Common Council

Updates March 21, 2022

• Spring yard waste collection begins in April

• Wednesday: Virtual meeting for far east side on the draft Metro Transit Network Redesign map

• Get ready for the April 5 Spring election

• Police and Fire Commission announced selection of next Fire Chief

• Volunteers needed for the Earth Day Challenge and Dog Park Cleanup Day

• Garlic Mustard pull event at Heritage Sanctuary Saturday, April 30, 9 am - noon

• Street Closure--South Blair Street

• City news

• COVID information and resources

Spring yard waste collection begins in April

The Streets Division's springtime yard waste collection will begin the week of April 3.

Learn when to set out your yard waste for pickup by visiting the Streets Division website, cityofmadison.com/yardwaste.

Virtual meeting for far east side on the draft Metro Transit Network Redesign map

There is a virtual meeting this Wednesday, March 23 at 6 pm for the far east side to review the draft Metro Transit Network Redesign map and to provide feedback.

Learn more and register at cityofmadison.com/metro/routes-schedules/transit-network-redesign

This draft plan is designed toward the ridership goal. The plan focuses on fewer routes that are more direct and frequent, while providing coverage where it is needed most.

• New Individual Maps

• Interactive Map

Take the Network Redesign Draft Plan Survey

Over the next few months, staff will be analyzing feedback on Metro's Network Redesign Draft Plan and making adjustments. The survey will be available until the end of April.

Survey (English)

Survey (Spanish)

Paper copies of the survey are available in English, Spanish and Hmong. Call 608-266-4466 or email mymetrobus@cityofmadison.com to request a copy.

You can also provide feedback by emailing MetroRedesign@cityofmadison.com.

Masks are still required on Metro buses. The federal order remains in effect until April 18, 2022.

Get ready for the April 5 Spring election

In-person absentee voting will begin tomorrow, Tuesday, March 22, at several locations throughout the City of Madison.

Acceptable photo ID to vote

As you prepare for the Spring Election on April 5, the City of Madison Clerk's Office wants to remind you what types of photo ID you can use for voting in Wisconsin.

Sample ballots available

Voters can view a sample ballot for their address on the MyVote Wisconsin website.

Police and Fire Commission announced selection of next Fire Chief

Chris P. Carbon has been selected to be the City of Madison's next Fire Chief. 

Chris Carbon has been involved in the fire and EMS services beginning in 1992, and has been with the City of Madison Fire Department since 1999 serving in the roles of Firefighter, Paramedic, Lieutenant, and Training Officer. Chris is presently the Division Chief overseeing Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Training and Logistics. He has been heavily involved in community paramedicine.

Volunteers needed for the Earth Day Challenge and Dog Park Cleanup Day

Earth Day Challenge

Celebrate Earth Day with your neighbors and friends by volunteering to clean up your local park at the Earth Day Challenge. Volunteers are needed to assist with trash pickup, raking, weeding, removing sticks, and more on Saturday, April 23, 2022.

There is an especially great need for volunteers at McGinnis Park (9 Crystal Lane) and North Star Park (502 North Star Drive.)

Do you love your dog park? Help spruce up and clean up your favorite off-leash dog park at Dog Park Cleanup Day on Saturday, April 2, 2022.

Volunteers are needed to assist with picking up trash and scooping up dog poop. Parks will supply the trash bags, gloves, scoopers, and buckets. 

Garlic Mustard pull event at Heritage Sanctuary Saturday, April 30, 9 am - noon

Thank you to Beth Godfrey for this information.

Garlic mustard is an aggressive invasive species threatening woodlands and native plants including the outstanding trillium display each spring in Madison's Heritage Sanctuary Conservation Park. Please consider assisting with a garlic mustard pull on Saturday April 30 from 9 am to noon. 

A staff person from Madison Parks will lead this off-trail project.  Volunteers should wear garden gloves and bring a dandelion weeder. Meet by the sanctuary sign at the south entrance (625 Meadowlark Drive) at 8:50 am. 

Please email Beth at elsbethrich@gmail.com if you plan to volunteer.

Wildflower viewing tip from Madison Parks: At peak trillium bloom in early to mid-May, the 9.3 acre Heritage Sanctuary is unequaled. Under an oak forest canopy lies a wildflower carpet more typical of a maple forest. Heritage Sanctuary is located on Madison's east side in the Heritage Heights neighborhood.

Street Closure--South Blair Street

Although this is downtown, I wanted to share this since it's a very traveled and popular route.

Starting Monday, March 21, Integrity Grading & Excavating will begin work at the John Nolen Drive, S Blair Street, & E Wilson Street intersection. Northbound Blair Street will be reduced to one traffic lane, which will result in travel delays during peak travel times. 

Starting approximately Friday, April 1, major excavation will begin. During this time, Blair Street will be fully closed to traffic between East Washington Avenue and East Wilson Street. 

This project is a full reconstruction of South Blair Street, including the Blair - Wilson - Williamson - John Nolen intersection.  Project completion is scheduled for early November. 

City news

City meetings scheduled for this week

• Mayor Satya Congratulates Chris Carbon, Madison's Next Fire Chief Congratulations to Chris Carbon on his selection as the next Chief of the Madison Fire Department.

• City of Madison Absentee Ballots in the Mail Absentee ballots for City of Madison voters who have a request on file have been mailed.

• South Point Road Drop-off Site Opening March 29, 2022
  As previously announced, the Streets Division drop-off site at 1501 W.

• Spring Election Sample Ballots Available The Spring Election is on Apr. 5, 2022. Several offices are up for election on April 5:

• Badger Road Drop-off Shutting Down March 25, 2022 posted March 14, 2022
  The Streets Division's drop-off site located at 1501 W. Badger Rd will be closing on March 25, 2022 for a construction project.

COVID information and resources

Stay connected with Public Health Madison & Dane County by subscribing to The Pulse, their quarterly newsletter.

• Public Health's COVID-19 homepage

• Data Notes for the Week of March 17, 2022 

• If You're Worried About the Mask Order Ending, Read This 

• Dane County testing sites

• Data Dashboard