Updates February 14, 2022

Dane County Face Covering Order to Expire March 1

Neighborhood 

City

COVID-19 information and resources

Face Covering Order to Expire March 1

Effective at 12 am on March 1, 2022, Public Health Madison & Dane County will no longer require face coverings in public indoor spaces in light of steadily decreasing COVID-19 case rates and hospitalizations. This does not affect the federal requirement for face coverings on public transportation.

Neighborhood

Black History Month events at Madison Public Libraries

February is Black History Month, and Madison Public Library is celebrating this year's theme of Black Health & Wellness put forth by the Association for the Study of African American Life and History. Through their Live Well @ Your Library initiative, community partnerships, book lists, events and more, they aim to support Madison's Black community in finding and accessing health and wellness resources. 

Madison Public Library event: Senior Safety Programs

Madison Public Library is offering free online trainings for senior digital safety. COVID-19 has provided individuals with bad intentions, such as scammers, with new opportunities. Learn how to identify and protect against fake news, get tips to help avoid becoming a victim of fraud and gain confidence on your journey to financial empowerment.

Senior Scams: Feb 23, 1 - 2:30pm

Have an idea for how to increase food availability in your community? Apply for a SEED grant.

The Madison Food Policy Council is encouraging community groups to apply for SEED Grants. SEED Grants are small grants to support new and/or emerging projects or programs that support access to healthy food in our community. 

Proposals should address one of more of the following focus areas:   

• Increase access to healthy, local, culturally-relevant food  

• Address issues of food waste and recovery  

• Strengthen regional agriculture and ease access to land for growing food  

• Address food system issues affected by COVID-19    

Priority will be given to City of Madison projects that demonstrably impact under-resourced or underrepresented communities. 

Applications are due on Monday, February 28, 2022 by 5 pm. 

What to do if you see a coyote

Coyotes are native to Wisconsin and live in both rural and urban areas in Dane County. "How to Haze a Coyote," gives solutions to safely co-existing with coyotes by scaring them, so they do not feel comfortable being around humans.  

More information on keeping wild animals wild. 

City

MPD hosting roundtable discussion on body-worn cameras

The Madison Police Department is hosting a series of roundtable discussions about body-worn cameras. Community members can attend an in-person informational meeting about body-worn cameras on Feb. 24. 

Panasonic on Body-Worn Cameras
Thursday, Feb. 24, 6:30-8 pm
MPD Training Center, 5702 Femrite Dr, Madison, WI 53718

A virtual informational meeting will also take place on March 3. Zoom link for this event is forthcoming. 

Common Council agendas changed to move public comment to the beginning of meetings

The Common Council recently passed ORD-22-00012, which changes the order of business and procedures for registered speakers during Common Council meetings. These changes stemmed from policy recommendations made by the Task Force on the Structure of City Government (TFOGS). The new Common Council meeting format will go into effect on February 22, 2022.

City meetings of interest this week

The Downtown Coordinating Committee will be discussing several items related to roadside cafés, sidewalk cafes, and the Streatery program at its meeting on Thursday.

Meeting Details

Agenda

Register for Public Comment

Housing Forward Update

The Landlord and Tenant Issues Committee will receive an update on the Housing Forward initiative at its meeting on Thursday.

Meeting Details

Agenda

Register for Public Comment

Additional meetings scheduled for this week

City news

• First Library Takeover Event Scheduled for February 26, 2022 Madison Public Library's Library Takeover program will launch its first event of the year on February 26, 2022...

• Wellness Practitioners Summit Seeks to Improve Access to Health + Wellness Services for BIPOC Communities Madison Public Library, Be Well Madison, and Midwest Mujeres  are partnering to offer a virtual BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and People of Color) wellness practitioner gathering on February 17...

From the mayor

• Statement of Mayor Rhodes-Conway re: Wisconsin Supreme Court Decision Locking Ballot Drop Boxes for the Spring Election. It is deeply disappointing that the majority on the Wisconsin Supreme Court decided to institute two sets of rules for the same election cycle... 

• Madison's Focus on Prioritizing Safety is Forward Thinking On January 27, 2022, the US Department of Transportation Secretary, Pete Buttigieg, announced the federal government's new comprehensive National Roadway Safety Strategy, a roadmap for addressing the national crisis in roadway fatalities and serious injuries. This strategy is the first step at the national level in working toward the long-term goal of reaching zero roadway fatalities...

• Statement by Mayor Rhodes-Conway on AB 588/SB 573 re: EV Charging Electric Vehicles (EVs) are a critical part of our nation's transportation future. The federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law invests heavily in EV charging infrastructure, and has the potential to bring jobs, economic development and increased transportation choices to Wisconsin...

COVID information and resources

• Public Health's COVID-19 homepage

• Data Notes for the Week of February 10 

• Free COVID-19 Testing Options Continue to Expand 

• How to Get the Most Out of Your Mask

• Dane County testing sites

• Data Dashboard

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