Week of March 9, 2026

District Niners,

• Daylight Savings Time: If you have not turned your clock(s) forward, it's time to do so. Remember, "spring forward, fall back."

• By now, some of you have received mailed post-cards reminding you about spring-controlled burns. Check your postcard to determine when the prescribed burn will occur in your area. 

•  For those of you who have requested an absentee ballot for the April 2026 election, you can expect to receive your ballot in the mail a week or so earlier (than expected) according to the new City Clerk (Lydia McComas).

• Street sweeping.  Yes, it's time to remove the salt, accumulated "crud" and debris from curbs and gutters that accumulated over the winter.  Some sweeping will occur overnight beginning March 8th.

• On February 2, 2026 , The Lussier Community Education Center (LCEC) welcomed Brian Squire as the new Executive Director.  I've had a chance to talk with Brian on a couple of occasions about his vision to rebrand and reconstitute the LCEC.  Take some time to stop by and introduce yourself.  After all, this is our community center.  Let's get involved!

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.

• Common Council: The Common Council meeting will take place on Tuesday, March 10, at 6:30 p.m. in hybrid format. Agenda items include adding $4 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.

• Board of Public Works: The Board of Public Works meeting will take place on Wednesday, March 11, at 4:30 p.m. in virtual format. Agenda items include construction management and approvals in Districts 3, 5, 14, 15, 16, and 19.

  • Meeting Details

  • Meeting Agenda

  • Register for Public Comment

  • Watch Online

Public Input Meetings (PIMs)

• Orton Park: The City of Madison Parks Division is improving the playground at Orton Park and we want your input. At this meeting City staff will present revised playground equipment options from input gathered at the playground workshop.  Although Orton Park is not in District 9, do consider ideas that you can suggest or gain for a park in the 9th District.

• Moorland Rd Shared-Use Path, Wednesday, March 11: The proposed project includes construction of an approximately 0.6-mile-long, shared-use path on the south-side of Moorland Rd from Wayland Dr to Raywood Rd/South Towne Dr with a connection to the Capital City Trail. 

Announcements and News Releases

• Reimagining and Reinvesting in Odana Hills Golf Course: The City of Madison Parks Division is excited to announce a new partnership with Michael and Jocelyn Keiser and the Madison Parks Foundation. Through the Keisers' philanthropic vision and generous donation, opportunities exist to reimagine, redesign and reconstruct the Odana Hills Golf Course that this public park deserves. The timeline of this project and plans will be announced (virtually) on March 11, 2026 at 6:30 PM by Madison Parks at the Board of Park Commissioners meeting.

• Open Houses: MFD will be accepting applications for Firefighter/EMT soon. In antipation, the department will host a variety of recruitment open houses to help interested candidates prepare for the process. YOU can be a Madison firefighter/EMT! 

• Thinking Spring?   Winter is on a downhill cruise and it’s time to think gardening.  To set you up for success, consider picking up free seeds for your garden from the popular Garden Seed Giveaway that began on Monday, March 2 at eight library locations.

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 (beyond District 9 borders)

• Understanding Property Taxes - Connecting D7: Learning Together with Alder Badri Lankella, Monday, March 9: 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 Department. They will explain the role of property assessments in determining property taxes.
• Spring Home Maintenance, Tuesday, March 10: Ready to tackle spring home maintenance like a pro? Our engaging course will empower you to confidently care for your home, inside and out! Learn essential skills, from maximizing your HVAC system efficiency and troubleshooting sump pump woes to prepping your roof and gutters for spring showers and revitalizing your outdoor spaces. 
• Do you have a fear of falling?  Want to learn about strength and balance exercises to keep you vertical?  Consider registering (before noon on Monday March 9th, 2026) for a free fall prevention "lunch and learn" workshop at the Madison Senior Center (MSC) from 12:00 -2:00 PM.  And yes, Joann will guarantee that you will have fun!  A free walking stick will be raffled for some lucky winner. 

Your well being

Spring is just around the corner.  It's time to practice activating your smile.  It will make you feel better.

Until next time, be safe and be well.

Joann