Meetings and Updates Week of December 4th
posted- Last Chance Leaf Collection Opportunity
- City Meetings:
- Common Council 12/5
- Greater Madison Metropolitan Planning Org 12/6
- Special Meeting of the Plan Commission 12/7
- Sycamore Park Singletrack Bike Course Plans on 12/5 Council Agenda
- Events & Announcements
Set Out Leaves on December 3, 2023 for a Last Chance Leaf Collection Opportunity
Set out leaves on Sunday, December 3 for a last chance leaf pickup. Crews will be around to collect piles set out for pickup if the weather allows.
City Meetings
Common Council
The Common Council meeting will take place on Tuesday, December 5, in virtual format at 6:30 p.m.
Notable agenda items include:
- Adopting an amendment to the Comprehensive Plan (I’m cosponsoring). This item was referred at the 11/27 Council meeting to the 12/5 Council meeting.
- A resolution condemning Islamophobia and Antisemitism (I’m cosponsoring)
- A resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza.
- Approving plans and specifications and authorizing the Board of Public Works to advertise and receive bids for Sycamore Singletrack Trail Improvements 2024 (here in District 3!). See the section on this item below in this post for more information.
- Awarding $11.2m in City Affordable Housing Fund money to five new affordable housing development projects in Districts 11, 13, and 19 (on the west and south sides of Madison; I’m a cosponsor). The money from this program is used in combination with other state or federal tax credits to offset some of the development financing costs in order to offer lower rents in some of the units. Any project that receives City Affordable Housing money needs to meet a set of high standards. A key factor used in determining a development’s eligibility for City Affordable Housing Funds is its location and proximity to frequent transit service, food, jobs, community services, etc. In other words, this money is used for projects in “complete neighborhoods” where affordable housing developments are more likely to succeed and be well-served, safe places to live. See this map of Madison that shows locations where projects are eligible for these funds. Pink indicates preferred/most eligible. Green areas are still eligible for funds due to their transit service and better access to other parts of the City.
- Awarding $1.8m in City Affordable Housing Fund money to two new affordable housing development projects in Districts 12 and 2 (East Wash and downtown; I’m a cosponsor). See previous item for more information about how the funding is used and which projects are eligible.
- Authorizing the Mayor and the City Clerk to execute an agreement for construction administration and inspection services during the construction of the Unit Well #15 PFAS Treatment Facility at 3900 E Washington Avenue (this well served part of District 3 when it was in operation; I’m a cosponsor).
- Awarding Accessible Taxi Cab Grant funds established via Legistar File No. 75053 to Union Cab of Madison Cooperative (Union Cab) and Authorizing the Mayor and City Clerk to enter into a contract with Union Cab for the purchase of three accessible vehicles in accordance with the grant (I’m a cosponsor). Thanks to former District 3 Alder Erik Paulson for his work to start this program.
Greater Madison Metropolitan Planning Organization Policy Board
The Greater Madison Metropolitan Planning Organization Policy Board meeting will take place on Wednesday, December 6, in virtual format at 6:30 p.m. Agenda items include an update on the Wisconsin Department of Transportation I-39/90 Corridor Study, the Electric Vehicle Plan, and a status report on Capital Area RPC Activities.
Special Meeting of the Plan Commission
The Plan Commission meeting will take place on Thursday, December 7, in hybrid format at 5:00 p.m. Agenda items include an update on the Sustainability Plan, a progress update and input on key issues related to the West and Northeast Area Plans (includes the District 3 neighborhoods of Mayfair Park and Burke Heights), and demolition approval standards.
Here’s a link to the Legistar file with a memo outlining the Planning Division staff’s early recommendations for the West and Northeast Area Plans, followed by draft land use and transportation connection maps and a slide show that Plan Commissioners will receive Thursday. I’ll continue to write about the Northeast Area Plan and what it means for District 3 residents as it undergoes review through different parts of the adoption process. Interested residents can also join a listening/feedback session on this at Madison College Truax on December 18th at 6pm.
Sycamore Park Singletrack Bike Course on the 12/5 Common Council Agenda
You may remember from my October 1st post that Madison Parks staff and I held a virtual Public Input Meeting on October 5th to present plans and receive feedback about a proposed 1.5 mile single track bike course at Sycamore Park, similar to the new one at Leopold Park on the West Side. Here’s a map of Sycamore Park showing the new trails along the western and southern edges of the property.
Public comments during the Oct 5th public meeting were very positive. Several students from the La Follette HS Mountain Bike Team and the East HS Mountain Bike Team joined, as well as many of their parents, to express excitement for this new amenity for the East Side. It's conveniently located just a few blocks north of the forthcoming Autumn Ridge Ped/Bike Path and Bridge over Hwy 30 that will connect more neighborhoods over the highway to increase Sycamore Park access. The plans for the singletrack bike course are on the Common Council agenda for final approval on Tuesday. The cost is $300k.
Events & Announcements
- Public Input Meeting - Olbrich Park - North Parcel, Thursday, December 7 (VIRTUAL): Madison Parks is creating a Park Development Plan for the parkland north of Garver Feed Mill, referred to as Olbrich Park - North Parcel. REGISTER IN ADVANCE. Staff will present background information, survey results, draft plans, listen to feedback, and answer questions. As part of the plan, we'll have several public engagement opportunities. Take the Online Survey! The survey will be open from November 2 through November 26. Survey results will be shared at the first public meeting in December.
- Rates Increasing in 2024 for City of Madison Owned Parking Facilities: The City of Madison Parking Division is scheduled to increase several off-street parking rates, effective January 1, 2024. These increases are necessary as they provide continued maintenance of our facilities, improve the level of service offered, and ensure safe and comfortable parking structures for all to use. Rates changes are reviewed on an annual basis, though due to the impacts from the pandemic, the last rate increase occurred in 2018.
- Sycamore and South Point Drop-off Sites Closed Saturday, December 2, 2023: Sycamore and South Point drop-off sites closed Saturday December 2.
- State Street 2024 pedestrian mall experiment: public meeting - December 4th: Planning Division staff will present the initial design concept and discuss options for when the blocks will be closed to private vehicles. This will be a hybrid meeting, with in-person and virtual options.
- Metro Ridership Surges Past 1 Million Rides for October : For the first time since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, Metro has provided more than 1 million rides in a single month. In October, Metro provided 1,075,549 rides, an almost 20% increase compared to October of last year.
- Additional Funding to Support Violence Prevention Programs: Starting today, Public Health Madison & Dane County is accepting applications from local community organizations to receive funding that supports violence prevention efforts in Dane County.
- Holiday Lights Tour & Reception, Tuesday, December 5: Catch the holiday spirit as we tour Olin Park’s Holiday Lights display! Vans leave from the Goodman Community Center and will stop at the Madison Senior Center on the way to Olin Park. Afterwards, we will return to Goodman to enjoy a holiday reception of cookies & hot chocolate. Registration required!
