Week of March 16, 2026

District Niners,

• There are "rumors" circulating regarding the presence of ICE in the Madison area.  To mitigate the spread of verified vs unverified information, the Mayor has provided helpful and responsible information to allay anxiety and apprehension and the City’s response.  City administration is not sleeping at the switch!  Before jumping to conclusions, please know that the Mayor and city administration: 1) maintains its “commitment to safety, privacy, and individual rights while complying with applicable law, 2) has provided "guidance to City departments regarding process and procedure should federal government agents contact City staff or arrive on City property and 3) "direct departments to strengthen protections for all City residents and visitors.”At the community level (inclusive of community resources), visit: www.cityofmadison.com/mayor/priorities/know-your-rights
• Alternate side of the street parking is due to expire on March 15th.  Given the most recent weather forecast, this has the potential to complicate snow plowing removal for late tonight and Monday morning's commute. My advice: add extra minutes to your commute, or better yet, leave your car at home and take Metro transit.

Updates and Notices

• Common Council – Discussion: The Common Council discussion will take place on Tuesday, March 17, at 6:00 p.m. in Room 201 of the City-County Building.  The Madison Common Council will provide updates and hold a discussion on City sustainability initiatives on a Greener Madison.
• Finance Committee: The Finance Committee meeting will take place on Monday, March 16, at 4:30 p.m. in virtual format. Agenda items include the extension of Tax Increment District 41 for 12 months.
• Plan Commission: The Plan Commission meeting will take place on Monday, March 16, at 5:30 p.m. in virtual format. Agenda items include development-related requests in Districts 1, 2, 15, and 19.

Public Information Meetings (PIMs)

• If your regular travels take you towards the Sherman Ave vicinity, please note that the City is planning for the reconstruction of Sherman Ave from McGuire St to N. Sherman Ave/Fordem Ave, N. Sherman Ave/Fordem Ave from Northfield Pl to Erie Ct, and McGuire St from Sherman Ave to Fordem Ave in 2026. A public information meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m., March 16, 2026, via Zoom. Registration is required.
• Public Input Meeting - Newbery Park, Tuesday, March 17: The City of Madison Parks Division is improving the playground at Newbery Park and they want your input. At this meeting City staff will present revised playground equipment options from input gathered at the playground workshop.  Although this playground is not in District 9, do consider gathering intel about playground equipment options for playgrounds within the 9th District.

Announcements and News Releases

• If requested, have you received your Absentee Ballot?  
• Rachel Darken Named Fleet Service Superintendent: Mayor Rhodes-Conway has appointed Rachel Darken as the City of Madison's new Fleet Service Superintendent within the Public Works Department.               
• Charlie Romines Named Public Works Director: Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway is pleased to announce the appointment of Charlie Romines to the position of Public Works Director. 
• 2026 Brush Collection Schedule is Now Available: The 2026 set-out date schedule for the Streets Division's brush schedule pickup is now available on the brush collection website. Know the Set-Out Dates for Your Neighborhood when you begin your yard clean-up for this spring.
•  Spring Yard Waste Collection Set-Out Date Schedule for 2026 Now Available: The 2026 set-out date schedule for the Streets Division's springtime yard waste collection is now available on the yard waste website to answer questions such as “when do I put out yard waste for pickup?”  Go to the yard waste website:  cityofmadison.com/yardwaste and enter your address into the form. Remember, the dates vary by neighborhood.
• CARES Teams Acquire Long-Awaited Response Vehicles to Better Support People in Crisis: CARES will now respond to non-violent behavioral health emergencies in specialized Ford Transit vans outfitted to allow personalized care. 
• For additional information, visit and/or subscribe to receive notification of news releases as they are posted.

Events

• Olbrich Gardens Public Workshop, Tuesday, March 17-In-Person (This event occurs on multiple dates): Olbrich Botanical Gardens is undergoing its first comprehensive master planning process in more than 20 years and is seeking public input during a series of meetings, the 2nd is on Tuesday, March 18, 2026. The widely regarded landscape architecture firm Reed Hilderbrand was chosen through a competitive selection process to lead the design team and the project as a whole.
• MSCR & Madison Parks Hiring Fair, Wednesday, March 18: Madison Parks and MSCR are hiring seasonal staff in aquatics, maintenance, conservation and more! Attend a Hiring Fair at Parks Lakeside Offices and apply and interview onsite! Add to your skill set.  You will never know when one of these skills will come in handy or can be applied later in life when a problem presents itself.  Why?  Knowing how to fix or repair the problem will give you the strength to get up and do what needs to be done!
• Learn and Ride.  If you are thinking about a chauffeur to transition you from commuting by car to Metro Madison, read on. Metro Transit is teaming up with the RoundTrip Greater Madison program to host a couple of Learn & Ride events; one in Madison and one in Sun Prairie. The Madison event will take place on Thursday, March 19, from 7–10 a.m. at the Park and Ride at 432 Junction Road.  Get to know Madison with someone else in the driver’s seat, enjoy free coffee and donuts, take a practice ride to get comfortable with Metro Transit (e.g., boarding, paying your fare), accessibility features, fare discounts, combining a bike and metro transit commute, and so much more. Registration not required.  Just show up!
• Bird & Nature Adventures | Starkweather Creek Area, Saturday, March 21: Equinox Walk ~ Join Noah Edelstein with Friends of Starkweather Creek for a free fun educational family friendly walk along easy paths to the beautiful Starkweather Creek greenway.

Your Well being

Hang in there District Niners.  Spring is knocking at the door.  Feel free to open the door on Friday March 20th and let it in.  You are ready!

Until next time, 

Be safe and be well.

Joann