City Meetings and Updates Week of Sept 8
posted- City Meetings
- City Agency Capital Budget Briefings at Finance Committee 9/8 and 9/9
- Transportation Commission 9/10
- Board of Park Commissioners 9/10
- Final Brush Collection Opportunity for 2025
- Alcohol License Request Meeting for Wisco Home Goods 9/10
- Free Sala Thai Festival at Olbrich Botanical Gardens 9/14
- Madison Parks Seeking Volunteers for Fall
- Events & Announcements
City 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.
City Agency Capital Budget Briefings at Finance Committee Monday and Tuesday
The Finance Committee meeting will meet twice this week, on Monday, September 8 and Tuesday, September 9, at 4:30 p.m. in virtual format. Agenda items include the appointments of Lydia McComas for City Clerk and Jamie M. Acton for Transit General Manager, as well as a briefing on the Executive Capital Budget requests submitted by City agencies.
The Capital Budget authorizes funding for construction and infrastructure projects. Here’s the staff presentation on the 2026 Executive Capital Budget Proposal, which the Mayor released last Tuesday. Her proposal is $73.5 million lower than what was requested by City agencies. Now the proposal goes to the Finance Committee.
In Monday and Tuesday’s Finance Committee meetings, each agency will present major projects or significant changes to their Capital Budget five-year plan and answer questions.
Agencies presenting on Monday:
- Planning, Community Development Authority, Community Development Division, Economic Development Division
- Madison Fire Department, Madison Police Department
- Metro Transit, Parking Division, Traffic Engineering, Transportation
Agencies presenting on Tuesday:
- Finance, IT, Mayors Office, Zoo
- Fleet Services, Madison Parks, Streets Division, Water Utility
- Engineering: Bicycle & Pedestrian, Facilities, Major Streets, Other Projects; Sewer Utility; Stormwater Utility
Finance committee will vote on amendments and on the Capital Budget overall later this month.
Meeting info:
- Meeting Details – Sept 8
- Meeting Details – Sept 9
- Meeting Agenda – Sept 8
- Meeting Agenda – Sept 9
- Register for Public Comment
- Watch Online
Note: The 9/8/25 meeting will start at 4:30pm with regular finance committee business and public comment on the budget. The 9/9/25 meeting is a continuation of the prior meeting for the budget hearing only and will not include a public comment period.
Transportation Commission
The Transportation Commission meeting will take place on Wednesday, September 10 at 5:00 p.m. in virtual format. Agenda items include the MacArthur, Sycamore, Larson streets reconstruction project in the Mayfair Park neighborhood of District 3. Here is the staff presentation for this meeting which shows some design elements and results to the resident survey. Early public comments attached to the Legistar item show mixed opinions among residents on the question of adding sidewalks to the east side of MacArthur Road, which the Transportation Commission will be asked to weigh in on as part of their recommendation to the Board of Public Works. This project then goes to the Board of Public Works on Wednesday, October 8th. More details and updates are available on the project webpage.
- Meeting Details
- Meeting Agenda
- Register for Public Comment
- Watch Online
Board of Park Commissioners
The Board of Park Commissioners meeting will take place on Wednesday, September 10, at 6:30 p.m. in virtual format. Agenda items include an informational presentation on the Parks Division Capital Budget.
If you would like more information about becoming a member of a City board, commission, or committee, please visit the page linked here.
Final Brush Collection Opportunity for 2025
The Streets Division’s final curbside brush collection is underway for some neighborhoods the week of Sept 7th. Once the final curbside pickup occurs, there will not be another scheduled brush collection opportunity until the spring of 2026.
Brush is woody tree limbs and branches you have cut from trees, shrubs, and bushes. The pieces should measure between 18 inches and 8 feet in length, and be no thicker than 8 inches in diameter. You should also be sure to place brush away at least four feet away from obstructions such as terrace trees, street signs, utility poles, or fire hydrants. Brush does not include trash, lumber, or other debris.
The last date when you should set out brush depends on where you live. For some neighborhoods, the last set out date for brush for this year is September 7, 2025. Get your final set-out date for brush collection at this Streets Division webpage. Enter your address into the form on that page, or use the look-up map tool.
If you miss their final curbside pickup opportunity, take the brush to a Streets Division drop-off site. Check the drop-off site website so you know the locations, hours, and restrictions before loading your vehicle.
Fall yard waste (leaf) collection begins in a few weeks. More information is on the Streets Division collection webpages and will be shared in future posts.
Alcohol License Request Meeting for Wisco Home Goods 9/10
The Wisco Home Goods store (4664 Cottage Grove Rd) is applying for a new alcohol license that would permit them to host wine tastings and similar events within their business hours.
They are inviting neighbors to their store site for an informational meeting about their request on Wednesday, September 10th from 5-6pm. Questions can be sent to: don@wiscohomegoods.com.
Their license request will go to the Alcohol License Review Committee on September 17th.
Free Sala Thai Festival at Olbrich Botanical Gardens Next Sunday
Image credit:
Olbrich Botanical Gardens
On September 14, the community is invited to celebrate Thai culture with a day of food, music and dance performances, and workshops and demonstrations. This free event is to will kick off with a ribbon-cutting celebrating the restoration of the Royal Thai Pavilion. It is being held in collaboration with the Thai Center for Fine Arts and the Royal Thai Consulate – Chicago. Performers from Chicago and Thailand will dance and sing at the Royal Thai Pavilion. Unique opportunities to experience the rich cultural heritage of Thailand will be available for all ages to enjoy.
- When: Sunday, September 14th from 11am-4pm
- Where: Olbrich Botanical Gardens, 3330 Atwood Ave
More information is available on the Olbrich Botanical Gardens website.
Madison Parks Seeking Volunteers for Fall
Madison Parks wants to remind the community of the many opportunities to volunteer for our local parks system. Parks has upcoming and ongoing volunteer projects and scheduled days. Here's a sample of activities and projects:
- Planting at Olbrich Park - September 19-21 (I personally think this one sounds pretty cool)
- Goat Checker
- Seed Collection
- Dog Park Steward
- Cleanup Captain
- Workdays at The Glen
- Disc Golf Steward
- Flower & Plant Gardener
- Bird Monitor
- Dragonfly Monitor
- Bumblebee Monitor
Check out the Volunteer Dashboard for more information and to register.
Image credit:
Madison Parks
Events & Announcements
- Madison named a 2025 Climate Champion: The City of Madison is proud to be named twice as a 2025 Dane County Climate Champion. [posted September 5, 2025]
- Temporary closure for Tree Trimming - Milwaukee St: Starting at 9:00am on Monday, September 8, City of Madison Forestry will begin trimming terrace trees at 2838 Milwaukee Street for routine maintenance. This work is expected to take 3 hours. [posted September 4, 2025]
- Final Chance for Curbside Brush Collection in 2025: The Streets Division’s final curbside brush collection will soon get underway. The last date when you should set out brush for pickup varies by neighborhood. For some, the last set-out date for brush for the year is Sunday, September 7, 2025. [posted September 3, 2025]
- Road Closures for Ironman Triathlon - September 6 & 7: Several roads, in and around Madison's downtown, will be closed for the annual Ironman 70.3 Triathlon on Saturday, September 6 and full Ironman Sunday, September 7th. [posted September 2, 2025]
- Fall Home Maintenance by Project Home, Tuesday, September 9: Is your home ready for winter’s chill? Don’t wait until the first snowstorm to discover a leaky roof or a frozen pipe! This Fall Home Maintenance class will empower you to proactively prepare your home for the harsh winter months, saving you money and headaches down the road.
- Period Products 101, Tuesday, September 9: Public Health Madison & Dane County is partnering with Madison Public Library to host the third annual Period Party at Goodman South Madison Library in September! This year, the program is expanding from a single-day celebration to a multi-session series where youth and families can go in-depth to learn about menstruation, puberty, period products, and more.
- 14th annual 'Never Forget' Blood Drive, Thursday, September 11: Join the Madison Fire Department, Madison Police Department, and the American Red Cross for the 14th annual "Never Forget" community blood drive.
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. Additional upcoming events can also be found on the City events calendar.
