Common Council

Week of March 20: Police vs Fire Charity Hockey Game (Tonight!), Earth Day challenge, Northeast plan open house, and more

Tonight (Sat March 18th) Madison Fire and Madison Police face off for a charity hockey game, register now for Earth Day challenge in 4 area parks, join us next week at the Northeast Area Plan Open House, and lots more!

• Battle of Badges Hockey Game Saturday March 18th between Madison Police and Madison Fire
• Madison Referendum on Staggered City Council Terms - some information
• Madison Wells Meet Proposed EPA PFAS Standards
• Earth Day Challenge - Volunteer in area parks
• Northeast Area Plan Multi-Agency Open House March 29th
• Bus Rapid Transit - Construction updates for east siders, April 7th
• Bike Path Connection - Cap City Trail to Glacial Drumlin State Trail
• Other Meetings and Announcements

Tonight - Battle of Badges - Madison Police and Madison Fire face off on the hockey rink!

Chief Barnes and Chief Carbon invite you to the 6th Annual Battle of the Badges

2:45 p.m. Doors Open
3 – 4:30 p.m. Community Skate
5 p.m.  Fire vs Police Hockey Game
6:30 p.m. Military All-star Hockey Game

It's time for another epic showdown on the ice between the MadCity Police hockey team and Madison Fire hockey team, followed by a special military all-star game. Come early for a community skate from 3 – 4:30 p.m. Enjoy food, beer, 50/50 raffle, chuck-a-duck, great raffle prizes. Kids receive a free battle bag while supplies last.

Proceeds benefit Safe Communities Madison-Dane County recovery coach program.

Madison Referendum on Council Terms on this spring's ballot

Among the several referenda questions on this spring's ballot, there is one from the City of Madison on staggered two-year terms for Madison Alders. The City has put together a briefing sheet that you can visit to get more information, and an infographic to show which seats would get elected in the years 2025, 2026, 2027, and 2028.  

Some things to know:

• This is a binding referendum question. In 2021, the questions were advisory, but in 2023, it is binding. Council terms can only be changed by referendum. 
• No matter what happens, it does not affect the 2023 Council elections. If it passes, it goes into effect in 2025.
• Right now, the entire Council is elected at the same time (in the spring of odd years) for two year terms.  
• The referendum question leaves the Council term as 2 years, the same as it is right now, except for one election in 2025, half the Council would only be elected to a 1 year term and would have to run for a 2 year term in 2026. This is how the initial "stagger" happens.
• After that, one half of the Council is elected each year, for two year terms. The even seats would be up in even years, and the odd seats in odd years. 
• There is already always an election in Madison every spring. The Madison School Board is on a staggered election cycle with some board seats up every year and Dane County judges are also staggered with some seats up every year. This will not cause a new election to have to be scheduled.
   

Madison Wells Meet Proposed Federal PFAS Standards

Earlier this week the US EPA released draft standards  for per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in drinking water. PFAS are a group of human-made substances that are widespread in the environment and can impact human health. The proposed standards take into account the best available science on human health impacts of PFAS and the detection limitations of drinking water testing facilities.

All of the City of Madison's drinking water wells that are currently operating meet the proposed EPA standards. Well 15 has been shut down since 2019 due to PFAS contamination, and will not come back into use until the City installs a treatment system to remove the PFAS from the water.

"I applaud the US EPA for proposing strong drinking water standards for harmful PFAS compounds. This is a big step forward to protect people's health using the latest the science," said Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway. "I am happy to report that all of Madison's functioning wells meet the proposed standards. The exception – Well 15 near Truax – will remain shut down until we construct a treatment system to remove the PFAS."

For more information about PFAS testing in Madison, visit https://www.cityofmadison.com/water/water-quality/water-quality-testing/perfluorinated-compounds.

Earth Day Challenge - volunteer OPPORTUNITIES!

Thursday March 29th - Northeast Planning Area Open House!

I'm really excited about this event. On Thursday, March 29th, we'll be hosting a multi-agency open house for the Northeast Planning Area. In the first round of meetings, we heard from folks that they had a lot of questions that spanned across different areas, so for this session, we're going to have multiple agencies on-hand to talk about ongoing work that people want to know more about - some come and listen, and get your questions answered!

The Open House will take place on Wednesday, March 29th from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. at Madison College, Truax Main Building, 1701 Wright Street, Room D1630. 

Save the Date - Bus Rapid Transit East Side Construction Virtual Meeting April 6th

Construction on the East-West Bus Rapid Transit corridor is kicking off, and work will begin on East Washington Ave., Anderson St., and Mendota St. starting the week of March 27, 2023. Construction will take place in stages between 2023 and 2024.

To help answer some questions, Metro has scheduled a virtual public meeting specifically for east-siders on Thursday, April 6 – 6:00 pm. Join us online to learn about road work, construction schedule, and expected lane closures. Much of the work will require traffic control and lane closures.

Register for meeting and learn more: madisonbrt.com

Contact staff any time during the project at: brtconstruction@cityofmadison.com or (608) 622-9659
 

Important Bike Path Connection moving forward after decades-long wait

Earlier this week City of Madison Traffic Engineering Division shared a news release about the future path connection of Capital City Path to the Glacial Drumlin State Path.  

This is an important connection to the 100+ mile long path that crosses Wisconsin.  The City has applied for funds through the Transportation Alternatives Program that will assist with funding the extension construction, expected to occur in 2025 or shortly thereafter.

The Isthmus did a news story about the state of bike paths back in 2021, and at the time wrote:

"...Perhaps the highest profile project underway is connecting the Capital City Trail on the east side of Madison to the Glacial Drumlin State Trail, which runs from Cottage Grove to Waukesha.

This is a connector that has been in the works for "decades," says [Dane County Landscape Architect Chris ] James. "It's such a small gap, about five and a half miles," from the outskirts of Madison to the trailhead in Cottage Grove. That stretch is the last missing piece in a trail network that will run from Dodgeville to Milwaukee. But it's a piece that's been difficult.

A short but crucial segment called "Phase One," from Wagon Trail Road in the city of Madison (just west of I-39/90), under the Interstate along an existing rail corridor, and east through farmland to Buckeye Road at Fankhauser Road, "has been stalled out for literally decades," James explains, "because the railroad right-of-way is so narrow underneath the Interstate."

But a deal with D.O.T., the DNR, the city and the railroad is at last in the works, and James is "cautiously optimistic" that it will finally get Phase One past the bottleneck."

The work the City is moving forward is that "Phase One" and there is still work to do on the County side to get from the Interstate to Cottage Grove, but I'm hopeful that we are on track. 

Meetings

• Common Council: The Common Council will meet in a hybrid format on Tuesday, March 21, 2023. Agenda items include commending and thanking Tom Solyst for his dedicated service to Vera Court Neighborhood Center and the residents of Madison; amending regulations related to keeping chickens to increase the number allowed from 4 to (probably) 8; authorizing the City of Madison to develop a comprehensive response to the crisis in home healthcare in Madison; supporting the reopening and dismissal of certain Municipal Court cannabis convictions; and adopting the Hawthorne-Truax Neighborhood Plan as a supplement to the City of Madison Comprehensive Plan.
  • Meeting Details
  • Meeting Agenda
  • Register for public comment
  • Watch online
     
• Housing Strategy Committee: The Housing Strategy Committee will meet in a virtual format on Thursday, March 23, 2023. Agenda items include repealing Sections 32.03 and 33.34 and amending Section 33.09(3) of the Madison General Ordinances to combine the City-County Homeless Issues Committee, Landlord and Tenant Issues Committee, and Housing Strategy Committee; and a discussion on housing plan recommendations involving: Displacement & Segregation.
  • Meeting Details
  • Meeting Agenda
  • Register for public comment
  • Watch Online

Announcements

• CALL FOR COMMUNITY PARTNERS/NAVIGATORS – Apply before March 20th: Interested in helping neighborhood residents participate in the Northeast or West Area planning process?  The City of Madison is funding 4-5 Community Partner/Navigator positions that will conduct outreach to current residents, property owners, business owners, and other stakeholders, with a particular emphasis on low and moderate income communities. Depending on which area you are most familiar with, you select an area plan and apply online or by regular mail! For questions email us at Neighborhoods@cityofmadison.com
  • Northeast Area Plan Community Partner/Navigator guidelines and application
  • West Area Plan Community Partner/Navigator guidelines and application
• How Local Elections Could Look Different By 2025 - WORT-FM 89.9 (wortfm.org): WORT Radio speaks with Alder Paulson and City Attorney Michael Haas about the upcoming binding referendum to stagger alder terms within the City of Madison Common Council.
   
• Lake Monona Waterfront Challenge: Your Input is Needed! 
  The Master Plan Submissions Are In! We are EXCITED about all three submissions for The Lake Monona Waterfront Challenge! Now we need your input to help us re-imagine possibilities for the waterfront.  Madison Parks is gathering public input and perspectives, and we need BIPOC representation to be included in the general themes. What does spending time on the lake waterfront look like for you? Your family? Or visitors? 
  
  Please review the three submissions via PADLET (click here) to share your visions and perceptions for the Lake Monona Waterfront Challenge by the end of the day on March 23, 2023.
   
• Dane CORE 2.0 Rental Assistance Program Applications to Close May 31: Dane County and the City of Madison announced today that the Dane COronavirus REntal program (CORE 2.0), funded by the Federal Emergency Rental Assistance Program through the U.S.
• The We Read Youth Voices Writing Contest Returns April 3: Madison Public Library will once again host the We Read Youth Voices Writing Contest in collaboration with Forward Madison FC  and the Wisconsin Book Festival  with support from the Madison Public Library Foundation  in the spring of 2023.
• Blair Street South Project Resumes Work on E. Washington Ave.: Construction for the Blair Street South project will resume at 9 a.m. Monday, March 20, as the project shifts its focus to the E. Washington Avenue intersection.
• 2023 Spring Election Sample Ballots Available: The Spring Election is on Apr. 4, 2023. There are several offices and referenda that will be on the ballot in April.