Tonight's Watershed Study meeting, weekend events in our community, and more

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Tonight: Kickoff meeting: Starkweather Creek/Olbrich Gardens Watershed Study

Thursday, September 16, 6-8 pm
Virtual meeting via Zoom
Register at cityofmadison.com/starkweathercreekwatershed

The first of several public information meetings for the Starkweather Creek Watershed Study will be held online tonight at 6 pm. City staff will share background on the location, purpose, impact, timeline and more for this watershed. The City will also host a question and answer panel, and attendees are encouraged to engage, ask questions and join us for the conversation.

More-Detailed Flood Risk Map Now Available

The City of Madison Engineering Division is sharing a new, interactive map and tool for the community to learn more about flooding impacts, stormwater infrastructure and potential flooding in the City of Madison.  

The Watershed Study Flood Risk Map allows a more detailed look at specific locations, down to the street level, to see how much water the stormwater system can handle, and if the stormwater system is meeting some of the City's stormwater management targets.

Tomorrow: Kids movie night at Galaxy Park

132 Milky Way
Friday, September 17 at 6 pm

Grab a blanket or bring a lawn chair and enjoy the free showing of 2020's Tom & Jerry movie. All are welcome.

Details

Saturday: Trucks & Treasures for kids at Door Creek Park 

Saturday, September 18, 9 am to 12 pm

Door Creek Park, 7035 Littlemore Drive

Trucks:

The big rig gig is a showcase of Madison's premier public service machinery, equipment and employees. Kids of all ages are welcomed to climb on, explore and get up close and personal with the big rigs and meet the employees who operate them. Vehicles participating include a fire engine, police car, construction equipment, dump trucks and more. 

Treasures:

The kids-to-kids garage sale is a unique opportunity for youth to reserve a space to sell their own items to other kids. Kids and families may sell gently used items such as toys, games, dress-up attire, books, bikes, DVDs, and other similar items. Sorry, no food or baked goods may be sold. A booth is just $15.

Kids movie night at McGinnis Park

Tuesday, September 21, 2021 at 6 pm

McGinnis Park, 9 Crystal Lane

Hosted by the Rolling Meadows Neighborhood Association.  Grab a blanket or bring a lawn chair and enjoy the free showing of Toy Story 4. All are welcome.

Details

Your fall leaf and yard waste collection schedule

To get the set-out dates for your home, go to cityofmadison.com/yardwaste. Enter your address into the form to see the dates when you should set out yard waste for collection.

Yard waste includes leaves, weeds, garden debris, grass clippings, and other similar material you have raked or pulled from your lawn or garden.

SOAR Grand Opening and Open House

SOAR Case Management Services has moved into the old Chase Bank building at 4513 Milwaukee Street. They are hosting a family friendly grand opening party from 3 to 6 pm on Friday, October 8 and encourage everyone from the surrounding neighborhoods to stop by to get to know them.

Transportation

Share your input on area transportation 

Your feedback is being sought as part of the Connect Greater Madison: Regional Transportation Plan (RTP) 2050 Update process. The Greater Madison Metropolitan Planning Organization wants to know how well current area transportation is serving your needs.

Use the interactive mapping tool to post comments on the bus, bike, and pedestrian networks, identifying specific gaps and challenges, as well as what you love and what's working well. This commenting tool is open and available from August 23 to October 3, 2021.

Your feedback is needed: Metro Routes Redesign - Survey 2

Please take this quick, ten minute survey to help us better understand the 'type' of transit network to implement. Survey closes Sunday, September 29.

Network alternatives survey

Survey in Spanish

Input received from the first phase of the project was used to develop two contrasting network alternatives, the Ridership Alternative and Coverage Alternative. Both alternatives are realistic but neither alternative is a proposal. They are intended to show the extremes of what might be possible in Madison to illustrate the potential network designs resulting from different policy decisions.

Your feedback and input on this survey will help guide the development of the Draft Network Plan in Fall 2021, and ultimately what 'type' of service will be implemented.

Project leaders and City staff will also host a virtual Public Information Meeting on September 23, at 6 pm.

Budget 

2022 City Budget Season Underway

On August 31, Mayor Rhodes-Conway released the 2022 Executive Capital Budget and 5-Year Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) detailing her funding proposal for buildings, infrastructure, and other capital investments for Madison. 

See the City's full budget process, along with detailed budget information.

On September 27, Finance Committee members will offer and consider amendments to the Executive Capital Budget, but Common Council will not consider the Capital Budget and amendments until November.

In October, the Finance Committee will hear agency presentations and consider amendments to the Mayor's proposed Operating Budget, which should be released on October 5. 

Community

Viva México Festival 2021

Don't miss out on the celebration of Mexico's heritage and history at the 20th Viva México Festival 2021 on Sunday, September 19. The Viva México Festival is a free event with food, traditional Latino folk dance, exhibits, face painting, tables with cultural area information and more.

The festivities start at 1 pm with a "Car Caravan Parade" beginning at the Villager Mall, 2300 S. Park Street, and ending at Breese Stevens Field, 917 E. Mifflin Street.  The official inauguration ceremony at Breese Stevens Field is at 2pm.  

Tonight: Madison Night Market

Vendors showcase handmade products, local art, artisan gifts, prepackaged foods and fresh produce. The event includes live music, special visiting food carts and pop-up restaurant experiences. 

The Market will run from 4pm – 9pm on September 16.  

Tomorrow: MadLit Festival

The next MadLit festival is Friday, September 17, 8pm-11pm, on State Street.  This free event includes live music, and highlights local artists and businesses of color.

Madison Senior Center delivers vital connections for older adults

September is National Senior Center Month, and the Madison Senior Center is delivering vital connections to aging well for older adults.

Wisconsin Book Festival Fall Celebration October 21–24

The Wisconsin Book Festival is preparing for the fall kickoff to its 2021–22 programming season, with a hybrid approach for author events -- some virtual and others in person. In-person events will mostly take place on Saturday, October 23, during the annual fall celebration weekend at Central Library, with select in-person events in partnership with the Wisconsin Science Festival at the Discovery Building on the UW-Madison campus.

Madison BCycle Launches Community Pass Program

Program will expand bike share access in Madison

Madison BCycle has launched its Community Pass Program to bring equitable access to its bike share system.

The program, in partnership with the Madison Public Library Foundation, will enable riders to use their Madison Public Library card to access one of over 300 electric bikes. 

"Making bike share more accessible in our community is a top priority for us," said Madison BCycle General Manager Helen Bradley. "Launching the Community Pass Program is one way we can ensure that everyone in our community has access to bike share as a transportation option." 

Madison Public Library Hosts Outdoor Wellness Festival September 19

The final event in the Live Well @ Your Library series will be an outdoor festival at Central Library on Sunday, September 19, with the theme Celebration. The block of Mifflin Street outside of Central Library will be blocked off from 1-4:30 p.m. to create a space for movement workshops, art and making activities for adults and kids, vendor tables and a culminating community conversation on wellness. 

Join the library takeover 

Library Takeover is a program created to support communities in organizing their event at the library. Teams of 3-4 people can pitch their idea via an online application from September 1-October 1. If accepted, the team could receive a $2,000 event budget, free space at the library, a $400 stipend for each member of the team, a 4-workshop event-planning course and help from an influential local mentor. 

Learn more and apply. 

Ways to help Afghan refugees

As refugees from Afghanistan arrive in Wisconsin, many Madisonians are interested in helping to welcome and assist them.  

Learn about ways to help. 

COVID information and resources

• Face Covering Emergency Order #2 in effect until October 8

• Dane County testing sites

• COVID-19 Data Snapshot

• Breakthrough infections and the impact of the Delta variant

• CDC Announces Small Group of Severely Immunocompromised People Eligible for Additional Dose of Vaccine

• What you need to know about the Delta variant

• How Can I Talk to Someone About Getting Vaccinated?

• Data Dashboard

• Renter Assistance 

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

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

• Community-aggregated COVID resources