Week of March 2, 2026

Dear Neighbors,

As we transition from winter toward early spring, there are several important updates, meetings, and community opportunities to stay engaged with across Madison and here in District 7. I encourage you to stay involved, share your feedback, and take advantage of upcoming events and resources.

💼 District 7 Lunch & Learn: Understanding Property Taxes

I’m excited to continue my District 7 Lunch & Learn series with an upcoming session focused on one of the most important and often misunderstood topics for residents: property taxes.

🗓 Monday, March 9
🕛 12:00 – 1:00 PM (Virtual on Zoom)

This session will feature experts from the City Assessor’s Office and Finance Department, who will walk through how property assessments work and how they relate to the property taxes we pay. We’ll also hear how school district funding fits into the overall picture.

You’ll have the opportunity to:

• Better understand how property taxes are calculated
• Learn what drives changes in your tax bill
• Ask questions directly to City experts

My goal with this series is to provide clarity, answer questions, and help neighbors feel more informed and empowered when it comes to local government and finances.

👉 I encourage you to join and participate, your questions and input are always welcome.

If you’re unable to attend but have questions about property taxes, please feel free to reach out to me directly.

Image credit: City of Madison

🚗 “20 is Plenty" Free Yard Signs Available

The City of Madison’s “20 is Plenty” initiative is now rolling out across neighborhoods, lowering residential speed limits to 20 mph to improve safety for everyone, especially pedestrians and cyclists.

This program is part of our broader Vision Zero efforts to reduce serious crashes and create safer, more livable neighborhoods. Many of you have shared concerns about speeding on residential streets, and this is one of the key steps we’re taking to address it.

To help spread awareness, free “20 is Plenty” yard signs are available in multiple languages for residents.

👉 If you’re interested in getting a yard sign, please reach out to me directly. I’m happy to personally drop one off at your doorstep.

Image credit: City of Madison

Together, small actions like these can make a big difference in improving safety across our community.

🌱 Spring Prescribed Burns Underway

With warmer temperatures approaching, the City’s Parks and Engineering Divisions will begin conducting prescribed burns at various locations across Madison through the spring season.

These burns are a safe and important land management practice that helps:

• Restore native ecosystems
• Improve soil and habitat health
• Reduce invasive species

If you notice smoke in or near your neighborhood, it may be part of these planned and permitted burns. Residents living near burn sites will receive advance notification, and additional information including locations is available on the City’s prescribed burns webpage.

Thank you for your understanding as we continue this important environmental stewardship work across our parks system.

🏛️ Meeting and Event Highlights

Updates and Notices

Traffic Enforcement Safety Team: Concerned about speeding and reckless driving? MPD has a Traffic Enforcement & Safety Team that takes your traffic complaints seriously and works to address them. Visit the Traffic Enforcement website or call the Speeder's Hotline at 608-266-4822 to report your speeding or reckless driving concerns.

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.

• Finance Committee: The Finance Committee meeting will take place on Monday, March 2, at 4:30 p.m. in virtual format. Agenda items include adding $4.0 million in TID 44-supported GO borrowing and authorizing the execution of a Purchase & Sale Agreement for the City to acquire property for the purposes of land banking in District 15.
  • Meeting Details
  • Meeting Agenda
  • Register for Public Comment
  • Watch Online
• Plan Commission: The Plan Commission meeting will take place on Monday, March 2, at 5:30 p.m. in virtual format. Agenda items include development-related requests in Districts 1, 2, 12, 14, 15, 18, and 19.
  • 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 (PIMs)

• Public Input Meeting - Marshall Park, Tuesday, March 3 (Virtual): The City of Madison Parks Division is improving the playground at Marshall Park and we want your input. At this meeting City staff will present revised playground equipment options from input gathered at the playground workshop. 
• Public Input Meeting - Olin Park, Wednesday, March 4 (Virtual): The pavilion in Olin Park, known as the Monona Lake Assembly Normal Hall, is one of the most historic buildings owned by the City of Madison and one of the most popular park shelters in Madison. The landmark building requires substantial structural and exterior repairs happening in 2026. The community is invited to a virtual public meeting as Parks and Engineering staff will provide information on the planned rehabilitation work for the Olin Park Pavilion – Normal Hall. 
• Public Input Meeting - James Madison Park, Wednesday, March 4 (Virtual): The City of Madison Parks Division is improving the playground at James Madison Park and we want your input. At this meeting City staff will present revised playground equipment options from input gathered at the playground workshop. 
• Virtual Open House | District 3 Parks, Thursday, March 5, 2026 (This event occurs on multiple dates): Madison Parks is holding a series of virtual public input sessions for the Southeast Park Development Plan process coinciding with the City Planning Division's Southeast Area Plan. 

Announcements and News

• Women in Construction Week 2026 Stories Ahead: The City of Madison is proud to join the nationally recognized Women in Construction Week, March 1-7, 2026. [posted February 27, 2026]
• Common Council approves investments into affordable homeownership: The City of Madison Common Council approved more than $6 million of funding for several homeownership programs and new owner-occupied homes. [posted February 26, 2026]
• Lane Reduction on University Avenue Starting Monday, March 2: Starting 7:00 am on Monday, March 2nd, R. G Huston will begin the first phase of construction on Hawthorne Court.  This project will be completed in multiple phases and will impact University Avenue, N. Lake Street, and W. Dayton Street during… [posted February 25, 2026]
• D7 Lunch and Learn: Understanding Property Taxes with Alder Badri Lankella: District 7 Alder Badri Lankella will continue his Lunch & Learn series on Monday, March 9th, from 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM. Join us on Zoom for an informative hour with Michelle Drea from the Assessor's Office and David Schmiedicke from the Finance…[posted February 25, 2026]
• Mayor and Alders Propose New Funding for Utility Rebate Programv: Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway and several members of the Common Council are advancing legislation to reduce utility bills for low-income families in Madison. [posted February 23, 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.

Community Events

• Vaccine Clinic at Leopold Elementary School, Saturday, March 7: All vaccines are free for eligible individuals. Children six months and older who lack insurance, are under 19, and are either Alaskan Native or American Indian, as well as those with BadgerCare or most other types of insurance, can receive vaccinations at no cost.
• 2026 Tee Off Party, Saturday, March 7: We're teeing off the 2026 golf season with our Annual Tee Off Party at Odana Hills Golf Course!

• Freeze for Food 5K/10K, Saturday, March 7: Lace up for the 45th Annual Freeze for Food! In partnership with Open Doors for Refugees(link is external), Freeze for Food raises funds for local food security initiatives and support refugees.

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

🗳️ Stay Engaged & Informed

Community engagement remains essential to shaping Madison’s future. Whether it’s participating in public meetings, attending local events, or simply sharing your perspective, your voice matters.

If you haven’t already, I encourage you to:

• Subscribe to City updates and newsletters
• Follow upcoming projects and public input opportunities
• Reach out to my office with questions, concerns, or ideas

🚧 Looking Ahead

With spring around the corner, we will begin to see more construction projects, infrastructure improvements, and seasonal programming ramp up across the city. I will continue to share updates specific to District 7 as more information becomes available.

Stay Connected

Thank you for staying engaged and involved in our District 7 community. Your participation helps us build a more inclusive, sustainable, and connected Madison.

Please don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions or concerns.

Warm regards,
Badri Lankella
Alder – District 7