Common Council

Week of Jan 9: Coffee with a Cop, Neighborhood Grants, Sycamore Park Planning, City Solar Jobs, and more

A lot to cover in the first full week back - family fun night at Warner Park, grants for neighborhood associations, the first Coffee with a Cop, Sycamore Park master planning in 2023, and much, much more.

• City Jobs (including Solar Installer Trainees)
• Coffee with a Cop - Jan 10th, 5pm Pinney Library
• Neighborhood Grant applications are open
• Save the Dates: Sycamore Park Master Plan Updates
• Warner Park Community Recreation Center Family Fun Night Jan 13th
• Transit Oriented Development Overlay District Public Meeting Jan 12th
• Other Annoucements: Clerks office closed during a 2-day move, Complete Green Streets, Vision Zero Newsletter, and more
• City Streets Updates - Christmas Tree pickup in progress, Name a snowplow! and a reminder on the new salt regulations

City Jobs - Solar Installer Trainees

The City has a number of jobs open right now, and as always I encourage you to take a look if you or someone you know are looking for a new opportunity. I wanted to highlight one that recently came up - The City of Madison Engineering Division is recruiting to fill multiple positions for our GreenPower solar training program.  

Solar Installer Trainee (Hourly)*

Salary $20/hour
Madison Public Library
Closing Date 2/5/2022
For more information about these exciting positions, please watch this video.

Coffee with a Cop Tuesday January 10th, 5:00pm

From our excellent East District Neighborhood Resource Officer: 

We will have our monthly 'Coffee with a Cop', at the Pinney Public Library in Community Room B (516 Cottage Grove Rd. Madison, WI 53716). Coffee and hot chocolate will be provided for those who join us! For this event and future Coffee with a Cop events we will be continuing our efforts of adjusting when we hold our event to allow for more flexibility across the community. My hope is by adjusting the time for our Coffee with a Cop event we can fit more individual's schedules. Our next coffee day is scheduled on Tuesday, January 10th, 2022 from 5:00pm-6:30pm. Please feel free to stop in at any time to participate. I am excited to speak with everyone and to get to know some community members. Parking is available in the rear of the library. As usual, we are excited about this opportunity and ask that you spread the word to anyone who might be interested in this community event.  If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to email me at agraham@cityofmadison.com.

After multiple requests the Zoom link will be included with this event and can be found below.

Join Zoom Meeting

https://cityofmadison.zoom.us/j/84919447192?pwd=NDdkR29yeWxmVnZrb2NMdUVFbU9pUT09

Meeting ID: 849 1944 7192
Passcode: 336104

Neighborhood Grants are now Open

2023 Neighborhood Grant Program guidelines and application are now available on the City's webpage! See the News Story for more info. Grant applications are due February 20 by 4:30 p.m. What will you and your neighbors do? Start exploring ideas for physical improvements and leadership and capacity building initiatives. Consider attending an optional workshop to learn more: January 19, 12:00 p.m. via Zoom. Advanced registration is required. Register here and you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. You may also attend the workshop in person on January 19, 5:00 p.m. at the Madison Municipal Building, 215 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Room 206.

Sycamore Park Master Planning in 2023 - Save the Dates!

Save the dates for a set of upcoming virtual meetings on updates to the Sycamore Park Master Plan. The meetings will be at 6pm, and you can find out more on at the Parks website as well as register for the Zoom:
https://www.cityofmadison.com/parks/projects/sycamore-park-master-plan

• Meeting #1: Park background information, planning process overview, public input
  • Thursday, January 26
• Meeting #2: Present draft master plan for feedback
  • Monday, February 27
• Meeting #3: Present revised master plan for feedback
  • Thursday, March 30

Warner Park Community Recreation Center Family Fun Night Jan 13th

Please join us at the WPCRC for a family fun night! Friday, January 13th from 5:30pm-8pm, $5 per family

Activities:

• Gymnasium Fun - bouncy house, sports, fun games
• Family Fitness Classes and Fit2Go Van
• Classes, movies & themes change monthly
• Drop-In Art and Pottery Projects
• Game Room Fun - pool, ping pong, foosball, air hockey
• Child Care Room - drop off young kids for playtime

For more information, please visit https://www.cityofmadison.com/parks/calendar/wpcrc-family-fun-night-january-13 

Transit Oriented Development Public Meeting

Note: None of the 3rd District is part of the Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) Overlay District, so this doesn't directly impact anyone in the neighborhood. However, it's an important citywide issue and if you're interested, the Planning Division will be hosting a virtual public meeting on the TOD Overlay Zoning on Thursday, January 12th at 6pm.  Advanced signup is required.  The meeting will contain information from previous public meetings and Committee meetings covering what TOD Overlay Zoning is, why it is being pursued, and the various components of the drafted ordinance that will be in front of Council on January 17th.  We will be showing some information and case studies on how the TOD Overlay relates to national and local historic districts due to the additional interest in that topic generated by the Transportation Policy and Planning Board's and Plan Commission's recommendations to Council that historic districts be included within the Overlay area.  More information on TOD Overlay Zoning is available on the project website. 

(The Downtown isn't included in TOD because everything TOD does already applies to the downtown)

City Announcements:

• Clerk's Office Counter is Closed and will be unable to provide in-person services on Friday, January 13, and on Tuesday, January 17, as the office moves from the City-County Building to the Madison Municipal Building.
• United Nations affiliated global NGO Together for Safer Roads recognized Madison with its Fleet Advocacy Award at TSR's international Annual Stakeholders Meeting in New York City, primarily for the work of Madison Vision Zero launched in 2020, which has already saved lives.
• Greater Madison Music City (GMMC) report is available on the Madison Arts website. It gives an overview of economic impact and a regulatory assessment of our music scene. It concludes with recommendations to build inclusivity, create jobs, and drive sustainable tourism across all communities and demographics in the Greater Madison Area. See executive summary HERE.
• Statement of Mayor Rhodes-Conway Regarding Council Approval of Madison's Complete Green Streets Policy
• Common Council Unanimously Passes Elected and Appointed Official Code of Ethical Conduct 
• Frank Jonczyk, Crew Leader at 'Bucky's House,' Retires From MFD

• The first issue of 2023 for Madison's Vision Zero Quarterly Newsletter has arrived! This issue discusses the work of Madison's Vision Zero initiative and the programs developed under its umbrella to increase safety for all roadway users, with additional background on current Federal Grant applications, how that money will be used, and a dive into 2022 engagement citywide. The Vision Zero website also offers additional info:

  • Vision Zero Education and Resources
  • Safety Data
  • 20 is Plenty
  • Let's Talk Streets
  • Complete Green Streets

Streets Division Updates:

• Get your 2023 trash & recycling collection calendars from www.cityofmadison.com/CollectionSchedule
• Plowy McPlowface?  Meltin' John? The Streets and Engineering Divisions need your help in naming some winter snowfighting equipment.  Here's a link to see the pictures of the trucks up for naming and more details: https://www.cityofmadison.com/streets/maintenance/NameThesePlows.cfm
• Holiday tree collection is ongoing! You have missed the first round, so don't miss the second.  Here's the link to learn more about when to set the trees out: https://www.cityofmadison.com/residents/winter/residents/tree.cfm
• Are you salting your sidewalks and driveways correctly?  You can learn more about the right way to do it so you are not wasting salt and also hurting our waterways.  Check out Wisconsin Salt Wise's page for more information: https://www.wisaltwise.com/

City Updates Salt Use Ordinance for Public Sidewalks  The City of Madison new ordinance limits the use of salt or other melting agents to the amount necessary to treat the ice so it can be removed. The new change also allows the City to educate and enforce salt standards to property owners who use too much salt or melting agents. The goal of the ordinance change will keep sidewalks safe for pedestrians and also help the community cut down on salt use, which helps our area waterways. When salt moves into local waters, it contributes to making the City's lakes and groundwater more salty, which is a public health concern.

Rules for Property Owners

• Excess salt and chemical melting agents may not accumulate on the sidewalk and must be removed following ice or snow melt.     
• The owner of each lot or part of lot shall remove all snow and ice upon the sidewalk abutting the premises owned no later than noon of the day after the snow or ice has accumulated on the sidewalk, regardless of the source of accumulation.
• The owner of property abutting sidewalks on two intersecting streets shall remove all snow and ice from the sidewalks of both streets, including that portion of the sidewalks bordering the crosswalk, including the curb ramp, if any, regardless of the source of the snow accumulation.
• First offense: $124; second offense: $187

The City's Building Inspection Division will be responsible for enforcing the new ordinance.