City Meetings and Updates Week of Nov 3
posted- City Meetings:
- Plan Commission 11/3
- Transportation Commission 11/5
- Board of Health 11/5
- Board of Park Commissioners 11/5
- Reminder: Another Southeast Area Plan Virtual Information/Feedback Meeting 11/4
- Will the City do more than three leaf pick-ups this year? It depends.
- Heads up: Prescribed Burns for Milky Way Pond and Carter Moon Pass Pond in November
- Flu and COVID Vaccines
- Events & Announcements
City Meetings
Plan Commission
The Plan Commission meeting will take place on Monday, November 3, at 5:30 p.m. in virtual format. Agenda items include a resolution authorizing the declaration of Public Right of Way in District 3 for the extension of Driscoll Drive a short distance to the east at the future Ethos Lane through City-owned land in the northeast corner of the North Star neighborhood (see map here). The agenda also includes development-related requests outside of District 3.
Transportation Commission
The Transportation Commission meeting will take place on Wednesday, November 5, at 5:00 p.m. in virtual format. The agenda includes for interesting and important items:
- Item 2: Reviewing the results of the test removal of the peak-hour travel lanes on Williamson Street. Here’s the staff presentation with findings and observations. The Transportation Commission members’ discussion will include deliberations about whether or not they want Traffic Engineering staff to pursue making the peak-hours lane removal permanent. Notably, and quite unfortunately, the equipment that measures vehicle speed malfunctioned both before and during the study, see slide 9 in the presentation. That means conclusions can’t be drawn from speed data we do have. Staff say that anecdotal observations suggest speeds were reduced, but that sounds squishy to me. Transportation Commission members will have other good information available, like vehicle trip counts, any crashes detected, analysis of traffic gaps (for cars/pedestrians trying to cross Willy Street or make a left turn), observed delays at other points along the route, and results from the public survey. But I sure wish they had solid, quantitative traffic speed data to support that discussion.
Image credit: City EngineeringThe portion of Milwaukee Street to be redesigned and reconstructed in 2027 is shown in red. Item 3: Updates about the planned 2027 reconstruction of Milwaukee Street between Starkweather Creek and West Corporate Drive (not in District 3 but nearby). The reconstruction project is planned in coordination with the future addition of streets in the new Starkweather neighborhood in the old Voit Farm site. The staff presentation shows a few options for the configuration of traffic lanes through this area, which Transportation Commission members will discuss and likely make a recommendation.
- Item 4: An update about the North-South Bus Rapid Transit project to add stations and dedicated lanes to portions of Rapid Route B between Fitchburg and the far North Side. According to the Metro Transit staff presentation, the project is at the 60% design phase and the federally-required Environmental Impact Review is currently under review, not yet complete. We’ll find out after that whether we will have a Federal Grant Agreement to provide construction funding and allow the project to begin.
- Item 5: The Quarterly Traffic Safety Report from MPD. The presentation from MPD covers major incidents during the 3rd quarter of 2025 and summarizes proactive speed enforcement activities by MPD during that time. The presentation slides include details about enforcement activities along Milwaukee Street, Cottage Grove Road, and Stoughton Road.
Meeting info:
Board of Health for Madison and Dane County
The Board of Health for Madison and Dane County meeting will take place on Wednesday, November 5, at 5:00 p.m. in hybrid format. Agenda items include a resolution restricting the sales of hemp-derived cannabinoid products to those under the age of 21 (I’m a cosponsor) and a resolution prohibiting the sale of cats or dogs in retail pet stores.
Board of Park Commissioners
The Board of Park Commissioners meeting will take place on Wednesday, November 5, at 6:30 p.m. in hybrid format. Agenda items include two interesting items about Eastside parks:
Image credit: Madison Parks
- A presentation (to be linked here, hopefully soon) from Parks and Olbrich Botanical Gardens staff about the kick-off for the Olbrich Botanical Gardens Comprehensive Master Plan and Interpretive Plan process
- A staff presentation about the Master Planning process for the development of Starkweather Park, not in District 3 but nearby in the now-developing Starkweather neighborhood at the old Voit Farm site
Meeting info:
Reminder: Another Southeast Area Plan Virtual Information and Feedback Meeting on Tuesday
Residents, community organizations, businesses, and others are invited to join in the second phase of the planning for the Southeast Area Plan with a series of public meetings in the coming weeks.
This meeting will include an overview of issues and opportunities in the planning area and offer a chance to review and comment on draft plan actions, followed by discussion and feedback.
People needing interpretation should contact staff at southeastareaplan@cityofmadison.com at least 3 days before the meeting.
Previous meeting materials and summaries of feedback received so far can be reviewed on the Southeast Area Plan project website.
Will the City do more than three leaf pick-ups this year? It depends.
From the Streets Division:
“We can’t guarantee more than the three leaf & yard waste pickups published on the website because we don’t know what the weather will allow us to do. There are no promises for extra pickups in December.
Image credit: Streets Division
The guaranteed collection we provide takes us all of November to complete. We put every available truck and person we can on leaf pickup duty, and it still takes us that amount of time to circle through all neighborhoods. Any extra pickup we might be able to provide could not happen until December.
The same people who are out picking up leaves are the same people who drive the snowplows. We don’t know when it will start snowing.
If the winter snows begin in early December, we need to have our staff in the plowing equipment to take care of the roads, sidewalks, bus stops, and pathways. However, if the December weather allows for it, we will do an extra leaf pickup. […]
We should also note that rather than pinning all hopes on an extra pickup and a snow-free December, there are three drop-off sites that accept yard waste & leaves residents can use. Drop-off site hours and restrictions are available on our website. There are also alternatives for handling leaves and yard waste, such as mulching leaves or composting them.”
More information is available in this Streets Division FAQ document about leaf pick-up.
Heads Up: Prescribed Burns for Milky Way Pond and Carter Moon Pass Pond in November
This fall, the City of Madison Engineering Division will be conducting prescribed burns on two stormwater ponds in District 3: Milky Way Pond (439 Milky Way) and Carter Moon Pass Pond (5918 Carter Moon Pass). These ponds are under ecological restoration maintenance by Engineering staff to preserve and enhance the existing native vegetation.
Prescribed burns will be conducted by certified city staff with a permit from the Madison Fire Department. The burns will only take place under specific weather conditions in order to manage smoke and minimize impacts to neighbors. City staff will install appropriate road signage on the day of the burn. Due to the need for specific weather conditions, it is difficult to pinpoint exact dates for this work. Burns will take place mid to late November.
More information about prescribed burns is on City Engineering’s website. If you have any questions or need additional information, please contact Maddie Dumas at (608) 266-9525 or mdumas2@cityofmadison.com.
Flu and COVID Vaccines
From Public Health:
“Public Health Madison & Dane County is reminding everyone that getting up to date on flu and COVID vaccines is the best defense against getting seriously sick this respiratory virus season.
Recently, shifting federal guidance has made seasonal COVID vaccination recommendations more complicated. However, Governor Tony Evers has issued a statewide standing medical order which allows anyone 6 months and older in Wisconsin to get the vaccine without a prescription and at no cost.
“We know the federal landscape has been confusing to navigate, but thankfully here in Wisconsin, we are following the science, and the science is clear: COVID vaccines lower your chance of severe illness. We strongly encourage anyone who is able, to get their updated shots,” said Janel Heinrich, Director of Public Health Madison & Dane County.”
Events & Announcements
- Feedback Wanted for Urban Design Code Update Project: The City of Madison’s Planning Division is looking for public feedback as it evaluates the City’s decades-old urban design goals and guidelines. [posted October 31, 2025]
- Madison Code Enforcement Officer Named State Fire Inspector of the Year: The Madison Fire Department celebrates the recognition of veteran Code Enforcement Officer Scott Strassburg as Fire Inspector of the Year. [posted October 30, 2025]
- City of Madison Accepts Donation of Historic Mosaic Mural for Public Display: The "Wisconsin Landscape" mosaic will be displayed in the boardroom of the Parks Lakeside Offices at 330 E. Lakeside Street. [posted October 30, 2025]
- Madison Region Awarded Catalytic Grant to Strengthen Equitable Access to Nature: The Madison region has been awarded a catalytic grant through the Nature Everywhere Communities initiative, a partnership of the Children & Nature Network, the National League of Cities, and KABOOM!. [posted October 29, 2025]
- Public Notice to All Customers of Madison Water Utility: Madison Water Utility has filed an application with the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin (PSCW) to increase water rates. The increase is necessary due to a 10.3 percent increase in gross plant investment and a 6.2 percent increase in… [posted October 29, 2025]
- Results announced for 2025 City of Madison Food Cart Review: The City of Madison’s annual Food Cart Review, which helps determine where food vendors will be located for the next vending season, has been completed and the final scores have been tallied. [posted October 29, 2025]
- Latest Housing Forward proposals adjust TOD requirements, allow new housing type : The latest measures being introduced to the Common Council on October 28 focus on creating a new option for the city’s neighborhoods and making more efficient use of Madison’s most-traveled corridors. [posted October 28, 2025]
- Crime in Madison Continues to Decline: Today, City of Madison officials provided an update on public safety. Police Chief John Patterson says in 2025 there have been “significant and impressive reductions” in all of the major crimes tracked by the Madison Police Department. [posted October 27, 2025]
- Black Film Festival Coming to Three Madison Public Library Locations November 13-15: MADISON, WI – The Black Film Festival, created by the Nehemiah Center for Urban Leadership Development, will be hosted within Madison Public Library locations for the first time this fall. [posted October 27, 2025]
- Civilian Response to Active Shooter Events (CRASE) Training, Wednesday, November 5: You can make the difference in your safety and the safety of others in that first three minutes. Learn the principles of what to do if an active shooter incident happens and increase your chance of survival through the lessons taught during this free training.
- Wellness Talks: Getting Older – Should We Care More About Our Nutrition?, Wednesday, November 5: This talk will cover the evolving research on nutrition as we age. As we get older, we may think some changes in our health are inevitable. However, good nutrition and remaining active can help us keep strong enough to keep doing all the things we enjoy.
- Understand and Maintain your Furnace by Project Home, Thursday, November 6: Don’t let a cold house or unexpected repair bills ruin your winter! This comprehensive course empowers you to take control of your home’s heating system. Learn everything from the basic components of your furnace to troubleshooting common issues.
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.
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