Common Council

Updates December 23, 2020

1. Thank you and happy retirement to Captain Nelson and welcome to Jamar Gary! |

2. Public Health launches webpage to keep you informed on vaccine updates |

3. Public Health Emergency Order 11 released |

4. Public Health provides new guidance as local schools consider re-opening |

5. No Curbside Trash & Recycling Pickup on Christmas Day |

6. Madison Metro holiday schedule |

7. Renew your cat or dog license |

8. Last week's virtual neighborhood meeting on the possible temporary shelter for homeless families at 4502 Milwaukee Street |

9. Board of Police and Fire Commissioners of the City of Madison selects Dr. Shon F. Barnes to be the next Chief of Police |

10. Update on airport test results for PFAs |

11. Showcase your creativity with Madison Makes |

12. GreenPower program application now available |

13. Madison Parks: Where you can ski the trails |

14. Financial Navigators hotline for COVID-19 related concerns |

15. COVID-19 updates and resources |

16. City meetings schedule

Thank you and happy retirement to Captain Nelson and welcome to Lieutenant Jamar Gary!

Photo source: Madison Police Department Facebook page

After 32 years of dedicated service, East Police District Captain Cory Nelson is retiring. His last days at work are this week and he's officially retiring in early 2021. Thank you Captain Nelson for your service and congratulations on a very well-deserved retirement. 

Welcome to Lieutenant Jamar Gary who will be the East Police District Captain beginning next week!

Public Health launches webpage to keep you informed on vaccine updates

Public Health's new COVID-19 vaccine webpage includes information and updates on distribution status, availability, timeline, how the vaccine is developed, who gets it first and why, safety, and more. 

It will likely be spring 2021 before a vaccine is available to the public. In the meantime, COVID-19 continues to spread rapidly in our community. Everyone needs to continue to prevent the spread of COVID-19:

• Avoid close contact with people you don't live with

• Wear a mask

• Wash hands often

• Stay home if you feel sick

Public Health Emergency Order 11 released

Last week, Public Health Madison & Dane County issued Emergency Order #11 . The order went into effect December 16 and will be in effect for 28 days.

The order mirrors much of the previous Order #9 and allows indoor gatherings of up to 10 people, with physical distancing and face coverings, and allows outdoor gatherings of up to 25 people, with physical distancing.

Public Health provides new guidance as local schools consider re-opening

Public Health Madison & Dane County has released updated recommendations for schools to consider as they evaluate whether to bring kids back to the classroom. Due to a Wisconsin Supreme Court injunction, Public Health cannot make decisions about opening schools. This updated guidance is intended to help districts inform their decision-making about when they are ready to safely open their schools.

No Curbside Trash & Recycling Pickup on Christmas Day

The Streets Division will not perform refuse, recycling, or large item collection on Friday, December 25 in observance of the Christmas holiday. The drop-off sites will also be closed.

Curbside Collection Information

If you normally have your refuse and recycling collected on Fridays, you must place your cart(s) to the curb for collection by 6:30am on Monday, December 28, 2020.

Madison Metro holiday schedule

Madison Metro will have reduced service on Thursday, December 24 and Friday, December 25.  

Renew your cat or dog license

It's the time of the year for renewing your cat or dog license. All City of Madison residents owning a dog or cat that is 5 months of age or older must have their pet licensed. The license year is January 1 through December 31.

Last week's virtual neighborhood meeting on the possible temporary shelter for homeless families at 4502 Milwaukee Street

Last week a virtual neighborhood meeting was held about the proposed temporary shelter for homeless families at 4502 Milwaukee Street - the former Karmenta nursing home facility. 

Recording of the meeting

Presentation slides from the meeting

Board of Police and Fire Commissioners of the City of Madison selects Dr. Shon F. Barnes to be the next Chief of Police

On Friday, the Police and Fire Commission selected Dr. Shon F. Barnes to be the next Chief of Police, an offer which Dr. Barnes accepted early this week. He is currently the Director of Training and Professional Development for the Civilian Office of Police Accountability in Chicago.

Update on airport test results for PFAs

The Dane County Regional Airport (DCRA) released the results of more testing for PFAS in the soil and shallow groundwater of two historic fire training areas. A report of test results can be found on the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources website here under Activity # 02-13-583366. Statistically significant levels of the chemicals were found.

Showcase your creativity with Madison Makes

Have you taken on a new creative project during this pandemic, or reignited your passion for an existing hobby? Madison Makes is a new virtual event on March 6, which will showcase videos of Madison area people who love to create and want to share it with others.

Learn more and apply.

GreenPower program application now available

The City of Madison Engineering Division is looking for its next class of GreenPower Program trainees for 2021. The application is now available for anyone who would like to apply for the solar installation job training program.

GreenPower is a program where eager trainees learn how to install solar panels, even if they have little to no prior electrical experience. The program can help position a trainee for a potential career in the trades.

The program has been steadily growing since its inception in 2016, when it was started as a pilot project. Since its start, trainees have installed more than 17 complete systems at city facilities.

Madison Parks: Where you can ski the trails

Yahara Hills groomed for skate and classic skiing.

Adapted from the Madison Parks email update sent on December 23, 2020

Do you have a favorite ski trail? Here are the seven cross-country ski locations found in Madison Parks. On each of the pages you'll find more details and trail maps. You'll also see the latest status. Parks recommends bookmarking your favorite so you can check the status before heading out.

Three locations require a permit, as noted with an (*) and these trails are groomed more regularly then the free-to-use trails. Select a park to find the status of the trail.

• Cherokee Marsh Conservation Park, South

• Door Creek Park

• Elver Park - east, west and snow loop*

• Odana Hills Golf Course*

• Owen Conservation Park

• Turville Point Conservation Park

• Yahara Hills Golf Course*

*A Cross-Country Ski Permit is required for these locations. Due to COVID-19 safety precautions, the onsite kiosks are unavailable. Permits may be purchased online or by calling (608)266-4711 (Monday –Friday, 8am-4:30pm, excluding holidays)

If you're in need of financial information, programs and services due to COVID-19, the City has Financial Navigators available to help you. You can sign up for a session with a Financial Navigator.

What Happens In a Financial Navigation Session?

The session will last approximately 30 minutes. Navigators can help you prioritize financial concerns, identify immediate action steps, and make referrals to programs and services. During the call Navigators can help with:

• Prioritizing daily living expenses, like housing, food, and insurance

• Maximizing income, by sharing referrals that offer benefit eligibility services, emergency cash assistance, and emergency loans

• Managing debt, from credit cards to student loans to child support

• Avoiding predatory scams

• Accessing other social services

• Budgeting for future loss of income

Please note - Financial Navigators provide information relevant to your needs; they cannot provide direct financial assistance like cash or loans.

After the session, your Financial Navigator will send you a follow-up email outlining next steps and referrals.

COVID-19 updates and resources

• Financial Navigators hotline

• Close Contacts Now have Quarantine Options

• COVID-19 vaccine not likely to be available to the public until Spring 2021 or later

• Tips for A Healthier Holiday Season

• What's Allowed in Emergency Order #10?

• UW-Madison's rapid testing

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

• Madison COVID-related news and service updates, Español: COVID-19 and Hmoob: COVID-19

• COVID-19 recovery dashboard, a tool to track local indicators in order to better understand how our residents and community are doing throughout the pandemic.

• Public Health Madison and Dane County COVID data and orders

• Dealing with job loss

• Childcare, food, jobs, housing and low-cost internet access 

• Community-aggregated COVID resources

• From the City's Economic Development Division: Business & Non-profit Information Covid-19, including Streatery Program

City meetings schedule

City weekly meeting schedule

The Mayor's meeting schedule

The County weekly meeting schedule