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Meetings and Updates Week of April 15th

posted 
  • City Meetings:
    • Common Council 4/16
    • Board of Public Works 4/17
    • Alcohol License Review Committee 4/17
  • Volunteers Needed: Earth Day Park Cleanup 4/20
  • Hwy 51 (Stoughton Road) North Study Public Involvement Meeting with WisDOT 4/18
  • New EPA PFAS Regulations for Safe Drinking Water
  • 2024 Spring Yard Waste Collection Begins Soon
  • Events & Announcements

Note: the City blog tool's Preview feature isn't working this weekend. Please excuse any formatting issues in this post.

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 16, in hybrid format at 6:30 p.m. The in-person portion will take place in Room 215 of the Madison Municipal Building at 215 Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd. Agenda items include:

  • Welcoming Lord Mayor Talib Ahmed Bensouda and delegation from Madison Sister City Kanifing, the Gambia.
  • A resolution affirming unwavering support for survivors of domestic violence and abuse and that the Common Council stands alongside survivors with compassion and solidarity. I am a proud cosponsor of this item. If you or someone you know needs help, there are several local and national resources available:
  • Election of Council President and Vice President to one-year terms.
  • A resolution amending Madison General Ordinances to allow Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) for properties with up to eight dwelling units and removing owner-occupancy requirements for ADUs. Here’s a zoning staff memo explaining the proposed changes.
  • Zen Ramen’s request for an alcohol license for beer and wine, and Metro Market’s change-of-agent request of their license, both as approved by the Alcohol License Review Committee on March 20th.
  • Approving the appointment of Meagan Tuttle for a five-year term as the City of Madison’s Planning Division Director.
  • An ordinance change that adds requirements for any owner of an animal that bites or injures a person or another animal off property. The amendment requires that when any animal is off the owner’s property that they be muzzled and attached to a leash no longer than four feet in length. The amendment further requires that when the animal is on property it must be supervised and physically restrained at all times. It permits an owner to place the animal in a secure structure and specifies what that entails.
  • A resolution adopting the Lake Monona Waterfront Master Plan. Note that while this resolution adopts a plan, it does not authorize any spending, engineering design approvals, construction, or land purchases. Any future projects that implement the plan will be separate proposals with cost estimates, and will be voted on individually based on their merits and costs.
  • A resolution authorizing a 2024 YHDP contract with Briarpatch Youth Services, Inc. to operate a Joint Transitional Housing/Rapid Re-Housing project, and a 2024 YHDP contract amendment with Outreach, Inc. to expand its System Navigation and Youth Drop-in Center Supportive Services Only project (I’m a cosponsor).
  • A resolution directing the Finance Department to issue a report analyzing City operating budgets from 2019-2024 and calling on the State Legislature to authorize local sales tax options.
  • A resolution approving an Amendment to the Project Plan for Tax Incremental District (TID) #44 (Royster Clark), which moves funds to TID #42 to cover cost overages for stormwater infrastructure in that TID. Note that this amendment keeps the Royster Clark TID 44 open for an additional year with no impact to the tax rate that property owners in the TID are charged.
  • A resolution establishing guidance for developing the 2025 City Budget (I’m a cosponsor). This resolution directs staff to:
    • Evaluate staffing levels and costs for ways to increase efficiencies
    • Explore a reduction from cost-to-continue levels that doesn’t compromise public services
    • Develop language for a referendum to exceed the state-limited property tax levy
    • Prepare plans for the 2025 budget if voters don’t approve a referendum
    • Consider the level of General Obligation borrowing in the Capital Budget and Capital Improvement Plan in order to reduce the growth in property taxes
    • Develop a community engagement plan about the City’s financial condition and options for addressing the structural deficit, perhaps with a consultant (the resolution does not include new funding for a consultant)
  • A resolution supporting an application to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Environmental and Climate Justice Community Change Grants program to support energy efficiency and indoor air quality improvements in single and multifamily affordable housing and build capacity of community partners to advance energy-efficient, healthy, and resilient housing through outreach and education (I’m a cosponsor).

Meeting information:

Board of Public Works

The Board of Public Works meeting will take place on Wednesday, April 17, in virtual format at 4:30 p.m. Agenda items include authorizing the Board of Public Works to advertise and receive bids for 2024 playground improvements, awarding a public works contract for the water main rehabilitation in District 3, and authorizing the Board of Public Works to advertise and receive bids for 20 is Plenty.

Alcohol License Review Committee

The Alcohol License Review Committee meeting will take place on Wednesday, April 17, in hybrid format at 5:30 p.m. Agenda items include two New License requests in District 3, both for Refuel Pantry convenience stores at their 4102 Commercial Ave and 4905 Commercial Ave locations.

Volunteers Needed: Earth Day Park Cleanup Saturday 4/20

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! We are seeking 900 volunteers at 60+ parks, located throughout the city to assist with trash pickup, raking, weeding, and removing sticks. We supply gloves, garbage bags and rakes. Rakes at each park will be based on the number of volunteers participating. TO PICK UP SUPPLIES: Look for the Earth Day Challenge sign in each of the designated parks. No staff is onsite during the event.

  • When: Saturday, April 20, 2024 from 10am to 12pm
  • Where: Parks throughout the city, locations and number of volunteers is listed under the registration link! There are volunteer slots still available at:
    • Kingston-Onyx Park, 334 Garnet Lane
    • Galaxy Park, 132 Milky Way
    • McGinnis Park, 9 Crystal Lane

All ages are welcome to participate. Please register: REGISTER ONLINE  or call (608) 266-4711. Thank you volunteers!

US 51 (Stoughton Road) North Study Public Involvement Meeting with WisDOT, Thursday, April 18:

WisDOT invites you to the third public involvement meeting for the US 51 north study. The purpose of this public meeting is to present and gather resident feedback on their updated alternative intersection designs developed throughout the corridor (north of Hwy 30). In addition, the city of Madison will have a representative available to provide updates on the city’s Northeast area plan.

You can find the design alternatives for each intersection, and much more information, at the links available on WisDOT’s webpage for the Hwy 51 study project.

  • When: Thursday, April 18 5:00 – 7:00 p.m.
  • Where: Madison College – Truax building, 1701 Wright Street, Conference room D1630

Questions or written feedback can be sent to: Jeff Berens, WisDOT Project Manager, (608) 245-2656, jeff.berens@dot.wi.gov.

New EPA PFAS Regulations for Safe Drinking Water

On April 10th, 2024, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finalized regulations for PFAS in drinking water. PFAS, or Per and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances, are a class of chemicals used in everything from food packaging and cookware to upholstery, clothing and firefighting foam. The chemicals do not break down in the environment and are commonly found in dust, air, soil and water. Some PFAS can be found in the blood of people and animals all over the world and are present at low levels in a variety of food products and in the environment. The new EPA rule requires utilities to monitor for the above-listed six PFAS by 2027 and provide results of any monitoring in the annual water quality report (Consumer Confidence Report (CCR)). If any source is found to exceed the new regulatory limits, solutions must be implemented to reduce PFAS by 2029. Madison has been testing and reporting on PFAS since 2019, and is already meeting this reporting requirement. 

Madison’s Well 15 on the East Side is the only municipal drinking water well that does not currently meet new EPA PFAS standards; the well was preemptively shut down in 2019 amid community concern and has not operated since. The decision to not operate Well 15, in addition to rigorous testing, has lead to the eventual construction of the first municipal PFAS treatment system in Wisconsin. With funding from a federal grant and local funds in the City’s 2024 Capital Budget, construction of the Well 15 PFAS treatment system will begin this summer (2024), with the expectation for the PFAS treatment system to be operational at Well 15 by next summer (2025), well before the new EPA rules take effect. 

Read more here.

2024 Spring Yard Waste Collection Begins Soon

The springtime collection round of yard waste by the Streets Division begins next week. The first set-out date for some neighborhoods is Sunday, April 14, 2024.  The first yard waste set out date for your home may be different. You can get the dates when you should set out yard waste for collection from the Streets Division’s yard waste website. All neighborhoods will receive two curbside pickup opportunities of yard waste this spring.

Events & Announcements

  • Help Our Community Understand “Forever Chemicals”: Public Health Madison & Dane County is now accepting applications from local organizations interested in helping connect with people in their community about PFAS (per and polyfluoroalkyl substances) or “forever chemicals”. [posted April 10, 2024, by Public Health Madison & Dane County]
  • Mayor Rhodes-Conway Joins Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Youth Action Fund to Activate Young People in Driving Climate Solutions: Madison is one of 101 cities that will receive funding and technical assistance to spur a groundswell of youth-driven climate action. [posted April 10, 2024, by the Mayor’s Office]
  • Registration for State Street painting event closes due to high demand: As of Wednesday morning, more than 600 people have signed up to leave their mark on State Street and help a group of local Madison artists get the 400-600 blocks of State Street ready for this summer’s pedestrian mall experiment. [posted April 10, 2024, by Planning]
  • Street Closures—Dane County Farmers’ Market on the Square: Several streets will be closed for the Dane County Farmers’ Market each Saturday, beginning with the first market this Saturday, April 13. The following blocks will be closed to motor vehicle traffic each Saturday from approximately 8:00 am to 2:00… [posted April 10, 2024, Traffic Engineering and Transportation]
  • Urban Forestry Planting 1,600 Trees in Spring 2024 (corrected):  Urban Forestry’s spring planting season began today, Monday, April 8, 2024.Crews will be planting 1,682 trees from 27 different species along City of Madison streets this spring. The variety of species was selected by the City’s trained arborists to… [posted April 8, 2024, Public Works, Streets & Recycling]
  • Three CARES Teams Now in Service During Peak Call Hours: Effective today, 'CARES 3' is in service weekdays 12:00-10:00 PM. This means three CARES teams are available during hours of peak demand for CARES response. CARES 3 responds from the old Town of Madison fire station on Fish Hatchery Road. [posted April 8, 2024, by Fire Department]
  • Learn to Fall Safely, Wednesday, April 17: SAFELY Learn to fall safely and to get back up without injury. Falls are a leading cause of death for older adults in Wisconsin. We will use thick “crash mats” for practicing. Classes are progressive. Attending all 4 classes recommended. Scholarships available.
  • MSCR & Madison Parks Hiring Fair, Wednesday, April 17: Madison Parks and MSCR are hiring seasonal staff in aquatics, golf, maintenance, conservation and more! Attend the Hiring Fair at Parks Lakeside Offices and apply and interview onsite! Make this a summer to remember!
  • Learn How to Ride Metro, Tuesday, April 9: Learn how to use Metro Transit’s fixed route city bus service. Topics include using Google Maps, the Transit app, and other digital options; paper schedules and phone service; and discounted fare options. Metro employees will answer your questions about bus travel and provide one-on-one assistance in English and Spanish.
  • Mad City Ultras, Saturday, April 20: U.S. National Championship 100-Kilometer Road race (10 laps around Lake Wingra) and 50-Kilometer Road race (5 laps around Lake Wingra); and non-competitive relay races of 100-kilometers and 50-kilometers.
  • Bird & Nature Adventures | Starkweather Creek Area, Saturday, April 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, Goodman Community Center , Madison Audubon Society , and Friends of Starkweather Creek . No registration is required. Pets are not allowed.
  • Earth Day Challenge 2024, Saturday, April 20: 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! We are seeking 900 volunteers at 60+ parks, located throughout the city to assist with trash pickup, raking, weeding, and removing sticks. We supply gloves, garbage bags and rakes. Rakes at each park will be based on the number of volunteers participating. TO PICK UP SUPPLIES: Look for the Earth Day Challenge sign in each of the designated parks. No staff is onsite during the event.
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District 3 - Alder Field

Alder Derek Field

Alder Derek Field

District 3
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