Week of February 23, 2026

Dear Neighbors,

I hope everyone is staying warm and safe as we move through February. This week brings several important updates, opportunities for engagement, and city meetings that may be of interest to our community.

🏛️ Boards, Commissions & 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.

• Sustainable Madison Committee: The committee meeting will take place on Monday, February 23, at 4:30 p.m. in virtual format. Agenda items focus on advancing the City’s sustainability goals, including climate, energy, and environmental initiatives.
  • Meeting Details 
  • Meeting Agenda
  • Register for Public Comment
  • Watch Online
• 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.

🗣️ Public Information Meetings

• 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.
• Virtual Open House | District 10 Parks, Wednesday, 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.
• 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.

🚧 Community & Infrastructure Updates

We continue to see progress on various infrastructure and transportation-related initiatives across the city. These efforts are focused on:

• Improving roadway safety and accessibility
• Enhancing bike and pedestrian infrastructure
• Supporting long-term sustainability goals

If you have specific concerns about projects in District 7, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

🗳️ Voting & Civic Participation

With upcoming spring elections approaching, now is a great time to make a plan to vote. Early voting (in-person absentee voting) will be available at multiple locations across Madison.

More details on locations, hours, and what’s on the ballot will be shared in upcoming updates. Civic participation is essential to ensuring our community’s voice is heard.

🌱 Community Health & Public Updates

Public Health officials continue to monitor and respond to community health concerns. Please stay informed through official city and county channels for any updates that may impact you or your family.

As always, taking simple precautions especially during winter months, helps keep our community safe.

📅 Looking Ahead

In the coming weeks, I will be hosting additional opportunities for residents to engage directly, including:

• Lunch & Learn sessions focused on property taxes and city services
• Guest speakers from local organizations and city departments
• Open discussions on District 7 priorities

More details will be shared soon.

Image credit: City of Madison

🔥 Prescribed Burns in Madison Parks

The City of Madison Parks and Engineering Divisions are once again coordinating prescribed burns at various locations throughout the city. These efforts help maintain healthy ecosystems and support native plant and wildlife habitats.

Residents living near burn sites will receive a postcard this month with more information. You can also view the full list of planned burn locations here:
👉 https://www.cityofmadison.com/prescribedburns

Why Prescribed Burns?

Prescribed burns are:

• Safe and carefully managed
• Cost-effective for land management
• Ecologically beneficial, helping restore and sustain native species

Burns are conducted by trained staff, contractors, and volunteers under permits issued by the Madison Fire Department. They take place only under strict weather conditions to ensure safety and minimize smoke impacts.

What to Expect

• Burns are weather-dependent and cannot be scheduled far in advance
• Conditions such as wind direction and humidity determine timing and location
• Planning typically occurs only a few days ahead due to changing forecasts

City staff will continue using postcards, social media, and community outreach to keep residents informed.

Image credit: City Parks Division

If you have questions or would like more information, you are encouraged to reach out to the Parks Division.

🏙️ Downtown Plan & Community Engagement

The City continues to move forward with planning efforts that will shape the future of downtown Madison. The Downtown Area Plan, part of a broader effort to guide growth, economic vitality, and livability is currently under review following recent public input.

The plan focuses on strengthening our downtown core, improving accessibility, and ensuring that future development reflects community priorities. Feedback gathered earlier this month is now being evaluated by staff and will help inform next steps.

While the formal comment period has closed, there will continue to be opportunities for residents to stay informed and engaged as updates are released.

📰 Announcements and News

• 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. Concurrent with this work, utility companies will continue replacing… [posted February 20, 2026]
• Madison Public Library Celebrates the Legacy of Agatha Christie at Meadowridge Library This March: MADISON, WI – 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,… [posted February 20, 2026]
• 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. [posted February 19, 2026]
• Madison Public Library Receives $20,000 from the Carnegie Corporation of New York: MADISON, WI –  Madison Public Library received a $20,000 gift from Carnegie Corporation of New York, the foundation established by Andrew Carnegie. [posted February 18, 2026]
• Connecting with Madison’s Near-West Alders: The City of Madison invites residents and community members to meet with alders from the Near-West Districts. The Meet and Greet will take place in the Community Room at Midtown Police District… [posted February 18, 2026]
• Thank you for voting, provisional voting reminder:
• Thank you to everyone who participated in yesterday’s primary election. The City of Madison is reviewing materials and preparing for the Municipal Board of Canvass on Friday. [posted February 18, 2026]
• New Software Chosen to Support LINKcat Changes this Spring for South Central Library Users: MADISON, WI -- Library users from across the South Central Library System can look forward to new features in the online catalog LINKcat this spring. The seven-county library consortium recently selected SirsiDynix Symphony as their new integrated… [posted February 17, 2026]

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

• Near-West Alders Meet & Greet, Monday, February 23: Join us for an evening to meet your Near-West Alders in person! 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.
• 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.

📬 Stay Connected

Your input and feedback are always welcome. Please feel free to reach out to my office with questions, concerns, or ideas.

Thank you for your continued engagement and for helping make District 7 a great place to live.

Sincerely,
Alder Badri Lankella
District 7, City of Madison