Common Council

District 3 Updates October 20, 2019

In this update:

1. Wednesday: Portland Park Public Input Meeting Two

2. October 28: Meadowlands Multi-Family Residences at Plan Commission

3. October 28: Ace Apartments at Plan Commission

4. City Budget

5.  What's being built in the northwest corner of Milwaukee Street and Sprecher?

6. Join the Rolling Meadows Neighborhood Association Board

7. "PFAS" compounds detected in Madison's four seasonal wells

8. Safe and Effective, Now is the Time for Flu Vaccination

9. City Meetings
    

1. Wednesday: Portland Park Public Input Meeting Two

Wednesday, October 23, 2019
6:30-7:30 pm
Kennedy Elementary School- Library
221 Meadowlark Drive
Madison, WI 53714

Parks staff will hold a second Public Input Meeting on Wednesday, October 23 to discuss the Portland Park Master Plan. At this session, attendees will review opportunities and constraints of the site, a summary of public input received regarding the park, and two conceptual master plans for Portland Park. 

Learn more.

2. October 28: Meadowlands Multi-Family Residences Proposal at Plan Commission

There is opportunity for public comment on the Meadowlands Multi-Family residences proposal at the October 28, 2019 Plan Commission meeting, which begins at 5:30 pm at the City County Building, Room 201.

Comments can also be emailed to the Plan Commission in advance to be shared with the commissioners by emailing me (district3@cityofmadison.com) or Colin Punt in City Planning (cpunt@cityofmadison.com). If you've already sent me your thoughts, these are part of public record and sent to Plan Commission for consideration.

A few updates on the project:
 

• Metro Transit reviewed it and would prioritize expanding service in this location given the size of this development. 

• The developers met with the Madison Police Department to discuss their security plan. 

• In addition to what's been previously shared, the project includes an accessible playground and community garden on the grounds, and the interior includes a 1,400 square foot dedicated room for services and resources, a game room for children, a business room and a community room.

• Since they are still working to address feedback from the Urban Design Commission, updated renderings of the buildings are being created.

3. Ace Apartments at October 28 Plan Commission

The Ace Apartments development received approval from the Urban Design Commission Meeting on October 16 and will be at the October 28 Plan Commission Meeting.

You can deliver feedback to the Plan Commission via email, and also in person during at the October 28 Plan Commission meeting, which begins at 5:30 pm in room 201 of the City County Building. If you've already emailed me about the project, this is considered public record and is included in the Plan Commissioners' review materials. If you haven't yet provided feedback, you can send it to me or to Tim Parks (tparks@cityofmadison.com) in City Planning. 

4. City Budget

This week, the Finance Committee will consider amendments to the Executive Operating Budget. You can see the list of proposed amendments here.

This year's operating budget started with an $11M deficit just continuing services as is from 2019 to 2020. There are very limited options to fill that gap without large cuts.

There has been a lot of discussion about the proposed vehicle registration tax. I want to share some resources that provide more details on where revenue from that tax would go. You can see the full documents here:

• Vehicle Registration Fee Presentation from 10/10/2019 Budget Meeting | Vehicle Registration Fee 2 Page Detail Sheet

• Fact Sheet Regarding the Municipal Motor Vehicle Registration Fee from City Attorney's Office

• 2020 Operating Budget Overview | 2020 Operating Executive Budget

Remaining 2020 Capital & Operating Budget Meeting Dates

• Monday, October 21 - Finance Committee: Vote on Executive 2020 Operating Budget/Amendments / 4:30 pm / Room 215, Madison Municipal Building
• Tuesday, November 12, 2018 - Common Council Meeting (Budget Only) / 5:30 pm / Room 201, City County Building
• Wednesday, November 13, 2019 – Common Council Meeting (Budget Only/If Needed) / 5:30 pm / Room 215, Madison Municipal Building
• Thursday, November 14, 2019 – Common Council Meeting (Budget Only/If Needed) / 5:30 pm / Room 201, City County Building

5. What's being built in the northwest corner of Milwaukee Street and Sprecher?

Approved in February, work has begun on one of two five-story mixed use buildings. These buildings will include commercial space on the first floor and 198 apartments, with 98 in one building and 100 in the other building. The apartments will be priced at market rates, featuring efficiencies, 1,2 and 3 bedroom options, with basement parking.  

There will be 28 efficiencies, 131 one bedrooms, 38 two bedrooms, and one three bedroom. See the apartment layouts. Each building will have 14,000 square feet of commercial space for 28,000 square feet total.

180 underground parking spots and 178 surface parking spots are included. This amounts to an average of 1.6 parking stalls per unit, and 80 parking stalls for commercial use.

Construction for the first building is underway, and construction of the second building will begin based on market trends, with completion of both buildings anticipated to be September 2022.

6. Join the Rolling Meadows Neighborhood Association Board

Help improve your neighborhood, get to know your neighbors, plan fun events, and give back to your community.

There are open positions on the Rolling Meadows Neighborhood Association board, including Vice President and two at-large board positions. 

Want to learn more or express your interest in joining? Send an email to rolling.meadows.na@gmail.com

7. "PFAS" compounds detected in Madison's four seasonal wells

Madison Water Utility has been conducting advanced testing of the city's 23 water wells looking for a class of chemicals known as "PFAS." The chemicals are widely used in cookware, food packaging, stain and water-resistant clothing, upholstery and firefighting foams. The compounds do not degrade and are showing up in dust, soil and water worldwide. The Wisconsin Department of Health Services has recommended a groundwater standard of 20 parts per trillion (ppt) for two types of PFAS called PFOA and PFOS. Levels at all Madison wells fall below this recommended standard.

Madison Water Utility tested its four seasonal wells for dozens of types of PFAS over the summer and received results this week. The utility generally operates seasonal wells during the high-demand summer and fall months. Results show that city's four seasonal wells do have detections of the chemicals. That brings the total number of wells where PFAS have been found to fourteen.

Well 23 on Leo Dr. is rarely used and was last pumped into the water system in the summer of 2017. The well has a mixture of different types of PFAS compounds at low levels. PFOA and PFOS were measured at a combined level of 6.6 ppt.

Well 8 in Olbrich Park and Well 17 on S. Hancock St. each have a mixture of PFAS compounds detected at trace levels; most levels are too low to measure accurately.

Well 27 on N. Randall Ave. has a mixture of PFAS compounds, all of which are at trace levels too low to measure accurately.

The levels of PFAS found are well below both the EPA Lifetime Health Advisory Level and Interim Wisconsin Groundwater Standards for PFOA and PFOS, both of which are set to protect public health.

Madison Water Utility water quality manager Joe Grande says testing technology has evolved to the point where labs can pick up detections of PFAS at incredibly trace amounts, in the sub-part-per-trillion level.

"The levels are so small. We can demonstrate that there are detectable amounts, but in many cases we can't quantify those amounts with a lot of certainty," Grande says.

Madison Water Utility plans to test all the city's wells for PFAS again in 2020.

PFAS (or per- and poly-fluoroalkyls) have been used in a variety of consumer products for decades. High levels of PFAS exposure have been linked to a variety of health concerns, including increased risk of some types of cancer. So far, PFAS are not regulated under the Safe Drinking Water Act, and the type of advanced testing Madison is carrying out is not required. But Grande insists it's important for the utility to continue to keep an eye on PFAS levels in Madison's water.

"I think that there's a lot of value in the known versus the unknown," he says. "And there is an expectation that we know as much as possible about our water and that we communicate that to the public."

Find more testing result details on Madison Water Utility's PFAS Testing and Information page.

8. Safe and Effective, Now is the Time for Flu Vaccination

Now is the time to get vaccinated against the flu. Public Health Madison & Dane County recommends that everyone older than 6 months get the flu vaccine now, to protect throughout the flu season, which can begin as early as October and last through spring.  

"It's important to get the flu vaccine before flu starts spreading in the community. It takes about 2 weeks to get full protection after the vaccine is given, so getting vaccinated, preferably in October, is the best thing you can do to protect yourself and others from getting the flu," says Public Health Immunization Coordinator Sarah Hughes.  

There is no way to predict how severe a flu season will be. Last flu season 223 people were hospitalized due to the flu in Dane County, and in the previous season, there were 695 hospitalizations. 

"Flu vaccine is safe and effective," says Hughes. "Even when it is not 100% effective at preventing flu, it may reduce how sick you'll get and reduce your chance of being hospitalized. When you get your flu vaccine, you're also helping to reduce the amount of illness in our community, which helps protect the folks who can't get a flu shot, like babies younger than 6 months old."

For those with health insurance, flu vaccine is now readily available at local clinics and pharmacies. For those without health insurance, Public Health can help. Free flu shots are offered by appointment for adults without health insurance, and for children without health insurance or who have Medical Assistance/Forward card. To schedule an appointment, call (608) 266-4821. 

"Be sure to ask your provider which vaccine is best for you," says Hughes.  "Some flu vaccines are available for adults 65 and older who have weaker immune systems. The nasal spray flu is approved for use this year, but with very limited availability, so most people will need to get the shot."  

Hughes further advises that, "If your work involves taking care of others, like children or patients, or you care for a spouse, parent or child with special needs, the flu shot is especially important for you. Stay healthy to protect them, and reduce sick time for yourself."

The flu is not a stomach bug. The flu causes high fever, cough, sore throat, body aches and oftentimes multiple days of missed work or school. It can be very serious, leading to hospitalization and even death. Young children, pregnant women, people 65 years and older and people with certain medical conditions, like asthma, diabetes or heart disease are particularly vulnerable to the flu and complications of the illness. Complications include pneumonia, sinus and ear infections, inflammation of the heart or brain, and worsening chronic conditions.

While the vaccine is the best protection against getting the flu, there are other precautions people can take to stay healthy and prevent the spread of flu:

• Wash hands often, and for at least 20 seconds, with soap and water. Use alcohol-based hand rub if soap and water aren't available.

• Cover the mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing.

• Avoid touching the eyes, nose or mouth. Every time you touch your face, you have a change of introducing germs. 

• Avoid close contact with people who are sick.

• Frequently disinfect surfaces at home, work or school that are touched regularly.

• Stay home when sick and take flu antiviral drugs if prescribed by a doctor.

9. City Meetings

City Weekly Meeting Schedule
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