Week of July 13, 2026

Dear neighbors,

I hope everyone is enjoying the summer and finding time to take advantage of the many parks, trails, neighborhood events, and community activities that make Madison such a wonderful place to live.

Thank you to everyone who continues to reach out with questions, ideas, and concerns. Whether we connect by email, at neighborhood meetings, or at community events, I appreciate your engagement and your commitment to making District 7 an even better place to live.

🚸Westside Alder Meet & Greet

Please join the westside alders for a Westside Alder Meet & Greet on Tuesday, July 14, 2026, from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at Vel Phillips Memorial High School.

This informal event is an opportunity to meet your westside alders, ask questions, share ideas, and discuss issues affecting your neighborhood. Whether you have a specific concern or simply want to introduce yourself, we look forward to connecting with you.

Image credit: City of Madison

🚸Rescheduled: City Budget Engagement Session – Public Facilities & Services

One of the most important opportunities for residents to help shape Madison's future is through the annual budget process.

The second of three City Budget Engagement Sessions will focus on Public Facilities & Services.

When: Thursday, July 16, 2026, from 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.

Where: Vel Phillips Memorial High School

This session provides residents an opportunity to:

• Learn about the City budget process
• Speak directly with City staff during an open house
• Hear a presentation from Finance Director Dave Schmiedicke
• Participate in a Q&A session with Alders
• Share priorities and feedback for future budget decisions

Featured departments include:

• Assessor's Office
• Clerk's Office
• Engineering
• Fleet Services
• Human Resources
• Information Technology
• Madison Public Library
• Monona Terrace
• Parks Division
• Streets & Urban Forestry
• Water Utility

I encourage District 7 residents to attend and help shape our community priorities.

🌿 Food Trucks Return to Country Grove Park!

I'm excited to share that the Country Grove Neighborhood Association (CGNA), in partnership with Madison Parks and FEED Kitchens, is bringing Food Trucks back to Country Grove Park this summer!

The weekly summer series begins Wednesday, July 15 and continues every Wednesday through September 2, from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., at Country Grove Park, 7353 East Pass.

Each week will feature a rotating selection of local food trucks, making it a great opportunity to enjoy dinner outdoors while connecting with neighbors and supporting local businesses. Bring your lawn chairs or picnic blankets and spend a relaxing summer evening in the park with family and friends. Everyone is welcome!

Image credit: Madison Parks

🌱 Updates and Notices

• Madison Parks Invites you to Volunteer for Ride the Drive 2026 on Sunday, August 9: Ride the Drive is a free community event that opens select Madison streets to people for biking, walking, strolling, rolling, and enjoying all-ages activities at three hubs and along the route.

🏛️ 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, July 13, at 4:30 p.m. in virtual format. Agenda items include establishing rules and procedures for Common Council deliberations on the City of Madison's 2027 Capital and Operating Budgets.
  • Meeting Details
  • Meeting Agenda
  • Register for Public Comment
  • Watch Online
• Plan Commission: The Plan Commission meeting will take place on Monday, July 13, at 5:30 p.m. in virtual format. Agenda items include development-related requests in Districts 12, 13, 14, and 15.
  • Meeting Details
  • Meeting Agenda
  • Register for Public Comment
  • Watch Online

• Madison Metropolitan Sewerage District Commission Meeting

  • Date: Thursday, July 16, 2026
  • Time: 8:00 a.m.
  • Location: Maintenance Facility Training Room, 1610 Moorland Rd, Madison
  • Hybrid attendance options are available for the public.
  • Agenda materials and meeting details are available through the MMSD Commission meetings webpage:
    MMSD Commission Meeting Agenda & Information

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

📰 Announcements and News Releases

• Street Closures for Art Fair 2026: Multiple streets will be closed this weekend for the annual Art Fair On the Square and Art Fair Off the Square events. [posted July 9, 2026]
• Traffic Pattern Changes for Next Phase of John Nolen Drive Reconstruction: Overnight on Monday, July 13, into Tuesday morning, July 14, the John Nolen Drive reconstruction project will move into its next major phase as traffic shifts from the existing northbound roadway onto the newly constructed southbound lanes. [posted July 9, 2026]
• Disability Pride Flag Raising & News Conference: Celebrating a Shared Vision of a Future that Leaves None of Us Behind: The City of Madison recently celebrated its second Disability Pride Flag Raising Ceremony to mark the 36th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The event took place on Wednesday, July 8, at 11:30 a.m. Alder Dina Nina Martinez-…[posted July 8, 2026]
• Street Closure for the Fete De Marquette 2026: Two streets will be closed for the Fete De Marquette event at McPike Park starting the evening of Thursday, July 9. [posted July 8, 2026]
• Liquor license holders: Beware of phishing scam: Scammers are using publicly available application and license information to identify potential victims and make the communications appear legitimate. [posted July 8, 2026]
• CDA Awarded Additional Funding to House Veterans Experiencing Homelessness: HUD is awarding the CDA funding to offer five additional housing vouchers through the HUD-VASH (Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing) program. [posted July 8, 2026]
• Local Voices and Meaningful Conversations: Meet Your Westside Alders!: The Common Council invites residents to a meet-and-greet to connect and engage with Madison's Westside alders! This event offers a casual atmosphere where both alders and residents can discuss what matters most to them. It promises to be an evening… [posted July 8, 2026]
• N Broom St Slip Lane Closure: From Tuesday 7/7 to Sunday 7/19, the left turn slip lane from N Broom St to W Gorham St will be closed by Findorff to complete restoration work for the private development project at that location. During this time: The left lane of N Broom St… [posted July 6, 2026]
• Last Chance to Take the Recycle Better Class in 2026: The City of Madison Streets Division has partnered again this year with Sustain Dane to offer the Recycle Better class. Your last chance to take the class this year is coming up on July 23, 2026.By taking this recycling workshop, you can help… [posted July 6, 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

• Monday Mornings at The Glen, Monday, July 13 (This event occurs on multiple dates-  June 1 through August 31): Enjoy The Glen for a stroll, nature, workout, or leashed dog walk from sunrise to 8:00 am. Tee times resume at hole #1 at 8:00 am. Visitors should be alert for golf balls and golfers as they exit the course.
• Learn to Play Baseball, Monday, July 13: Learn to play baseball with Madison Mallards! This intro class is perfect for adults and kids aged 5 and older. You'll learn basic rules, hitting, pitching. running the bases, scoring, and more. This event is free to attend. Advanced registration is required.
• Lakeside Kids! Mister Jim, Tuesday, July 14: Join us for another exiting summer season of Lakeside Kids! – a free interactive series featuring science, culture, arts and entertainment. Designed for kids ages 4 and up. Lakeside Kids! provides hands-on fun and learning in an engaging and dynamic setting.
• District Voices: Meet Your Westside Alders!, Tuesday, July 14: Join us for a casual evening at Vel Phillips Memorial High School, where you can meet the incredible individuals who make up our vibrant community. This event is your chance to connect with local elected officials, neighbors, and fellow residents from the Westside Districts.  Enjoy light refreshments and engaging conversations with your local alders!
• Live at The Glen | Vets on Frets, Thursday, July 16: Spend an easygoing evening with Vets on Frets(external), an acoustic guitar group made up of talented military veterans who bring stories, camaraderie, and classic tunes to every performance. 
• City Budget Engagement | Public Facilities & Services, Thursday, July 16: This session focuses on Public Facilities & Services. From 6-7pm you'll have an opportunity to stop by different tables and chat with representatives from the following City agencies... 
• Brat Fry Friday, Friday, July 17: Come join us for lunch at the links!  The grill will be fired up from 11am-3pm for a delicious afternoon treat.  Brats are $5.00 each or choose to make it a meal and add chips and a soda for $9.00 or chips and a beer for $10.00.  This event is open to all to participate!
• Goodman Pool 20th Anniversary Celebration, Friday, July 17: Join us as we celebrate 20 years of the Goodman Pool! We'll have music, games, prizes, food carts and fun! The first 500 people will receive a Goodman Pool yellow duck! Free while supplies last. 
• Bird & Nature Adventures | Starkweather Creek Area, Saturday, July 18: Creek Monitoring ~ Join Water Quality Monitor Volunteers Noah Edelstein and Elissa Tikalsky for a free educational fun family friendly talk and demonstration of water quality monitoring and look at tiny aquatic creatures that tell us about creek health. Learn how excessive use of salt in winter and PFAS pollution affect wildlife of all kinds and human lives. 
• Bird & Nature Adventures | Warner Park, Sunday, July 19: Warner Tree & Martin Volunteer Projects ~ Join Master Naturalist Tim Nelson for a free educational family friendly walk.  We will look at areas where Wild Warner volunteers are helping Madison Parks with tree plantings, removing invasives, protecting certain trees from beavers, and other nature restoration activities.  

Parks Alive Dates!

Parks Alive builds stronger neighborhoods and connects neighbors to their parks through fun, family-friendly activities, music and free food. Events are held in parks across the city and throughout the summer. Connect with your neighbors and engage with your community at a Parks Alive event near you! Events start at 5:00 p.m.

• Parks Alive | Elver Park, Monday, July 13
• Parks Alive | Aldo Leopold Park, Tuesday, July 14
• Parks Alive | Warner Park (on Trailsway Ave), Wednesday, July 15
• Parks Alive | Owl Creek Park, Thursday, July 16

Interested in volunteering for Parks Alive? Volunteers Welcome! Learn more and register online!

Movie in the Park Dates!

• Movie in the Park | Premium Rush, Tuesday, July 14
• Movie in the Park | Hoppers, Wednesday, July 15
• Movie in the Park | F1, Thursday, July 16
• Movie at The Glen | Zootopia 2, Sunday, July 19

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

💬 Looking Ahead

If you have questions, concerns, or ideas regarding District 7 or City services, please don't hesitate to reach out. Your feedback helps inform the decisions we make at City Hall.

Thank you for the opportunity to serve as your District 7 Alder. I look forward to seeing many of you at the Westside Alder Meet & Greet and other community events throughout the week.

Sincerely,
Badri Lankella
Alder, District 7
City of Madison