Common Council

Week of Nov 28: Save the date for passenger rail, holiday reminder from MPD, Streets dropoff winter hours, and more

Friday the 25th trash pickup moved to Monday, save the date for the passenger rail station study, a seasonal reminder from Madison Police, Streets dropoff sites about to start winter hours, and city meetings, events, and announcements. 

• Save the date: Passenger Rail Station Location Study meetings on Wed Dec 7th
• A reminder from Madison Police - the holidays and winter mean an uptick in stolen cars and packages, a few quick refreshers of things to keep in mind
• Streets sites switch to winter hours in December, weekend hours are ending this weekend
• City Meetings: Finance Committee, Urban Design Commission, Transportation Commission, and more
• Events: Warner Park Community Recreation Center Family Fun night, Wisconsin Women's Business Initiative Corporation (WWBIC) seminar on cashflow, and more
• Announcements: Madison is a top-ten digital city, Giving Tuesday in Madison, Dr. King Humanitarian award, the Madison CARES program annual report is now available, and more.

Reminder: If your trash is normally picked up on Friday and because of the holiday it wasn't picked up on Friday Nov 25th, please have it set out on Monday November 28th by 6:30am. Check your collection schedule calendar to determine if you should have your recycling cart to the curb along with your trash cart.

Save the date: Monday, December 7th - Passenger Rail Station Location Study Kickoff meeting!

On Wednesday, December 7th, the City will be hosting a passenger rail study kickoff meeting. There are two options on how to attend, they are the same content and you don't need to attend both meetings.

The first is an in-person option at 4:30pm at room 215 of the Madison Municipal Buliding on Martin Luther King Jr Blvd. 

The second option is an online version that will start at 6:30pm on Zoom. You can find a link to register on the Study homepage.

The purpose of the study is to identify a recommended location for a potential future Amtrak Station. With the passage of the bipartisan infrastructure law, historical levels of funding are available for new intercity passenger rail service. At the same time, Amtrak has identified Madison as a connection on a future Hiawatha Service extension. The study will leverage these opportunities and work towards bringing passenger rail service to Madison!

Meeting Details:
The meeting will include a presentation explaining the project, with opportunities to provide input and ask questions about the presentation and the opportunity to correspond with the elected officials, City Staff, Amtrak Staff, and the project consultant team.

A reminder from Madison Police:

The snow is flying and the holiday season is upon us.  That usually means cars are warming and more packages are mailing.  Typically an increase in stolen running cars with the keys left inside and stolen packages left outside is not far behind.  Here are a few reminders to be safe this season

(Please don't leave your car running and unattended)

Streets Drop-off Sites - Winter Hours starting soon

• Drop-off Site Information: The weekend following the Thanksgiving holiday will be the final drop-off site weekend for the year.
• Drop-off Site Hours for Saturday, November 26, 2022
  • All three drop-off site locations will be open from 9:00am to 4:00pm for City of Madison residents.
  • The sites are located at 121 E. Olin Avenue, 4602 Sycamore Avenue, and 402 South Point Road.
• Drop-off Site Hours for Sunday, November 27, 2022
  • The only drop-off site open on this date will be the location at 121 E. Olin Avenue. This will be the final day for the Olin Avenue drop-off site this year.
  • The drop-off sites at 4602 Sycamore Avenue and 402 South Point Road will be closed on Sunday, November 27. They will reopen on Monday, November 28 at 7:30am.
• Winter Hours
  • Central Drop-Off Site, 121 E. Olin Ave.: Closed for winter starting November 28, 2022 - April 2023.
  • East Drop-Off Site, 4602 Sycamore Ave.: Closed weekends after Saturday, November 26th. Winter Hours, starting December 3, 2022-April 2023. Open Mon, Tues, Thurs, Friday 7:30am-2:30pm. CLOSED WEDNESDAYS.
  • West Drop-Off Site, 402 South Point Rd.: Closed weekends after Saturday, November 26th. Winter Hours, starting December 3, 2022-April 2023. Open Mon, Tues, Thurs, Friday 7:30am-2:30pm. CLOSED WEDNESDAYS.

CITY MEETINGS

• Finance Committee: The Finance Committee meets virtually on Monday, November 28, at 4:30pm. Items on their agenda include a resolution authorizing agreements for the purpose of providing Paratransit Services to Madison Metro, and a resolution awarding $8,950,000 from the Affordable Housing Fund that will support the construction of 500 units of new rental housing in Madison, 344 of which will be affordable.
  • Meeting details
• Urban Design Commission: The Urban Design Commission meets virtually on Wednesday, November 30, at 4:30pm. Items on the agenda include a public hearing about the new Lake Street public parking ramp and mixed-use building at 415 N. Lake Street, discussion on the renovation of a former hotel located at 3841 E. Washington Avenue building to residential, and discussion of planned multi-use project at 6604 Odana Road (formerly Market Square Theater).
  • Meeting details
• Transportation Commission: The Transportation Commission will meet virtually on Wednesday, November 30, at 5:00pm. Items on the agenda include a resolution authorizing agreements for the purpose of providing Paratransit Services to Madison Metro, and a proposed ordinance establishing a Transportation Demand Management Program.
  • Meeting details
• Common Council Executive Committee: The Common Council Executive Committee will meet virtually on Wednesday, November 30, 2022, at 5:30pm. Items on the agenda include a proposed ordinance amendment to change alder terms and elections.
  • Meeting details
• For additional information about meetings scheduled for the week of November 28, please consult the City Meeting Schedule.

City Related Events

• WPCRC Family Fun Night on December 9 - The Warner Park Community Recreation Center Family Fun night
• Public Information Meeting: Wingra Proper Watershed Study: The Wingra Proper Watershed Project will be holding a public information meeting on December 8 from 6-8pm. Please register in advance for this virtual meeting.
• Free Training on the Affordable Connectivity Program for Broadband Internet on Tuesday, December 6

Non-City Related Events

• The 10th annual Run Santa Run holiday fun run will impact car and bicycle traffic in District 2 on Dec 4. The run starts at 3pm.
• Grow with Google Program, Digital Upskilling Workshops presented by The Madison Black Chamber of Commerce and Google: Held, Tuesdays from 12:30-1:30 on November 29, December 6, and December 13. Please register in advance.
• WWBIC is hosting a seminar on understanding how cash flows on December 7 from 12-1pm at WWBIC, 2300 S Park St, Ste 113.
• Free Homebuyer Education Class: Saturday, December 10, 8am-3pm, Villager Mall on Park Street, Atrium Entrance (2300 Park Street).

Announcements

• City of Madison is a Top 10 Digital City!
• Giving Tuesday on November 29: There are numerous charities in Madison that are doing amazing work and deserve your support. 
• Info, Resources, and a Calendar of Important Dates for Those Considering Running in the Spring 2023 Common Council Elections
• Brayton Lot Closes to Permit and Transient Parking on Dec 1. - The Brayton lot is closing to become a construction staging site for Bus Rapid Transit and a few other nearby construction projects.
• Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Humanitarian Award- Nominations Open Now!: Promoting peace, Understanding, and Improving communication & cooperation between diverse populations in Dane County. Nomination deadline extended to Friday December 2, 2022.
• The application for a BYFY (By Youth For Youth) grant is open: Youth applicants, schools, and youth-serving organizations in Dane County can apply for up to $3,000 for youth-led initiatives and the application is due December 23, 2022. 
• The Madison CARES: A New Approach to Behavioral Health: The CARES's annual report has been published on the Public Health Madison & Dane County's Violence Prevention page.
• Madison Parks Downtown Offices Move to Olin Park: Madison Parks' downtown office is moving to 330 E. Lakeside St., 53715 . The office will be closed to in-person visits on Friday, Dec. 2 and reopen at the new location on Monday, Dec. 5, 2022.