Building Energy Savings code, staff report on housing speculation with revision of family definition, apply for the MadCAP utility savings program, overnight street sweeping starts tonight

Hello neighbors,

On Tuesday March 7 at the Common Council meeting, we will be taking up the Building Energy Savings Code, for which I am a proud sponsor. In Madison, commercial buildings are responsible for 30% of carbon emissions, and large commercial buildings account for a substantial portion of that total due to their size and complexity. The new, proposed Building Energy Savings code aims to improve energy efficiency in these large commercial buildings through energy benchmarking and tune-ups. This proposal is part of a portfolio of system changes being undertaken to meet the City’s goals of net zero carbon emissions by 2030.

In case you missed it, the Family Definition revision was passed at last week’s Common Council meeting. On the afternoon preceding the vote, City staff posted an analysis of the potential for housing speculation based on the updated occupancy standards. Of note, the analysis suggests only homes selling for under $400,000 are likely to be able to be profitable as a future rental property. You may also be interested in reviewing the Racial Equity and Social Justice analysis of the change, which aptly notes the multiple lines of data that are unavailable or missing, and provides some opportunities for ways to address negative impacts. I pledge to work closely with City staff to implement these recommendations.

Public Information Meetings:

• Harvey Street & Schmitt Place - March 6, at 6:30pm. Please register in advance.
• West Area Plan - Rescheduled In-Person Public Meeting – March 9, 6:30-8pm, Vel Phillips Memorial High School, 201 South Gammon Road (enter through the front doors facing Mineral Point Road and follow the signs). Please register to help City staff plan for the number of people who will be there.
• Bus Rapid Transit construction - March 14 at 6pm. Please register in advance.

Events:

• Full Moon Winter Hike - March 7, 5 - 6pm. Please register in advance.
• International Women's Day Celebration - March 8, 5:30 – 9:00pm. Celebrate International Women's Day! Feature presentation of In Her Boots, a documentary marking 40 years of women in the Madison Fire Department, at the Madison College Mitby Theater, 1701 Wright Street.
• Shamrock Shuffle – March 11, 7:00-10:30am. Please note road closures impacting Observatory Drive, Linden Drive, Walnut Drive, and use of the lakeshore path.
• The 23rd Annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade, March 12, 2023, 1:30 pm at the Capitol Square.
• FREE HUD-approved homebuyer education class - March 18. The City of Madison, in partnership with the Home Buyers Round Table of Dane County and Consumer Credit Counseling Service, want to share with you our next HUD Approved Homebuyer Education class of 2023 for the month of March! Check out the 2023 class schedule for monthly classes.
• Exhibitions at the Chazen Museum of Art:
  • Resource & Ruin: Wisconsin’s Enduring Landscape – ends March 26.
  • re:mancipation Exhibition – ends June 25.

Announcements:

• Are you living on a fixed income, or know someone who is? Have you had a hard time paying all your bills recently? Madison has launched the MadCAP program to reduce bills for low-Income utility customers. Apply today!
• Street sweepers working overnight hours starting tonight! One shift of operators will be sweeping from 10:00pm to 6:00am. Another shift of operators will be sweeping from 7:00am to 3:00pm.
• The City of Madison is currently accepting applications for its AASPIRE internship. This is a paid, summer internship that lasts for 8-10 weeks. Applicants should be currently enrolled in college or have graduated since May 2021. Application deadline is March 19th.

• Help Decide the Future of Annie C. Stewart Fountain. The fate of the City’s oldest piece of art, located adjacent to Henry Vilas Zoo, will soon be decided, but the Madison Arts Commission wants to hear from you first. Please fill out this survey by March 20.
• Hyundai, Kia offering free security upgrade to curb nationwide spike in auto thefts.
• Madison Public Library’s popular Seed Library program has returned!
• The City of Madison Needs More Crossing Guards. Please consider applying for this needed community safety provider!
• Madison Awarded Federal Funding for Transportation Safety Project Planning 

Be well,

Regina Vidaver