Week of September 28, 2026

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Hello Neighbors,

I'm back in Madison and glad to be back in town! After spending the last one week in India due to a family emergency, I'm looking forward to reconnecting with neighbors and being back in the community.

Even while I was away, I continued participating in City meetings remotely and working with City staff on District 7 issues. Now that I'm back, I'm looking forward to getting out into the neighborhood, following up on resident concerns, and continuing the work we've been doing together.

Here's what's happening around District 7 and at City Hall this week. As always, if there is something happening in your neighborhood that you think I should know about, please reach out to me.

🏀 Country Grove Park Basketball Court Update

Good news for families and basketball players who use Country Grove Park!

The basketball court is being brought back with a new backboard and rims. I know this has been a frustrating issue for residents who regularly use the court, and I appreciate the work by City Parks staff to get this moving forward.

Thank you to the residents who continued to raise this issue and to City staff for working through the problem and helping get the court back toward regular use.

Country Grove Park Basketball Courts
Image credit: City of Madison Parks Division – Planning and Development Section

🍂 Fall Brush Collection Extended for 2026

The Streets Division has extended brush collection into the fall this year as a 2026 trial.

Small brush piles will be collected alongside fall leaves and yard waste, but there is one important requirement: please keep your brush separate from your leaves and yard waste. Mixed piles will not be collected.

The brush set-out dates will be the same as your neighborhood's fall leaf and yard waste set-out dates. Larger stacks, logs, and thicker limbs that cannot be handled by the leaf and yard waste crews will be collected later using a truck-mounted crane.

Please check your neighborhood's specific set-out dates before putting materials at the curb.

🏗️ Southpoint Project and New Salt Storage Facility

I am also continuing to work on the Southpoint project and will be sponsoring the requests related to the upcoming construction contract.

The construction bids came in below the City's estimate and existing Capital budget. The proposal also includes the first alternate: a new salt storage facility to replace the existing salt barn, which is approximately 45 years old and in poor condition.

The funding for the salt storage facility would come from $480,000 of existing Parks Capital Budget authority being moved to the Southpoint project. This does not add new funding to the Capital Budget or draw from Contingent Reserves or the City's fund balance.

The current schedule calls for Common Council introduction on October 6, Board of Public Works consideration on October 7, Finance Committee consideration on October 12, and Common Council adoption on October 20.

I appreciate the Public Works and Parks teams for working through the project and funding details.

👮 Police Body-Worn Camera Workgroup

I am honored to serve as one of the four alders on Council President Sabrina Madison's Workgroup on Madison Police Department Use of Deadly Force, De-Escalation and Body-Worn Cameras Policies and Procedures.

Our next workgroup meeting is Wednesday, September 30, at 5:00 p.m., and we will be reviewing the Madison Police Department's draft body-worn camera policy.

This is an important part of the workgroup's responsibility as we examine policies and procedures related to body-worn cameras, use of force, and de-escalation. I look forward to continuing this work with my fellow alders, City staff, MPD, and members of the community.

The City also announced last week that the Madison Community Foundation will provide a $350,000 grant toward software and civilian personnel costs associated with accelerating implementation of the City's body-worn camera program.

🏛️ This Week at City Hall

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.

  • Finance Committee: The Finance Committee meeting will take place on Monday, September 28, at 4:30 p.m. in virtual format. Agenda items include 2027 Executive Capital Budget deliberations.
  • Plan Commission: The Plan Commission meeting will take place on Tuesday, September 29, at 5:00 p.m. in Room 215 of the Madison Municipal Building at 215 Martin Luther King Jr Blvd. Agenda items include an update on the data center moratorium. 
  • President's Workgroup on Madison Police Department Use of Deadly Force, De-Escalation and Body-Worn Cameras Policies and Procedures: The President's Workgroup on Madison Police Department Use of Deadly Force, De-Escalation and Body-Worn Cameras Policies and Procedures meeting will take place on Wednesday, September 30, at 5:00 p.m. in virtual format. Agenda items include Madison Police Department's draft body-worn camera policy.

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

🏘️ Public Information Meetings

There are also several opportunities this week for residents to learn about projects and participate in the City's planning process.

📰 Announcements and News Releases

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.
 

🌳 Around Madison

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

📬 Stay Connected

My goal as your District 7 Alder is to keep communication open, follow up on neighborhood concerns, and make sure residents have a voice in decisions affecting our community.

Please continue to send me your questions, concerns, and ideas. I may not always have an immediate answer, but I will work to connect you with the appropriate City staff and follow up.

Thank you for allowing me to serve District 7.

Badri Lankella
Alder — District 7
City of Madison

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