Common Council

Updates October 13, 2021

Neighborhood

City budget

Community

Transportation

COVID-19

Neighborhood

Redistricting

The Ad Hoc Redistricting Committee reaffirmed their recommended map for adoption at their final meeting last week. Through redistricting, the population within each alder district is equalized by population so residents across the City have equal representation on the Common Council. In all concepts that have been explored, the boundaries of every alder district change substantially due to substantial population growth since the 2010 census.

Each alder district is expected to have a resident population of approximately 13,700 with some small variations allowed.

In this map, the District 3 neighborhoods east of Sprecher Road are proposed to become part of District 16, currently represented by Alder Jael Currie. 

Leaf and yard waste pickups are underway

Enter your address on the Streets website to find the weeks there are pickups scheduled for your address. 

Prescribed burns scheduled for Door Creek Park, Caldera Street Bioretention

The City of Madison Parks and Engineering Divisions will conduct prescribed burns to promote establishment of native vegetation. Prescribed burns are the intentional use of fire, under specific environmental conditions, to manage and suppress invasive vegetation. 

Home rehabilitation loan program

The City of Madison's Community Development Division has resources for homeowners to maintain and make needed repairs on their homes. The application process had been forced to close temporarily in March 2020 due to COVID-19 restrictions, and staff are excited to begin working again with property owners in Madison to assist them with rehabilitation needs. Questions about the loan program can be sent to homeloans@cityofmadison.com or by phone at 608-266-4719.

Budget

Mayor Rhodes-Conway released her 2022 Executive Operating Budget last week. Highlights include funding to add staffing to the Police Department and Fire Department, Streets Division, Clerk's Office, and the Parks Division.  It also focuses on innovations in violence prevention and public safety and equitable access to city services. 

See the City's full budget process, along with detailed budget information.The Common Council will discuss, amend and vote on the Budget the week of November 9. 

Community

Oct. 26 Conversation on the Gun Violence Reduction Strategy

Join Focused Interruption Founder and CEO Anthony Cooper Sr as he hosts David Muhammed, Executive Director of the National Institute for Criminal Justice Reform, for a conversation about the Gun Violence Reduction Strategy, which has reduced gun violence by up to 60% in cities across the country since 1996. This is slated for Tuesday, October 26, at 6:30 pm virtually via Zoom. 

Madison Public Library Welcomes First Native American Storyteller-in-Residence

Madison Public Library, in collaboration with Ho-Chunk Gaming, is launching a Storyteller-in-Residence program with events through December 18, 2021. The residency is called "Ho-Chunk Through Story: The Origin, The Wayz, and The Life" and will be led by Ho-Chunk Nation storyteller and tribal member Andi Cloud. 

Participate in the Overture's Alter Box project  

The Overture Center for the Arts is seeking participants to honor loved ones who have passed by making an altar box. The Community Altar will be displayed at Overture Rotunda Gallery, October 28 through November 14. This participatory project draws on the Day of the Dead altar-making traditions in Mexico and remembrance traditions worldwide. All are welcome to participate. You will receive the box from Overture, create the memorial altar and return it back to Overture by October 27 to be part of the Community Altar.

Town of Madison attachment

The next opportunity for the community to learn more about the Town of Madison Attachment is scheduled for 5 pm, Oct. 14, 2021, at Penn Park Shelter, 2101 Fisher Street, Madison, Wis.

The first meeting was held virtually in September, and now, the City of Madison/Town of Madison Attachment Communications team organized the upcoming in-person meeting for anyone impacted by the upcoming October 2022 Town of Madison Attachment process.

The City of Madison and City of Fitchburg will absorb the Town of Madison on October 31, 2022. The City of Fitchburg will absorb the remaining part of the Town.

Transportation

Street Closures--Commercial Avenue (CTH "T") & Felland Road

Starting at 6 am on Monday, October 18, Commercial Avenue (CTH "T") will be fully closed at Felland Road and Felland Road will be fully closed at Commercial Avenue for the installation of sanitary sewer. 

The closure of Commercial Avenue is expected to last until 5 pm on Friday, October 22.

The closure of Felland Road is expected to last approximately four weeks--until 5 pm on Friday, November 12.

Speed reductions save lives - More updates

As part of the Vision Zero initiative, this week, the speed limit on the .7 mile stretch of North Thompson Drive from Sycamore to Hwy 30 changed from 30 mph to 25 mph. Temporary digital signboards are present in the areas to remind drivers of the speed limit changes. 

COVID information and resources

Public Health Madison & Dane County have opened a new, temporary vaccination clinic at the Arena building at the Alliant Energy Center. The site will provide first and second vaccine doses for anyone 12 and older as well as booster doses for those who are eligible. 

• COVID news roundup 10/8/21

• Understanding Close Contact-- Fall 2021 Update

• Booster Shots Authorized by CDC for Certain People Who Previously Received Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine

• Data Notes for the Week of October 7

• Dane County testing sites

• Breakthrough infections and the impact of the Delta variant

• 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