Items of Interest for the Week of May 19, 2025

Stay In Your Lane

For the third time in recent memory, a car collided with Mother Fool’s coffee shop. The car took out the corner column but the building was deemed safe and the business has reopened. This was a hit and run; the driver has yet to be identified.

Other businesses on Willy Street have also had run-ins with drivers in recent years. What solutions can we find to make Willy Street safer? Join me and the Marquette Neighborhood Association’s Traffic and Safety Committee on Monday, June 2, 5:30pm at the Wil-Mar Neighborhood Center to talk about this and more. Traffic bollards, removing the rush hour lane and other ideas will be discussed.

Updates and Notices

Parks: Find a park, beach, trail, golf course, and more.

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, May 20, at 6:30 p.m. in hybrid format. Agenda items include a presentation by the Finance Department titled Overview of City Budget.
  • Meeting Details
  • Meeting Agenda
  • Register for Public Comment
  • Watch Online
• Plan Commission: The Plan Commission meeting will take place on Monday, May 19, at 5:30 p.m. in virtual format. Agenda items include development-related requests in District 6 and District 10.
  • Meeting Details
  • Meeting Agenda
  • Register for Public Comment
  • Watch Online
• Housing Policy Committee: The Housing Policy Committee meeting will take place on Thursday, May 22, at 4:30 p.m. in Room 215 of the Madison Municipal Building at 215 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. Agenda items include staff presentations on the role of the Housing Policy Committee, as well as Madison’s housing situation and the efforts of the City.
  • Meeting Details
  • Meeting Agenda
  • Register for Public Comment

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

Announcements and News Releases

• Madison Celebrates 100,000 Street Trees : Today, the City of Madison reached an important milestone. There are now 100,000 trees lining the city’s streets and roadways. [posted May 15, 2025]
• The 2025 Spring Yard Waste Collection is Over, Curbside Set-Out Dates Return in the Fall: Do not set out yard waste for curbside collection. The Spring yard waste set-out dates for 2025 have passed for every neighborhood. At the time of this news release, Streets Division collection crews are still collecting from neighborhoods that… [posted May 15, 2025]
• Monona Terrace 2025 Art on the Rooftop Now on Exhibit: Monona Terrace’s 2025 Art on the Rooftop public sculptures are now on exhibit on Olin Terrace and the William T. Evjue Rooftop Gardens. [posted May 14, 2025]
• Chad Ruppel Named Madison’s next CDA Housing Director : Mayor Rhodes-Conway has appointed Chad Ruppel as the City of Madison Community Development Authority’s next Housing Director. [posted May 14, 2025]
• City of Madison to Host Community Listening Sessions on Workplace Discrimination: The City of Madison Equal Opportunities Commission announces a new series of public listening sessions to discuss workplace discrimination and empower individuals with the necessary tools to report it. [posted May 14, 2025]
• Residents of Southwest and Southeast areas invited to share perspectives in second community survey: The feedback the Planning Division receives in these surveys is crucial in helping them shape plans that accurately represent the needs of these communities. [posted May 13, 2025]
• BRT Powers Metro to Highest April Ridership Since 2015 : Madison’s Metro Transit is celebrating a major milestone: more than 1.3 million rides were taken in April, marking the highest April ridership in nearly ten years and signaling a powerful comeback for public transit in the region. [posted May 12, 2025]

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

• FOOT - Free Concerts in Olin Pavilion, Wednesday, May 21 (this event occurs on multiple dates): FREE concerts return to the Olin Park pavilion on Wednesdays in May from 6 to 8 PM. The Whiskey Farm - a highly danceable favorite on Wednesday, May 21.
• Volunteer at The Glen, Saturday, May 2 (this event occurs on multiple dates): Every month, we offer chances for people to volunteer at The Glen Golf Park. You can help make the park look beautiful by working on the land, managing it, and restoring areas that need attention. There are also opportunities to work on the detailed gardening and landscaping tasks that keep everything looking great. It's a chance to get involved, get your hands dirty, and make a visible difference in our community's green spaces.
• Bird & Nature Adventures | Edna Taylor, Saturday, May 24: Join Naturalist Mary Binkley for a free fun fascinating family friendly guided walk on beautiful walking trails at Aldo Leopold Nature Center and Edna Taylor Conservation Park.  Help look for Signs of Spring and learn about what's happening!
• Mobile Vaccination Clinic: Badger Prairie, Saturday, May 24: We're hosting mobile vaccination clinics throughout the county in partnership with community organizations! All vaccines are free to those eligible:…

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