City Meetings and Updates Week of August 31
posted- City Meetings:
- Finance Committee 8/31
- Plan Commission 8/31
- Traffic Lights Being Installed at Milwaukee St. & Cottage Grove Road
- Reminder: City's Stoughton Road Public Meeting at La Follette HS 9/3
- Opening Date 9/25 for the Eastside's new Imagination Center at Reindahl Park
- 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.
Finance Committee
The Finance Committee meeting will take place on Monday, August 31, at 4:30 p.m. in virtual format. Agenda items include:
- Item 14: A resolution amending the City's Operating Budget to spend $300,000, including $200,000 of new spending from the City's 2026 contingent reserve, to support the Williamson Street businesses impacted by the encampment and occupation of the Williamson Street and Baldwin Street intersection. Here's the Economic Development staff memo. This item is sponsored by District 6 Alder Davy Mayer whose district includes the Williamson/Marquette neighborhood. authorizing the Economic Development Division to administer a Williamson Street Business Stabilization Support Program.
- Item 15: A resolution transferring $28,500 from the contingent reserve to the Office of the Independent Monitor for additional staffing and services costs. This resolution is sponsored by District 12 Alder Julia Matthews.
Both of these resolutions go to the full Council for a vote on September 8th. The City's adopted 2026 Operating Budget is already very close to the State's Expenditure Restraint Incentive Program (ERIP) limit. The contingent reserve fund is the City's buffer to make sure that actual 2026 spending from the Operating Budget doesn't exceed the 2026 ERIP limit.
New, unplanned spending increases the risk that actual Operating Budget spending in 2026 breaches the ERIP limit. Spending above that limit in 2026 would result in a loss of several million dollars in critical state shared revenue funding. District 19 Alder John Guequierre wrote this very helpful blog post explaining the situation earlier this summer.
Plan Commission
The Plan Commission meeting will take place on Monday, August 31, at 5:30 p.m. in virtual format. The agenda includes item 6: a request for a Conditional Use Permit to operate an adult day care at 302 Acewood Blvd in District 3 (this is the former site of the Four Lakes Church of Christ). The applicant's Letter of Intent states this will be a “community-focused adult day center", not a residential facility, with operating hours between 5:00pm and 7:00pm. Here is the site plan and here is the staff report, which recommends approval subject to the conditions outlined in the staff report. Here's a link to the August 6th virtual meeting where the applicant presented their plans and answered neighbors' questions. Postcard invitations to that public meeting were mailed to neighbors. Feel free to email comments to Plan Commissioners at pccomments@cityofmadison.com, or register your opinion using the links below:
Traffic Lights Being Installed at Milwaukee St. & Cottage Grove Road
City Traffic Engineering shared this update with me last week:
“Work will begin on the Milwaukee – Sprecher traffic signal this week. The timeline we received from the contractor is August 24th to September 11th, and there will be some lane closures expected during this time. The intersection will remain an all way stop for the duration of the project.
Once the contractor is complete with their work, our crews will come in with their own traffic control to put up the poles, arms, signals, and turn on the traffic signal. While we don't have a definitive date for this, we have the equipment on hand and will be ready to go when the contractor is finished."
Reminder: City's Stoughton Road Public Meeting at La Follette High School, Thursday at 5:30pm
Stoughton Rd. Redesign Public Information Meeting hosted by Alder Field & Alder O'Brien, Thursday, September 3: Join Alder Derek Field of District 3 and Alder Sean O'Brien of District 16 on Thursday, September 3rd, for an in-person public meeting on the Stoughton Rd. Redesign. During this meeting City Planning and Transportation staff will provide information about the project, with a question and answers session to follow.
Opening Date Set for the Eastside's new Imagination Center at Reindahl Park: Friday, September 25th
Opening Date Set for Imagination Center at Reindahl Park: Save the date for the opening of the Imagination Center at Reindahl Park hosted by Madison Public Library, City of Madison Engineering, Madison Parks and Madison Public Library Foundation. The Imagination Center at Reindahl Park is a multifunctional indoor-outdoor facility containing both a library and four-season parks pavilion.
The building will open on Friday, September 25 with a ribbon cutting ceremony led by Library, City, and State officials at 3-4pm. Following the ribbon cutting, neighbors and residents are invited to an opening weekend of activities, including building tours, a how-to corner, nature walks, food trucks, a movie in the park, and more.
Events & Announcements
- The Smart Trips Challenge Is Almost Here! With fall routines and the new school year beginning, September is a great time to try a different way of getting around. Bike to school with your kids, take the bus to meet up with friends, carpool with coworkers, or walk/roll for a nearby errand. These options can help you save money, add some activity to your day, and reduce your carbon footprint. The challenge is free and open to anyone age 18 or older who lives or works in Dane County. Create a free RoundTrip account and log your eligible trips for chances to win more than a dozen weekly and grand prize drawings. Join the 2026 Smart Trips Challenge!
- John Nolen Drive Traffic Pattern Changes Active Through Spring 2027: Starting at 6:00 am on Tuesday, September 1, the left turn from southbound Broom Street onto John Nolen Drive will close to facilitate the remaining construction activities and improve safety at the intersection for all users.This traffic… [posted August 27, 2026]
- Sewer Construction on East Washington Avenue Begins Monday, Expect Traffic Delays Through October: Starting on Monday, August 31, and continuing until approximately Friday, October 9, Stevens Construction will be conducting sanitary sewer installation for the private development project at 720 E Washington Avenue. [posted August 26, 2026]
- MADISON, WI – Residents on the northeast side of Madison are invited to pick up a free yard sign from three Madison Public Library locations beginning September 1, 2026. [posted August 26, 2026]
- International Overdose Awareness Day, Monday, August 31: International Overdose Awareness Day provides a space for remembrance, connection, and healing for those impacted by loss.
- Louka & Co., Friday, September 4: Get ready for an unforgettable evening on the Glen Patio with Louka & Co(external), a dynamic group known for their eclectic blend of bluegrass and beyond.
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.
