City Highlights for the Week of March 4, 2024

posted March 2, 2024 - 10:49pm

City Announcements prepared by Council staff.

AASPIRE Internship

The City of Madison’s Affirmative Action Student Professionals in Residence (AASPIRE) Internships are now open for students to Apply!

These paid internships offer students a chance to work for the City of Madison this summer while sharpening skills and getting paid! Interns benefit from:

Essential skill building
Hands-on experience
Bi-weekly pay
Management level projects
Networking, and more!

This is a great opportunity for students to gain real world experience. The AASPIRE Program has been a pathway for interns to jobs in engineering, communications, human resources, and more.

Here’s what one intern had to say: “It opens up SO many doors! … I met professional anchors and producers …  It really lets you know what’s out there.”  Paige Zezulka, former AASPIRE intern.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lHtV0n4-s8c

Students must Apply before April 1, 2024 to be considered for the AASPIRE Internship program.

West Area Plan

A draft West Area Plan is available for review!  Please review and comment on draft maps and actions here by March 20th, or provide feedback at a scheduled public meeting:

March 4, 6pm (virtual – registration required)
March 5, Noon (virtual – registration required)
March 12, 6pm (in-person at Vel Phillips Memorial High School, 201 S. Gammon Rd., Wisconsin Neighborhood Center - no registration necessary – enter main doors facing Mineral Point Road)

All three meetings will cover the same content. A full PDF of draft plan text and maps, including chapter introductions and appendices, is available on the project website.  An additional topic-specific meeting on “proactive rezoning” (ie, City-led rezoning of property to match Plan land use recommendations) will be held on March 18th at 6pm (virtual – registration required).  Note that a fully formatted final draft of the plan, including photos and additional background info graphics, will be created for board/committee/commission/Council review after March 20th, when Planning Division staff has reviewed public comments.

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 5, in hybrid format at 6:30 p.m. Agenda items include a Committee of the Whole meeting related to the 2025 budget outlook and addressing the structural deficit, a presentation from the Wisconsin Policy Forum, and creating the City of Madison Honorary Street Name program.

Board of Public Works: The Board of Public Works meeting will take place on Wednesday, March 6, in virtual format at 4:30 p.m. Agenda items include approving and adopting an updated policy for assessing street improvements, as well as items in Districts 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 16, 17, 18, 19, and 20.

Board of Health for Madison and Dane County: The Board of Health for Madison and Dane County meeting will take place on Wednesday, March 6, in the Atrium Community Room at 2300 S. Park St. at 5:30 p.m. Agenda items include an update on PFAS community engagement and private well testing and an authorization to accept funds from the Wisconsin Department of Health Services for HIV tests.

Community Development Block Grant Committee: The Community Development Block Grant Committee meeting will take place on Thursday, March 7, in Room 215 of the Madison Municipal Building at 215 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd at 5:30 p.m. Agenda items include a public hearing on CDBG Unit’s 2024 Action Plan, adopting the City of Madison’s required 2024 Annual Action Plan (AAP) and approving submission of the Plan to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, and a staff overview of housing developments and programs.

Public Information Meetings & Sessions

Review the Draft West Area Plan - Attend a Virtual Public Meeting!, Monday, March 4: The March 4 meeting will only be held online. Online registration is required. You will receive a link to join the meeting after registering. If you have any questions, contact Planning Division staff: Linda Horvath, 608-266-1131, lhorvath@cityofmadison.com; Ben Zellers, 608-266-4866, bzellers@cityofmadison.com.

Review the Draft West Area Plan - Attend a Virtual Public Meeting!, Tuesday, March 5: The March 4 meeting will only be held online. Online registration is required. You will receive a link to join the meeting after registering. If you have any questions, contact Planning Division staff: Linda Horvath, 608-266-1131, lhorvath@cityofmadison.com; Ben Zellers, 608-266-4866, bzellers@cityofmadison.com.

Announcements & News Releases

Affordable Connectivity Program: 23 million households nationwide rely on the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) to access reliable, affordable internet. Now is the time to let Congress know how important the ACP is to households in your community. Members of Congress and their staff are online and respond to outreach from constituents via social media. Use the sample social media posts and tag your members of Congress to let them know your organization supports renewed funding for the ACP.
Celebrate Women in Construction Week 2024: March 3-9, 2024  : The City of Madison Engineering Division, in partnership with the Parks Division, Traffic Engineering Division and Building Inspection Division, is proud to join the nation
Three Finalists Announced in Madison Public Library Director Search: After a nationwide recruitment effort and multiple rounds of interviews, three finalists have been identified in the search for the next Madison Public Library Director! Hear each finalist's vision at an upcoming Meet + Greet on Saturday, March 9.
Spring Election Media Kit Now Available: The Madison City Clerk's Office is releasing its media kit for the April 2 Spring Election. The media kit includes election statistics, key dates, and descriptions of election processes. The goal of the Madison City Clerk's Office is that each…
Madison Fire Ambulances, Community Paramedics to Carry Buprenorphine: Effective Friday, March 1, the Madison Fire Department will begin to carry a new medicine designed to help those struggling with opioid addiction.
Ride the Drive Returns to Promote Health, Sustainability and Community Engagement: It’s the return of parks and open streets! Ride the Drive is back and set to be Madison’s landmark event of the 2024 summer. On Sunday, August 11, from 10 am to 2 pm, select downtown area streets and parks come alive with the spirit of community. 
MPD officer finds new ‘beat’ during job shadow program: MADISON, Wis. –  As a patrol officer, Sydney Hanick is used to working a beat. But during a recent shift on the north side, she found herself covering a different kind of beat. One involving a musical mashup and the kids who attend after-school…
Spring Yard Waste Collection Set-Out Date Schedule for 2024 Now Available : Get the set out dates for your home at www.cityofmadison.com/YardWaste
Brush Collection Set-Out Date Schedule for 2024 Now Available: Collection will begin the week of March 31, 2024, for certain neighborhoods. Get the dates when you should set out brush at www.cityofmadison.com/brushcollection.
Street Sweepers Working Overnight Hours Starting March 3, 2024: Starting on the evening of Sunday, March 3, 2024, Streets Division sweepers will be operating on Madison roadways 16-hours a day collecting the sand, salt, and other accumulated grit from the roads. One shift will be working from 10:00pm to 6:00am.

Events

Learn How to Ride Metro at Pinney Library, Monday, March 4: Learn ho w to use Metro Transit’s fixed route city bus service. Topics include using Google Maps, the Transit app, and other digital options; paper schedules and phone service; and discounted fare options. Metro employees will answer your questions about bus travel and provide one-on-one assistance in English and Spanish.
Last day to establish residency for Spring Election, Tuesday, March 5: Voters who move after today will not be eligible to vote from their new address in April because it takes 28 days to establish residency for voting purposes.
Yoga Core, Tuesday, March 5: Yoga Core is a great class to help build strength and body awareness. This class incorporates a wide variety of seated, standing, balancing, and mat-based yoga poses focusing on strength, stability, and mobility. Core-based practices can help enhance balance and stability and prevent falls and injuries as we age. All levels are welcome. Participants will need to be able to get up and down off the floor. Chairs or walls may be used for balance assistance.
Transportation Options with Metro at Meadowridge Library, Tuesday, March 5: Metro employees will talk about different options for getting around the city, including buses, RoundTrip, BCycles, bikes, and more. They will spend time talking about paratransit, a shared ride service for that uses a variety of companies and vehicles to respond to individual ride requests. Paratransit is an Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) service for individuals with disabilities who cannot use Metro’s accessible fixed-route bus service.

Wright by Design: Inclusion and Place - Planning and Design for the 21st Century City, Tuesday, March 5, 2024: Edna Ledesma explores the role that amenities and environments of choice have in redefining the 21st century landscape of Latino communities in American cities. The talk presents a series of research projects conducted on the U.S.-Mexico border that explore issues of local economic development, bottom-up approaches to planning and design intervention, and the role of place attachment within Latino vendor markets.
Civilian Response to Active Shooter Events Training, Wednesday, March 6: You can have an impact on your safety and the safety of others during that time. In Civilian Response to Active Shooter Events (CRASE) training, you'll learn the principles of what to do when there is an active shooter to increase your chance of survival.
Madison Parks Hiring Fair, Wednesday, March 6: Make this a summer to remember and work for Madison Parks! We're hiring seasonal staff across the Parks Division in aquatics, golf, maintenance, conservation and more! Attend the Hiring Fair at Parks Lakeside Offices and apply and interview onsite!
Public Input Meeting - Manchester Park, Wednesday, March 6: The City of Madison Parks Division is improving the playground at Manchester Park and we want your input. At this virtual meeting, Parks staff will discuss feedback and ideas for the upcoming replacement, which will be installed in 2024.
Dane Arts Buy Local Business of Art Conference III, Thursday, March 7: In partnership with Arts + Literature Laboratory, The Madison Arts Commission, Events by Mayberry, Workflow Creative Studio, and with major support from the Evjue Foundation, the charitable arm of the Capital Times, Dane Arts is pleased to announce the Dane Arts Buy Local 2024 Business of Art Conference III.
Dane Arts Buy Local Business of Art Conference III, Friday, March 8: In partnership with Arts + Literature Laboratory, The Madison Arts Commission, Events by Mayberry, Workflow Creative Studio, and with major support from the Evjue Foundation, the charitable arm of the Capital Times, Dane Arts is pleased to announce the Dane Arts Buy Local 2024 Business of Art Conference III.
Ballroom Basics for Balance - In Person, Friday, March 1: Ballroom Basics for Balance™ (BB4B) is a fun way to improve balance through the basics of dance! This class is for you if you want to get better at moving about your world with more confidence and you want to have fun in the process! No partner or dance experience required. This session will focus on Latin, Smooth and Line Dances.
Warner Family Fun Night, Friday, March 8: 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!
Bird & Nature Adventures | Owen, Saturday, March 9: Explore Owen Conservation Park on gentle trails through historic oak openings on a hillside with an Ice Age kettle and along restored prairies with beautiful vistas on this high point overlooking the west side of Madison. Co-sponsored by Madison Parks, Badgerland Bird Alliance, Madison Audubon Society,  and the Friends of Owen Conservation Park . Free, family-friendly guided nature walks at Owen Conservation Park are held on the 2nd Saturday of each month, year-round 2:30-4pm. No registration is required. No pets are allowed.
Bird & Nature Adventures | Turville Point, Sunday, March 10: Follow rolling hiking paths through the Turville Point Conservation Park woodlands and prairie with beautiful vistas of Lake Monona and Monona Bay. Walks at Turville Point held on the 2nd Sunday every month are co-sponsored by Madison Bird City FUN partners, Madison Parks, Badgerland Bird Alliance, Friends of Olin Turville, and Madison Audubon Society. Meet at the Turville Point parking lot, entrance at the E. Olin Ave. stoplight from John Nolen Drive at the railroad tracks, south of Olin Park (not at the boat launch). No registration is required. No pets are allowed.