Overnight street sweeping starts tonight; Park Public Information Meetings; Understanding Property Taxes session tomorrow; Lots of events and announcements

Hello neighbors,

Please be advised that Street Sweeping During the Overnight Hours Begins tonight. Overnight sweeping is a normal part of the Streets Division operations as the seasons change from winter to spring. We do this to collect as much of the sand, salt, and other debris that has accumulated on the roads all winter. By collecting all of this debris, we are keeping this material from washing into the storm drains and out into our local waterways. 

Updates and Notices

Elections & Voting: Register to vote, vote absentee, and find your polling place.

Public Information Meetings (PIMs)

• Public Input Meeting - Orton Park, Monday, March 9: The City of Madison Parks Division is improving the playground at Orton Park and we want your input. At this meeting City staff will present revised playground equipment options from input gathered at the playground workshop.
• Moorland Rd Shared-Use Path, Wednesday, March 11: The proposed project includes construction of an approximately 0.6-mile-long, shared-use path on the south-side of Moorland Rd from Wayland Dr to Raywood Rd/South Towne Dr with a connection to the Capital City Trail. 
• Public Input Meeting - Heifetz Park, Thursday, March 12: The City of Madison Parks Division is improving the playground at Heifetz Park and we want your input. At this meeting City staff will present revised playground equipment options from input gathered at the playground workshop. 

Announcements and News Releases

• Absentee Ballots Arriving Earlier for Dane County Voters: Dane County municipal clerks will have access to absentee ballots more than a week earlier than last year's Spring election.
• Reimagining and Reinvesting in Odana Hills Golf Course: The City of Madison Parks Division is excited to announce a new partnership with Michael and Jocelyn Keiser and the Madison Parks Foundation. Through the Keisers' philanthropic vision and generous donation, we have an opportunity to reimagine, redesign, and reconstruct Odana Hills Golf Course.
• Madison Fire Announces Firefighter/EMT Recruitment Open Houses: MFD will be accepting applications for Firefighter/EMT soon. In anticipation, the department will host a variety of recruitment open houses to help interested candidates prepare for the process. YOU can be a Madison firefighter/EMT! 
• Madison sees drop in violent crime in 2025: The City of Madison experienced a drop in violent and property crimes in 2025.The drop comes as the Madison Police Department continues its focus on community outreach and data-driven patrol strategies. 
• Pick Up Free Seeds for Your Garden from Eight Madison Public Library Locations Beginning March 2: Madison Public Library’s popular Garden Seed Giveaway begins today on Monday, March 2 at eight library locations. 
• Madison Launching the Third Year of the Building Energy Savings Program (BESP): In 2026, owners of commercial buildings over 25,000 square feet are required to benchmark their energy use by June 30. 
• Vote for Madison in the Strongest Town Contest! Madisonians have been working on making Madison a more prosperous and financially resilient city from the bottom-up. Their work is being recognized in the 10th annual Strongest Town Contest as an official contestant! Madisonians can cast a vote for their city and compete for the title of "Strongest Town". We are going up against the likes of Chicago, Spokane, and Sheboygan among others. This is a time to recognize how unique and exciting Madison is by a national organization with thousands of members and millions of views. 
• 1000 Friends of WI recently put out applications (due March 14) for their next Community Transportation Academy cohort. The Community Transportation Academy is designed to help bridge the gap between community advocates and transportation planning entities. Over ten weeks, participants learn about the fundamentals of transportation planning, hear from guest speakers with local and national expertise, and have the opportunity to propose a solution to a local transportation problem. Community members will come away from the Academy with skills and knowledge to advocate for safe and accessible transportation networks that work for everyone.
• Meet Women in Construction Work Week, 2026:
  • Profile: Liz Callin: While most of typical construction is about to-do lists from planning before and completing a punch list post build, the most important part on City of Madison Principal Transportation Planner Liz Callin's list is living.
  • Profile: Laura Amundson: Looking at a drafting document, you see black lines, perfect measurements, important proportions and a lot of detail for a new project or space. What you don't see is the person doing the drawing, or the journey to become the person in charge of drafting, designing, or even completing the project. Someone like Engineering's Project Manager and Architect Laura Amundson. 
  • Profile: Karime Grajales-Patton: Observing for the minimum may be required for Chapter 27 of the Madison General Ordinances when deciding if a building is safe enough to occupy, but if you've ever met City of Madison Building Inspection Code Enforcement Officer Karime Grajales-Patton, minimum doesn't come to mind—she goes the extra. 
  • Profile: Shelley Johnson: While Coach Jimmy Dugan in the movie "A Leage of Their Own," had a point, Parks Division Leadworker Shelley Johnson may also add, the "hard" is also rewarding. 
  • Profile: Jamie Nichols: On a sunny winter day, echoes of a big grinding sound cut through sharp winds over desolate brown Yahara Golf Course greens. The root of the hard work is Streets Division Machine Operator Jamie Nichols.

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

• Understanding Property Taxes - Connecting D7: Learning Together with Alder Badri Lankella, Monday, March 9: District 7 Alder Badri Lankella will continue his Lunch & Learn series on Monday, March 9th, from 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM. Join us on Zoom for an informative hour with Michelle Drea from the Assessor's Office and David Schmiedicke from the Finance Department. They will explain the role of property assessments in determining property taxes.
• East District Coffee with a Cop, Tuesday, March 10: Join East District officers to discuss issues affecting the area and city at Pinney Branch Library from 9:30-11am.
• Spring Home Maintenance, Tuesday, March 10: Ready to tackle spring home maintenance like a pro? Our engaging course will empower you to confidently care for your home, inside and out! Learn essential skills, from maximizing your HVAC system efficiency and troubleshooting sump pump woes to prepping your roof and gutters for spring showers and revitalizing your outdoor spaces. 
• Neurodiversity: A Father and Son Perspective:Tuesday, March 10th, 6-7:30pm. Lincoln Elementary School. Join this dynamic presentation by a father-son duo sharing lived experience in autism, mental health, and family advocacy.
• Falls Prevention & Our Community, Wednesday, March 11, 10am: Please join this online seminar to learn more about resources to prevent falls in our community. Email Triad Events to register.
• The Madison Police Department is hosting a series of presentations on “Assemblies and Demonstrations”. The East District will host one Wednesday, March 11 at 6pm at Hawthorne Library. The Mid-town District will host one Thursday, March 19 at 5:30pm in the Mid-town District station’s community room.
• Northside Neighborhood Party, Wednesday, March 11th, 5:00 PM – 9:00 PM: It’s time to get together to celebrate the best neighborhood in town! Join us for a Northside Neighborhood Party at your favorite local gem. Whether you’ve lived here for decades, just moved in or are wanting to show off your neighborhood to your pals, come grab a drink and say "heya" at Northside Lounge!
• "Nature Writing" Senior Adventure at Warner Park Center, 1625 Northport Drive, Thursday, March 12, noon. Join Naturalist Lynn Persson for a conversation about the fun and rewarding practice of nature journaling or nature writing. It can be as simple as writing a sentence about something beautiful you have seen, or perhaps make up a short poem or draw a rough sketch. Contact 608-698-0104 for more information.
• Better Together Health Fair, Thursday, March 12: Enjoy a day of connection, health, and community. Snacks and beverages provided.
• Women's History Month Mixer: Bold Moves & Brave Moments, Thursday, March 12, 12 - 5 pm to 7:30 pm: The American Family Insurance DreamBank invites you to an inspiring evening in honor of Women’s History Month with Bold Moves & Brave Moments — a special panel conversation spotlighting local women who are bringing their dreams to life.
• Women’s History Month Celebration: Leadership, Legacy & Global Impact, Thursday, Mar 12, 5 pm to 8 pm: Join us for an evening celebrating Women’s History Month, centered on uplifting Black women leaders and Black-led impact in our community.
• Warner Family Fun Night, Friday, March 13: Join us at WPCRC for Warner Family Fun Night! Families can create art projects, play in the game room or the gym, watch a movie or win some prizes playing bingo! 
• Shamrock Shuffle, Saturday, March 14: The 2026 Madison Shamrock Shuffle returns just a few days before St. Patrick´s Day! This Madison tradition is the city´s first major race of the year, bringing thousands of participants together downtown for a day of running, walking, biking and Celebrating!
• "Owen Park History: the Edward Owen Years" at Owen Conservation Park, 6021 Old Sauk Road, March 14, 1:30pm. Join Naturalist Beth Whitaker for a free guided nature walk to explore Owen Conservation Park and discuss an important period in the history of that land, the years from 1892, when UW Professor Edward Owen purchased the property, through his death in 1931. Contact 608-698-0104 for more information.
• Madison's 26th Annual St. Patrick's Day Parade, Sunday, March 15, at 1:30 pm: The parade begins at 1:30 pm on the 10 Block of E. Mifflin Street and proceeds counter-clockwise around the Capitol Square to E. Washington Avenue. We welcome spectators, sponsors, parade entries and volunteers to join us in celebrating Irish culture.
• "Signs of Spring" at Park Rainbow Shelter, 2930 N. Sherman Ave, Sunday, March 15, 1:30pm. Join Naturalist Kathlean Wolf on a free family friendly guided walk to celebrate the Spring Equinox and the return of longer days! We will look at Spring Phenology, the signs of Spring as seasons change, and talk about how climate change impacts these changes and the ecological web of life. What is happening with snow and ice? Do you see buds on trees? What Spring birds have returned? How does this year compare to prior years in your experience, and in scientific data? Contact 608-698-0104 for more information.
• Free Therapeutic Yoga class from Laura Bustard: Two 5-week series will be offered online on Saturdays from 2 - 3 PM, that are free and open to the community:
  • Series One: The Elements of Nature, March 21st – April 18th
    We'll explore the five gross elements of nature—earth, water, fire, air, and ether—through breath and movement. Each week will center on one element, using therapeutic sequencing to embody its qualities and restore balance.
  • Series Two: The Organs of Action, May 9th – June 13th (no class Memorial Day weekend)
    This series will highlight the organs of action—mouth, hands, feet, reproduction, and digestion—using breath, somatic awareness, and functional movement to deepen connection to how we engage with the world.
  • Please contact Laura to sign up for one or both sessions!

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, March 10, at 6:30 p.m. in hybrid format. Agenda items include adding $4 million in TID 44-supported GO borrowing and authorizing the execution of a Purchase & Sale Agreement for the City to acquire property for the purposes of land banking in District 15.
  • 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, March 11, at 4:30 p.m. in virtual format. Agenda items include construction management and approvals in Districts 3, 5, 14, 15, 16, and 19.
  • 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