alders felt  “blindsided “.  FINALLY, OIM leadership seems in place. The city has hired a capable, well qualified Independent Monitor. The office established, and there is positive support for BWC’s.  Are we again being rushed to vote on Alder MGR’s proposal. Organizationally things seem to be moving in a positive direction with the new Independent Monitor finally hired! Is the Council again being “blindsided” in rushing to make substantive clarifications (changes) at tomorrow’s Council meeting?

“The Alder Who Won't Be There”

One more fact the Council should weigh before voting: Alder Govindarajan, who introduced the proposed changes, did not seek reelection on April 7, 2026.[14] He will not serve on the Council when it considers his proposals on April 21. The proposed changes he drafted will be decided by a body that does not include him, on a schedule he set before leaving office, for a set of problems his own department heads say no longer exist. He introduced those changes based on staff complaints without seeking the Independent Monitor's or the PCOB's account of the same events. Govindarajan joined the Council in April 2023, three years after the ordinance passed. His memo uses the word “clarify" or a derivative fourteen times to defend the changes. It cites no document from the 2020 deliberation. His basis for calling these changes clarifications is a list of operational complaints, most of which the department heads he cited say are no longer current issues. He treated staff allegations as established fact. He did not verify the alleged policy violations with the OIM or the PCOB before introducing the ordinance.

Only three of the twenty current Council members served when MGO §§ 5.19 and 5.20 were adopted in 2020.[15] The other seventeen were not part of the legislative process. They are now being asked to vote on these proposed changes based largely on Haas's March 25 memo and Govindarajan's April 15 legislative memo rather than the full 2020 legislative record. That record is in Legistar. A detailed review of that record is in the rebuttal memo submitted to the Council on April 13.[21] Both should be read before April 21.

“What the Council Should Do”

The PCOB voted unanimously on March 25 to recommend placing the proposed changes on file with prejudice and asked that any alders interested in changes work collaboratively with the Board before drafting them. The Council should follow it.

The proposed changes, considered together, would subject the OIM to mayoral control, restrict the Monitor's access to independent legal advice, narrow the OIM's ordinance-level access to MPD records, and add mandatory political representation to the PCOB itself. Each element reduces independence. Combined, they move the entire oversight structure closer to the standard boards-and-commissions model the Council deliberately rejected in 2020 on a 19–0 vote after five weeks of public deliberation.

If the Council believes any of the administrative concerns are genuine, language exists that addresses them without the structural damage. The rebuttal memo I submitted to the Council on April 13 proposes the following alternative for the APM provision:[21]

“The Office of the Independent Police Monitor shall comply with generally applicable City Administrative Procedure Memoranda. Nothing in this subsection shall be construed to authorize the Council or any City official to direct, limit, or interfere with the powers and duties of the Monitor and the Office of the Independent Police Monitor as set forth in MGO § 5.19(7)."

That language addresses neutral administrative compliance without giving the Mayor a rulemaking instrument over OIM operations or giving the Council open-ended enforcement authority over the Monitor's actions.

Regarding records access, the security concern can be addressed through CJIS compliance without removing “computer databases" from the ordinance. My memo to the Council maintains the Monitor's access to MPD's databases and adds language that bars MPD from delaying access or requiring MPD's prior approval:

“Such access shall not require MPD's prior approval and shall not be conditioned on or delayed by any MPD determination regarding the status, sensitivity, or security classification of the requested records."[21]

A companion provision would address CJIS compliance directly:[21]

“(1) OIM staff who access records or databases subject to applicable state or federal security requirements, including the FBI Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) Security Policy, shall obtain and maintain the certifications, credentials, and training required by those frameworks as a condition of such access. OIM staff are subject to the same legal penalties as MPD personnel for any unlawful or unauthorized disclosure of records accessed under this section."[21]

These solutions resolve the security concerns, preserve the Monitor's unfettered access rights to all records, and reduce the administrative burden on both the OIM and MPD. This approach is consistent with NACOLE's Principle 3 for effective civilian oversight, which states that unfettered access to law enforcement records is vitally important,[23] and with how oversight offices in Los Angeles, Portland, and other cities already operate, without the access failures Haas predicts.

These are not clarifications. They are fundamental changes hidden behind a euphemistic label. The Council should see them plainly for what they are and place these proposals on file with prejudice.

Can we slow down the process? Create a collaborative work group to develop next steps: PCOB, OIM, MPD, Attorney Haas, Alder appointee reporting back to Executive Committee then to Council within set reporting timeline. 

 (Credit to Alex Saloutos for his very timely article contributed to the above post). Be prepared for a long night tomorrow!!!

Meeting and Event Highlights for the Week of April 20, 2026

Updates and Notices

• Reporting Tree Damage: With this severe weather this past week, it is a good time to remind everyone how to report issues with trees along the road. If there is a tree emergency – like if a tree falls and blocks the road – call 911 or at least call 608-255-2345. Dane County Dispatchers will get to our on-call arborists to respond to the emergency. If there is some other less severe situation, then you can certainly use the report-a-problem to let us know of other concerns.

• Celebrate Earth Day in Your Local Park: Accept the Earth Day Challenge by joining your neighbors and friends in this year's Earth Day Challenge! Volunteer to help clean up your local park on Saturday, April 25!

• Public Health Offices Close Early on Tuesday: Public Health Offices will be closed on Tuesday, April 21, from 11:45am - 4:30pm for an event.

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, April 21, at 12:00 p.m. in hybrid format. Agenda items include honoring the service of outgoing alders, swearing in newly elected and returning alders, and the election of the Common Council President and Vice President.

o Meeting Details

o Meeting Agenda

o Register for Public Comment

o Watch Online

• Common Council: The Common Council meeting will take place on Tuesday, April 21, at 6:30 p.m. in hybrid format. Agenda items include revising several sections of the ordinances related to the work of the Office of the Independent Police Monitor and the Police Civilian Oversight Board.

o Meeting Details

o Meeting Agenda

o Register for Public Comment

o Watch Online

• Board of Public Works: The Board of Public Works meeting will take place on Wednesday, April 22, at 4:30 p.m. in virtual format. Agenda items includeapproving the roadway geometry for Regent Street, as well as approving public works projects in District 14 and District 16.

o Meeting Details

o Meeting Agenda

o Register for Public Comment

o 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)

• Public Input Meeting - Cypress Spray Park, Monday, April 20: The City of Madison Parks is holding the first public input meeting for the Cypress Spray Park Re-Design! The meeting will be held at Centro, 2403 Cypress Way on April 20, 2026, at 5:30pm. Kids are encouraged to attend with an adult; we want to hear what they think sounds fun!

• Virtual Open House | District 15 Parks, Thursday, April 23 (This event occurs on multiple dates): Madison Parks is holding a series of virtual public input sessions for the Southeast Park Development Plan process coinciding with the City Planning Division's Southeast Area Plan.

• required. 

Announcements and News Releases

• Watch Out for Scammers, Storm Cleanup, and More Severe Weather: The recent severe storms in Madison caused considerable damage to many homes and vehicles this week. [posted April 16, 2026]

• Draft AAA Bike Network Plan: The City of Madison is updating its All Ages and Abilities Bike Network Plan. The plan will provide a long-term vision for development of a network of paths and low-stress on-street bikeways for biking and micromobility.[posted April 16, 2026]

• DATE CORRECTION: Uncover the Future of Madison: A Q&A with Mayor Rhodes-Conway!:Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway will join Alder Badri Lankella on Thursday, April 23, from 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM for a virtual session to discuss the city's priorities and answer residents' questions. This session will take place virtually via Zoom.[posted April 14, 2026]

• Mural Naming Contest: The Madison Senior Center is excited to ask the community to help name their new mural! [posted April 13, 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

• Coffee with a Cop - South District, Monday, April 20: Coffee with a Cop is a chance for community members to connect with the officers who serve their city. Officers can speak about recent cases to department wide initiatives to lower crime in our community.

• Wisconsin Virtual TB Summit, Tuesday, April 21, 2026 (This event occurs on multiple dates): Join local, state, and national tuberculosis experts as they share their work to understand and improve care for people diagnosed with TB in our community. 

• Coffee with a Cop – East District, Tuesday, April 21: Coffee with a Cop is a chance for community members to connect with the officers who serve their city. Officers can speak about recent cases to department wide initiatives to lower crime in our community.

• Learn to Nordic Walk | Door Creek Park, Tuesday, April 21: Turn your walk into a full-body workout with Nordic walking!  We've partnered with Madison Nordic Ski Club (MadNorSki) for a free class.

• Connecting D7: Questions & Answers with Mayor Rhodes-Conway, Thursday, April 23: Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway will join Alder Badri Lankella on Thursday, April 23, from 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM for a virtual session to discuss the city's priorities and answer residents' questions. This session will take place virtually via Zoom.

• Volunteer at The Glen, Saturday, April 25 (This event occurs on multiple dates): We seek passionate individuals and groups committed to giving back to the community and connecting with the City of Madison golf courses. Gain experience, foster personal growth, and build relationships within the community.  

• Vaccine Clinic at Sugar Creek Elementary School, Saturday, April 25: All vaccines are free for eligible individuals. Children six months and older who lack insurance, are under 19, and are either Alaskan Native or American Indian, as well as those with BadgerCare or most other types of insurance, can receive vaccinations at no cost.

• Bird & Nature Adventures | Edna Taylor, Saturday, April 25: Do You Hear a Frog? ~ Join Naturalist Doug Davis for a free guided family friendly walk on the beautiful nature trails along the prairies, woodlands and ponds at Aldo Leopold Nature Center and Edna Taylor Conservation Park.

• Earth Day Challenge, Saturday, April 25: Celebrate Earth Day with your neighbors and friends by volunteering to clean up your local park! Join this community-wide volunteer effort to help make a difference. Accept the Earth Day Challenge with Madison Parks!

• Save Soil Walkathon, Saturday, April 25: Join the Save Soil Walkathon to raise awareness about protecting and restoring soil. 

• Bird & Nature Festival 2026, Sunday, April 26: The 2026 Bird & Nature Festival is a free, family-friendly event celebrating Madison Bird City, Arbor Day and Earth Day.  See live birds by Open Door Bird Sanctuary and visit nature displays throughout the day.

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