Updates February 1, 2021

1. Snow Emergency continues tonight

2. In-person absentee voting for the Spring Primary begins Tuesday

3. Madison Police Chief Barnes was sworn in today

4. 2020 East District Community Survey--Madison Police Department

5. Attend a Metro Transit Public Hearing - Feb 10 and March 10

6. What the next phase of Wisconsin vaccination means for Dane County

7. City and County announced site selected for permanent men's shelter

8. Neighborhood beautification grant opportunity - applications due March 15

9. Meeting and Event Highlights for the Week of February 1, 2021

10. Mayor and alders propose zoning changes to increase and diversify housing

11. Water use in Madison drops for 6th straight year

12. Other useful updates

13. COVID-19 updates and resources

14. City meetings schedule

Snow Emergency continues tonight

A snow emergency is in effect for the City of Madison again tonight, February 1, 2021. Plow trucks will be working through the night again to push back snow from areas not blocked by parked cars.

Parking on the Street Tonight

Vehicles parked on the street tonight (Monday, February 1 into the early morning of Tuesday, February 2) should be on the EVEN house-numbered side of the street between the hours of 1 a.m. and 7 a.m. Violations may be ticketed ($60) and towed at the owner's cost..

Winter Parking and Plowing Information

Additional information about winter plowing and parking can be found on the City of Madison winter website, cityofmadison.com/winter. Parking information can also be heard by calling the winter parking hotline at 608-261-9111.

Report a Problem

• Report street(s) needing plowing or sanding
• Report a sidewalk, crosswalk, or curb ramp needing clearing
• Report a bus stop which needs clearing
• Report a Bike Path which needs clearing

In-person absentee voting for the Spring Primary begins Tuesday

In-person absentee voting for the Feb. 16 Spring Primary begins Tuesday in Madison.

What will you need to bring with you if you're voting absentee in person?

• An acceptable photo ID for voting in Wisconsin

• If you need to register for the first time or update your registration because of a move or name change, you will need to bring a proof of residence document with you, too.

The Wisconsin Superintendent of Public Instruction primary is on the ballot February 16. All seven candidates for State Superintendent participated in a forum on Jan. 7, 2021 organized by the nonpartisan Wisconsin Public Education Network and co-sponsored by the League of Women Voters.

Watch the forum and read their questionnaire responses. 

Madison Police Chief Barnes was sworn in today

This morning, the Police and Fire Commission swore in the Madison Police Department's 30th Chief of Police, Shon F. Barnes. 

A message from Chief Barnes:

"I am humbled and excited to begin the next chapter in the great history of the Madison Police Department. Please accept my sincere gratitude to the Police and Fire Commission and the Madison community for entrusting me with your public safety. It has been my dream to improve the lives of a diverse community by making a significant contribution to policing. My plan is to create culture within the Madison Police Department that prioritizes fairness, community inclusion, and ethical policing."

Read more on Chief Barnes blog.

Madison Police Department Survey

The City of Madison Police Department is launching a community survey and asks citizens to take a few minutes to complete it. In order for MPD to improve their services to the community, they need and value feedback. One of MPD's core values is a commitment to continuous improvement and the insight of the citizenry will assist them as they consider ways to modify or enhance their service models.  

Complete the survey

Attend a Metro Transit Public Hearing - Feb 10 and March 10

On Wednesday, February 10 at 6pm, Metro Transit and the City of Madison Transportation Commission will hold a virtual public hearing to review and discuss proposed Metro service adjustments proposed for later in the year. Passengers are encouraged to provide feedback on the proposal. Consideration will be given to views and comments expressed at the public hearing as well as to all phone and written comments. 

On Wednesday, March 10 at 5pm, Metro Transit and the City of Madison Transportation Commission will be reviewing the planned bus stop changes occurring in 2021.  Changes include bus stops closing, opening, the addition of concrete bus stop pads and/or the addition of an amenity.

What the next phase of Wisconsin vaccination means for Dane County

With the recent news that the next phase of COVID-19 vaccination has begun, Public Health Madison & Dane County, county health systems, and UW–Madison are here to help answer questions.

On January 26, the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) released details about the next phase (Phase 1b) of vaccinations. Newly eligible groups are approved to begin receiving vaccines starting March 1, pending availability:

• Preschool, Head Start, Kindergarten to 12th grade educators and childcare workers, and higher education faculty and staff with direct student contact

• Individuals enrolled in Medicaid long-term care programs

• Some public facing essential workers (9-1-1 operators, utility and communications infrastructure workers, public transit workers, food supply chain workers)

• Non-frontline healthcare essential personnel, and facility staff and residents in congregate living facilities (excluding dormitories and co-ops).

Police and fire department personnel, correctional staff and people 65 years old and older are currently being vaccinated. For a detailed list of these groups, please visit the DHS website. Individuals eligible under Phase 1a also continue to receive the vaccine.

City and County announced site selected for permanent men's shelter

Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway and Dane County Executive Joe Parisi announced that they have found a location for a permanent men's shelter on the East Side of Madison. A new facility at 2002 Zeier Road will provide a home for shelter services that have been operating out of temporary facilities since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic and, before that, operated out of cramped quarters in downtown churches for the past 35 years.

Neighborhood beautification grant opportunity - applications due March 15

Perhaps you are noticing opportunities to beautify something in your area, or maybe you are getting more involved with your neighborhood group or business association. You may be feeling a deeper sense of place and a desire to get involved in making your neighborhood even better. The Planning Division's 2021 Neighborhood Grant Program may be able to assist you with a small grant. 

New this year, your neighborhood group or business association could earn up to 10 bonus points for incorporating a COVID-19 recovery initiative into your project proposal. Consider attending an optional workshop on February 15 at 6 pm for guidance on how to apply and to hear what other neighborhoods are considering doing. 

Learn more and apply.

Meeting highlights for the week of February 1, 2021

Public Health Violence Prevention Unit updates

The Board of Health for Madison and Dane County will be receiving an update on the activities of the Public Health Violence Prevention Unit at its meeting on Wednesday. This is a standing agenda item that is always included at Board of Health meetings.

Details

Agenda

Register for public comment

Task Force on Structure of City Government Ad Hoc final report implementation work group

At their Wednesday meeting, they will be discussing communicating to voters about the nonbinding referendum questions, topics for presenting to the Common Council Advisory Committee and the Common Council, and having a discussion on the Task Force on Government Structure recommendations.

Details

Agenda

Register for public comment 

Police Civilian Oversight Board Begins Preparation for Independent Police Monitor (IM) hiring process

The Police Civilian Oversight Board is meeting on Thursday to begin training and preparation for the IM hiring process.

Details

Agenda

Register for public comment

Common Council

Highlights: 

• The Common Council will be voting on changing the zoning of 3614-3700 Milwaukee Street and 102-122 West Corporate Drive, 15th Aldermanic District to match the recommendations of the Milwaukee Street Special Area Plan. 

• There will be an introduction of the new Madison Police Department Chief, Shon F. Barnes. 

• There will be voting on authorizing the Mayor and City Clerk to enter into a Memorandum of Understanding with the Center for Black Excellence & Culture (CBEC) and allocate $250,000 from the $2.5 million 2021 Small Business Equity & Recovery (SBER) program in the Department of Planning & Community & Economic Development Capital Budget to be used for CBEC predevelopment costs. 

• We will also be voting on amending the 2021 Adopted Operating Budget for the Planning Division, Neighborhood Planning, Preservation and Design Section to accept $7,000 from Arts Wisconsin, Inc. for the Greater Madison Music City Effort. 

Details

Agenda 

Register for public comment

Mayor and alders propose zoning changes to increase and diversify housing

At the Feb. 2 Common Council meeting, Mayor Rhodes-Conway and Alders Heck, Lemmer, Furman, and Evers will introduce proposed zoning changes that will aim to increase both the number and types of multi-family housing being constructed in Madison. The proposed changes would make it easier to develop housing in most multi-family residential and mixed-use zoning districts across the City by streamlining the permit review process for projects that meet basic requirements. 

As these proposed changes are evaluated by city committees, the community, and Common Council, I'll be publishing more details and explanations in my updates, particularly when any pertain to District 3. As a sponsor, I am supportive of these changes.

Water use in Madison drops for 6th straight year

Pumpage totals for 2020 are in, and they reveal a continued shift in the way Madison uses water. Twenty years ago, Madison Water Utility pumped more than 12.2 billion gallons of water to homes and businesses across the city--a record high. But a lot has changed since then. Last year, the utility pumped just 8.7 billion gallons, the lowest since 1966. It is the 6th straight year water use in the city has dropped.

The more than 28% decline in water use over the last two decades is caused by several factors, including more efficient toilets, showerheads, washing machines and dishwashers, wetter than normal summers, and the loss of industries like Oscar Mayer.

The COVID-19 shutdown last spring also had an impact on water use in 2020. UW Madison, the city's largest water user, closed much of its campus on March 16. Eight days later Gov. Tony Evers issued the statewide Safer at Home Order. During the shutdown, water use in Madison dipped by about 2 million gallons a day.

Other useful updates

• Learn more about what Madison Metropolitan Sewerage District is doing to address PFAS in wastewater and beneficial biosolids and the role individuals and businesses have in helping reduce PFAS use and contamination.

• Get Involved with the Homeless Services Consortium of Dane County (includes how to donate)

• From the Mayor:

  • Madison Featured as a Climate-Change Haven

  • Madison Joins National Gun Violence Survivors Week Movement and Pledge

• Sale of Voit property in the news

• DNR orders new plan to stop the spread of PFAS

COVID-19 updates and resources

• Data Dashboard

• Financial Navigators hotline

• Close Contacts Now have Quarantine Options

• COVID-19 vaccine not likely to be available to the public until Spring 2021 or later

• UW-Madison's rapid testing

• WI Dept. of Health Services Cases by Neighborhood (Census Tract)

• Madison COVID-related news and service updates, Español: COVID-19 and Hmoob: COVID-19

• COVID-19 recovery dashboard, a tool to track local indicators in order to better understand how our residents and community are doing throughout the pandemic.

• Public Health Madison and Dane County COVID data and orders

• Dealing with job loss

• Childcare, food, jobs, housing and low-cost internet access 

• Community-aggregated COVID resources

• From the City's Economic Development Division: Business & Non-profit Information Covid-19, including Streatery Program

City meetings schedule

City weekly meeting schedule

The Mayor's meeting schedule

The County weekly meeting schedule