City Meetings and Updates Week of February 16
posted- City Meetings
- Finance Committee 2/16
- Plan Commission 2/16
- Transportation Commission 2/18
- Remember to VOTE in the Spring Primary Election on Tuesday!
- MPD Increasing Traffic Enforcement in February
- School Crossing Guard Recognition Week is 2/16-2/20
- City’s 2025 Housing Snapshot Report Released
- Events & Announcements
City Meetings
Finance Committee
The Finance Committee meeting will take place on Monday, February 16, at 4:30 p.m. in virtual format. Agenda items include a resolution allocating City Affordable Housing Funds for financing the development of up to 27 affordable owner-occupied housing units and funding five homeownership service programs.
Plan Commission
The Plan Commission meeting will take place on Monday, February 16, at 5:30 p.m. in virtual format. Agenda items include development-related requests (none in District 3).
Transportation Commission
The Transportation Commission meeting will take place on Wednesday, February 18, at 5:00 p.m. in virtual format. Agenda items include a discussion of traffic safety on South Park Street. This discussion is in response to the tragic death of Sasha Rosen, a West High School student who was recently struck and killed by a driver while using a crosswalk to cross South Park Street to catch a bus to school. Here’s the Traffic Engineering staff presentation.
Remember to VOTE in the Spring Primary Election on Tuesday!
Tuesday is the Spring Primary Election! Polls open at 7:00 am and close at 8:00 pm Everyone in line at 8:00 pm gets to vote. Find your polling place or check your voter registration status at the My Vote WI website.
Heads up: Steamfitters Local 601 notified the City that they are no longer able to host a polling place. Voters who live in Wards 8 and 123 who used to vote at Steamfitters will vote at Door Creek Church, 6602 Dominion Drive in the Spring 2026 elections.
All City of Madison Alder District 3 voters’ ballots will all have the Dane County Circuit Court Branch 1 Judge race. District 3 voters who live in the Burke Heights and Mayfair Park neighborhoods will also see a primary on their ballot in the race for Dane County District 12 Supervisor. Looking for a sample ballot? Visit the My Vote WI website.
I highly recommend reviewing the Candidates’ Answers packet prepared by the League of Women Voters of Dane County. This guide is specific to the candidates who will be on Tuesday’s ballot.
MPD Increasing Traffic Enforcement in February
Madison Police Department shared two announcements yesterday about increased traffic enforcement efforts by the Department in February – one about enforcing alcohol and seatbelt laws and one about enforcing pedestrian and bike safety laws. Here’s the Ped/Bike safety one:
“In February of 2026, the Madison Police Department will be conducting extra patrols that will focus on enforcing Wisconsin's bicycle and pedestrian laws. In addition, MPD will continue to work with the Dane County Sheriff’s Officer to enforce seatbelt and alcohol laws. These additional enforcement efforts are made possible through overtime traffic grants provided by the Wisconsin Department of Transportation.
The goal of these extra patrols is not just to arrest drivers. The mission is to enhance public safety and prevent needless tragedies by discouraging people from making dangerous decisions and engaging in unsafe behaviors while driving.
The Madison Police Department is asking for your help in making our roads safer. Please, put your cell phone down, buckle up, slow down, drive sober, and watch out for and yield to pedestrians and bicyclists.”
School Crossing Guard Recognition Week is Feb 16th-20th
The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction has officially declared February 16–20, 2026, as Adult School Crossing Guard Recognition Week. The City of Madison is proud to recognize the 65 crossing guards who faithfully serve at intersections throughout the city, helping students and families travel to and from school safely each day.
The City encourages community members to show appreciation to crossing guards through simple acts such as offering a wave or saying thank you. The most meaningful way to support crossing guards, however, is by following safe driving practices in school zones:
- Reduce speed and use extra caution, especially during winter weather.
- Follow all posted and reduced speed limits in school zones.
- Stay alert for children and crossing guards in crosswalks when approaching school areas.
- When a crossing guard raises their stop sign and enters the street, vehicles must stop at least 10 feet back and remain stopped until all children and the crossing guard have safely reached the curb.
Safety around schools is a shared responsibility. Drivers, pedestrians, and cyclists all play an important role by staying alert and following crossing guard instructions.
For more information about the City of Madison Crossing Guard Program, or to learn what it takes to become a crossing guard, visit the City of Madison Crossing Guard webpage.
Thank you to our excellent crossing guards!!
City’s 2025 Housing Snapshot Report Released
The City of Madison’s Department of Planning, Community, and Economic Development has published its 2025 Housing Snapshot report, providing the latest insights into the city’s housing trends.
The report updates data from the 2023 Housing Snapshot and also contains new metrics, data visualizations, and example households designed to provide a clearer picture of Madison’s current housing needs and to make the report easier to understand.
Some of the topline insights include:
- 53% of Madisonians currently rent their homes, while 47% own their homes
- The most recent numbers we have show Madison’s stabilized rental vacancy rate has improved to 4.8%, getting closer to a healthy vacancy rate (with an adequate balance of supply and demand) of 5-7%
- The owner-occupied vacancy rate remains very low at 0.6%, which is below the national average of 1.1%
- Costs of land and construction in Madison are growing faster than the rate of inflation, which is continuing to pull housing costs higher
- About ¾ of low-income homeowners (those with incomes below half the median income) are “housing cost-burdened,” which means they pay more than 30% of their income on housing
- Homeownership costs are rising faster than people’s incomes, making it even more difficult for people to become first-time homebuyers
- Household income data shows those with incomes at or above the Area Median Income have much more housing choice and those with incomes below the Area Median Income have much less housing choice than they did a decade ago
- Based on consistent “point-in-time” counts, the number of people facing homelessness in 2025 was near 800, very close to that of 2015; the number of single adults has increased significantly over the past decade
A PDF version of the report can be viewed/downloaded here: https://www.cityofmadison.com/dpced/documents/reports/2025%20Housing%20Snapshot.pdf
This year, the City has also put together a web-based version of the report to make this information more widely accessible and easily shareable: https://www.cityofmadison.com/dpced/housing-initiatives/2025-housing-snapshot-report
Events & Announcements
- Building Community in Affordable Housing: Each year, the Community Development Division issues a competitive Request for Proposals to offer approximately $10 million in support to developers that aim to build affordable housing to serve Madison’s most vulnerable populations. In 2025, a total of 425 future rental homes received City subsidies, 260 of which will offer permanent affordability to those with qualified incomes.
- Madison Fire Department Announces Timeline for Next Firefighter/EMT Hiring Process: The Madison Fire Department will be accepting applications for the position of Firefighter/EMT beginning April 1, 2026. The application period will close on May 26, 2026. [posted February 13, 2026]
- How to identify unmarked squad cars, officers: MADISON, Wis.— The Madison Police Department is making some changes to help members of the public identify staff as local officers. Our department has received a lot of questions recently on how people can tell the difference between MPD officers and… [posted February 11, 2026]
- Safer Internet Day: Being AI aware: The Madison Police Department is encouraging parents and guardians to talk to children about safe internet practices. In 2003, the European Union launched the first Safer Internet Day, and it has grown to more than 100 countries. The nonprofit… [posted February 10, 2026]
- Two-Time National Book Award Winner Jesmyn Ward Headlines Lunch for Libraries on May 5: MacArthur Fellowship recipient and New York Times bestselling author Jesmyn Ward is announced as the speaker for Madison Public Library Foundation's spring fundraiser, Lunch for Libraries, which will take place May 5 at Monona Terrace. [posted February 10, 2026]
- 2025 Housing Snapshot report published: The City of Madison’s Department of Planning, Community, and Economic Development has published its 2025 Housing Snapshot report, providing the latest insights into the city’s housing trends. [posted February 9, 2026]
- Wright Design Series: Innovations in K-12 Architecture Education, Monday, February 16: The next generation is becoming empowered to critically examine and actively shape the spaces around them. Discover how educators and designers are mentoring students across southern Wisconsin at this panel presentation.
- Bird & Nature Adventures | Starkweather Creek Area, Saturday, February 2: Winter Wildflower Seed Planting ~ Join Naturalist Tara Dary for a free fun educational family friendly hands-on activity to learn about native Wisconsin wildflowers seeds and take some home. Did you know native wildflower seeds need to freeze and thaw or "cold stratify" to germinate? Learn how to make Seed Bombs to toss on the ground or on snow to help seeds get started when it thaws.
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.
