City Updates Week of November 2

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  • Remember to Vote on Tuesday!!
  • Fall Leaf Pickup and Winter Dropoff Site Hours Reminder
  • Recording of 10/27 Data Centers Public Information Meeting
  • You're Invited: Fall Parks Alive Event at Harmony Apartments Community Room 11/2
  • The Ghost of Councils Past: Sharing Ald. Figueroa-Cole's Blog Posts About OIM and PCOB Ordinance Issues
  • WisDOT Interstate Corridor Study Meeting 11/10
  • Events & Announcements

Remember to Vote on Tuesday!!

Election Day is Tuesday, November 3, 2026. Voting is an opportunity to participate in shaping the future of our community and the decisions that affect our daily lives. Make a plan to vote, encourage your friends and neighbors to participate, and make your voice heard!

For Madison residents, polls will be open from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. You can find your polling location, check your registration, and review your ballot at  MyVote Wisconsin. Wisconsin also allows same-day voter registration at your polling place.

I recommend reviewing this Candidates' Answers resource assembled by the League of Women Voters of Dane County, and this flyer by the same group explaining the constitutional amendments.

Fall Leaf Pickup and Winter Dropoff Site Hours Reminder

  • Fall Leaf Season is Underway: Get the exact date when you should set out your leaves for pickup from the yard waste website. 
  • Drop-off Sites Reminder – Don't Get Surprised by Winter Hours Changes: Yard waste, electronics, and many other items are accepted at the Streets Division drop-off sites. And remember, the hours at the drop-off sites change for the winter months. Get the drop-off site information from the Streets Division website.
  • It's Pumpkin Time: You can put your pumpkins and other compostable seasonal decorations (corn stalks, hay, etc.) out for pickup along with your leaves. Remove wires, lights, candles, and other non-compostables before putting them into the leaves.

Recording of Oct 27th Data Centers Public Information Meeting

On Monday, Oct 27th, City of Madison staff updated community members on a draft framework for proposed zoning regulations on data centers. The City has a temporary moratorium pausing zoning approvals for new data centers larger than 10,000 square feet, and there are no current proposals for new data centers in Madison.

The goal of the meeting was to answer questions about the framework and collect feedback that will be reviewed by policymakers before any legislation is finalized or adopted. Staff answered dozens of questions from residents  at the meeting, and these responses will be added to the FAQ section on the data center moratorium webpage.

You're Invited: Fall Parks Alive Event at Harmony Apartments Community Room Monday

Parks Alive builds stronger neighborhoods and connects neighbors to their parks through fun, family-friendly activities, music and free food. Usually a summertime event, this year Madison Parks will host a handful of these free, family-friendly events in the fall, including one at Harmony Apartments next to Galaxy Park in District 3.

Connect with your neighbors and engage with your community at a Parks Alive event near you! Parks Alive has partnered with the Madison Park Rangers to bring you seasonal, nature-based, family-friendly activities. As always, everything is free at Parks Alive!

  • When: Monday, November 2nd from 5pm-7pm
  • Where: Harmony Apartments Community Room, 116 Milky Way, Madison WI 53718

Ghost of Councils Past: Sharing Ald. Figueroa-Cole's Blog Posts About Office of Independent Monitor and Police Civilian Oversight Board Ordinance Issues

District 10 Alder Yannette Figueroa-Cole recently shared two thoroughly-researched and thoughtful blog posts explaining some of the issues, past and present, with the ordinances establishing Madison's civilian oversight of the police and how they have recently been misrepresented by some. 

A notable quote: 

“Since I became an Alder in 2021, a community group supported by a couple of former Alders has run a campaign to undermine the ordinance language, make false claims about independence, and create an atmosphere of zero accountability, community confusion and mistrust, and endless interagency conflict. Unable to validate their claims with the ordinance, they have orchestrated relentless attacks on City staff, intending to smear their reputations and build support for their feelings and hopes to be adopted as a vote on the Council floor. 

We should be able to debate the structure, authority, and effectiveness of civilian oversight based on oversight best practices and the ordinance itself. The narrative that goes beyond the original charge has harmed the people most impacted in our community and contributed to nearly six years of dysfunction, delays, and a lack of trust."

The resolution terminating the former Interim Monitor's appointment extension passed 14-6 at the October 20th Council meeting. That resolution authorized Council's Office staff to work with the National Association for Civilian Oversight of Law Enforcement to help Madison through these issues. 

WisDOT Interstate Corridor Study Meeting Nov 10th

The Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) invites you to attend a virtual public meeting about the I-39/90/94 Corridor Project. This meeting will provide updates on the recent progress and preview the next steps planned for the project.

During the meeting, a presentation will provide project updates, and WisDOT staff will be available to answer questions.

The I-39/90/94 Corridor Project will reconstruct the Interstate mainline between US 12/18 in Madison and US 12/WIS 16 in Wisconsin Dells, as well as I-39 from where it splits from I-90/94 to Levee Road near Portage. 

If you have any questions about the meeting or the project, please feel free to reach out to the project team at 399094Project@dot.wi.gov.

Events & Announcements

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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