Alder meet and greet TOMORROW; Keep a lookout for prescribed burns this spring; Lots of announcements and events

Hello neighbors,

I am looking forward to meeting you at a casual meet-and-greet alongside my other near-west side alders, Alders Tishler and Evers, TOMORROW at 6pm at the Mid-Town police station on Mineral Point Rd. This casual meetup is a wonderful opportunity to ask questions, share your ideas, and connect with neighbors face-to-face. Bring your curiosity and good vibes—it's all about community and making new friends.

Please register in advance!

Updates and Notices

2026 Prescribed Burns: The Parks and Engineering Divisions are again collaborating to coordinate volunteers, notify the public, and apply for a permit to conduct prescribed burns at various locations throughout the City.

Public Information Meetings (PIMs)

• State Street Campus Garage Percent for Art Design Presentations, Monday, February 23: The State Street Campus Garage Percent for Art project finalists, Matthew Mazzotta, Studio KCA, and Area C Projects, will present their designs to the public for the first time.
• Sugar Maple Lane Reconstruction, Monday, February 23: The City is planning to extend Sugar Maple Lane to Hazy Sky Parkway, install sanitary sewer main and laterals, water main and laterals, storm sewer main and laterals, box culvert, base course, curb and gutter, asphalt pavement, bike path, sidewalk, pavement markings, signs, and street lighting. A public information meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m., Feb. 23, 2026, via zoom. 
• Virtual Open House | District 10 Parks, Tuesday, February 24 (This event occurs on multiple dates): Madison Parks is holding a series of virtual public input sessions for the Southwest Park Development Plan process coinciding with the City Planning Division's Southwest Area Plan. The meetings will include an overview of the planning effort's goals, a review of the neighborhood parks included, and an opportunity for area residents and park visitors to share their thoughts on future park improvements.
• Madison Area Community Land Trust Orientation, Tuesday, February 24: The orientation is where Madison Area Community Land Trust (MACLT) staff give you a more detailed overview of the Madison Area Community Land Trust and how our homeownership program works, and are available to answer questions so you can understand if our program is a good fit for you.
• Dickson Pl, Irwin Pl, Dodge St, Carver St, Martin St Reconstruction, Thursday, February 26: The City of Madison is planning to reconstruct streets and utilities within the Lake Forest neighborhood over three phases of construction.  The first phase is planned to include Dickson Place, Irwin Place, Dodge Street, and portions of Martin Street and Carver Street. A public information meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m., Feb. 26, 2026, via Zoom.

Announcements and News Releases

• Street Closure – E Main Street and S Hancock Street: Beginning at 7:00 am on Monday, February 23rd, R.G. Huston Co. will resume construction on the E. Main Street and S. Hancock Street reconstruction project started in 2025. 
• Dane County Partners in Community Food Project Grants now available – application deadline 2/27: This grant program was created to encourage the development of projects that advance equity and access in local food systems across Dane County. We are looking for projects outside of Madison that will provide the greatest impact in strengthening our food system and cultivating community engagement and access. Projects may request up to $4,000 in funding. For the 2026 PI Community Food Project Grants cycle, a total of $35,200 is available.
• Madison Public Library Celebrates the Legacy of Agatha Christie at Meadowridge Library This March: From March 3-27, Meadowridge Library will host a series of programs for all ages in honor of the 50th anniversary of Agatha Christie's passing. These literary-themed events include theater performances, escape rooms, cooking classes, and more!
• Finalist designs for State Street Campus Garage/Hawthorne Court public art released: Members of the community are invited to provide feedback on the proposed designs and hear from the artists at an upcoming community meeting. 
• Madison Public Library Receives $20,000 from the Carnegie Corporation of New York: Madison Public Library received a $20,000 gift from Carnegie Corporation of New York, the foundation established by Andrew Carnegie. 
• New Software Chosen to Support LINKcat Changes this Spring for South Central Library Users: Library users from across the South Central Library System can look forward to new features in the online catalog LINKcat this spring. 
• The Madison Arts Commission (MAC) is now accepting applications for annual grants - Due March 1 by 11:59 p.m. Grants from $1,000-$5,000 are available for projects that: engage Madison residents in arts and cultural activities; expand artists' reach in the community; create participatory creative experiences; provide arts activities for PK-12 students; reach diverse or under-served communities; or celebrate identity, groups, or neighborhoods
• The Madison Arts Commission (MAC) has issued a call for existing works of art. The City of Madison purchases, loans, and licenses art for city projects. Artists can submit up to 10 works annually across any medium - 2D, 3D, digital, or time-based. Submissions are reviewed a few times a year as needed.
• Join the WeCOPE seven‑week, interactive program to learn skills for coping with stress and difficult times. Virtual and free, the series is based on the research of Dr. Judith Moskowitz and has been shown in randomized trials to reduce stress and depression, increase positive affect, and improve healthy behaviors. Dr. Moskowitz’s work shows that positive emotions can occur even during serious life stress and that cultivating those emotions supports healthier coping and better self‑care.
• Streets Division Updates:
  • Food Scraps at the Farmers Markets Returns in April: This year we've stretched out to a fourth farmers' market that we're pretty excited about. Details are available at our food scraps page. Sustain Dane is looking for people to help at the markets as well, so if you're interested, please reach out to Sam Wordette.
  • New Central Drop-off Site Location?: Very soon there will be more details made available about the new address for the centrally located drop-off site. We're trying to get the signage figured out before we make too much of a fuss about the new entrance. It won't open until April 11 anyway, so there is plenty of time. We're sorry for the suspense, but it shouldn't be much longer. Remember, for your drop-off site information needs, head over to our drop-off site webpage.
  • 2026 Yard Waste & Brush Dates?: The regular curbside pickup for brush pickup and the spring yard waste collection does not start until the end of March or early April. The dates for these collections will be posted to the website soon, and we will announce it when the dates are available.  We really recommend you sign up for our collection alert emails on the brush and yard waste page if you are interested in getting updates. We do appreciate your patience. Unfortunately, we still have a lot of winter left to go. Remember how warm it was around Christmas and then we got shellacked with very cold temperatures. Who knows what early March will bring our way…
  • Recycling Tip: Cartons: You know those papery carton things that soy milk or chicken broth comes in? They are perfectly recyclable here in Madison. Just give them a quick rinse and a shake to get out any leftover debris inside, and pop them into the recycling cart.  Remember you can double check what belongs in your recycling cart on our website.
  • Wood Mulch Returning to Olin Avenue in April; No More Free Wood Mulch at Sycamore & South Point: In April, we will begin having free wood mulch available solely at the brush processing facility at 121 E. Olin Avenue.  

Please visit the City news webpage to find additional news and announcements and to subscribe to receive notification of news releases as they are posted.

Events

• Lakeside Dance Lab: Beginner Reggaeton, Thursday, February 26: Reggaeton dance is a passionate, rhythmic style with Caribbean and hip-hop roots, emphasizing hips and body isolations, all driven by the dembow beat, a percussion loop that’s central to reggaeton music. It’s popular in clubs for its energetic, expressive nature. 
• "Sarah's Oil" Film Screening, Friday, February 27: In celebration of Black History Month, the City of Madison Department of Civil Rights, Dane County Office for Equity and Inclusion, and Monona Terrace present the film, "Sarah's Oil.”
• Bird & Nature Adventures | Edna Taylor, Saturday, February 28: Winter Bumble ~ Join Naturalist Jeff Nesta for a free fun educational family friendly guided walk to look for and learn about what’s happening in nature in winter. There may be hot chocolate and a campfire with smores after the walk. 

Additional upcoming events can also be found on the City events calendar.

Boards, Commissions, and Committee Meetings

Note: This is not a complete list of meetings for this upcoming week. All meetings and their details can be found at the Meeting Schedule page.

• Common Council: The Common Council meeting will take place on Tuesday, February 24, at 6:30 p.m. in hybrid format. Agenda items include the Chief of Police’s 4th Quarter Report.
  • Meeting Details
  • Meeting Agenda
  • Register for Public Comment
  • Watch Online
• Board of Public Works: The Board of Public Works meeting will take place on Wednesday, February 25, at 4:30 p.m. in virtual format. Agenda items include Public Works contracts and projects in Districts 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 9, 12, 13, 14, 15, and 16.
  • Meeting Details 
  • Meeting Agenda
  • Register for Public Comment
  • Watch Online

If you would like more information about becoming a member of a City board, commission, or committee, please visit the page linked here.

Take care,

Regina Vidaver