Week of September 28th

Dear District 16 neighbors, 

Thank you to everyone who came out for the opening weekend of the Imagination Center at Reindahl Park. This project has been long in the making and will be transformative for the east side of Madison. Investments in community services, public libraries, and literacy opportunities make for stronger neighborhoods and a stronger Madison. If you missed the events from this weekend, you can find more here. 

As we head into fall, please be sure to check your brush and yard waste pick up dates. You can find a full list of pick up dates here.

Thank you, 

Sean 

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Finance Committee Budget Amendments: 

At the Finance committee on Monday, September 28th members will be reviewing six amendments to the 2027 Executive Capital Budget:

1. The proposed amendment adds $3.53 million in reserves applied to the General Land Acquisition (GLA) Fund program. Funding would be used to purchase property for future city use for a new North District Police Station and Fire Station 10.
2. Move the “ hoepker I-94 Interchanges" project from the Horizon List to the Engineering – Major Streets Capital Improvement Plan. Add $150,000 for design in 2027 and $8,400,000 for construction in 2029. The project will be funded with private contributions. (I am a sponsor) 
3. The proposed amendment adds $650,000 in TIF Borrowing (TID 48) in 2027 for resurfacing W. Main Street from Proudfit to Fairchild. The project includes bike boulevard treatments (signing and marking). The TID 48 project plan currently includes $115,000 in TIF funding for this project. This estimate was based on the cost of resurfacing the block in TID 48. The proposed project scope now includes additional blocks within a half mile of the TID.
4. The executive budget proposes purchasing 220 body-worn cameras (BWCs) over three years (2027- 2029). This amendment advances the project timeline to fully fund the capital expenses of BWCs in 2027. The amendment also assumes the City will receive a federal grant to cover half of the capital costs. ( I am a sponsor) 
5. Advances funding to replace all of the police department's portable radios in 2027, rather than over four years from 2027-2030. The original four year plan was proposed by the Police Department as a way to distribute the cost of the technology investment. MPD and City Finance have started to work with the vendor on the contract and has found there are multiple benefits to paying for all of the radios in one year.
6. Update the "Description of Major Changes" for the "Passenger Rail Station" project in the Transportation budget to include the following: Funding for this project can be used for a local match or any other purpose related to the development of a passenger rail station or related improvements. (I am a sponsor) 

You can find the detailed list of capital amendments here as well as a break down of their impact on the CIP. From here, the capital budget will go to the council for final adoption. 

Data Center Moratorium Update:

The Plan Commission will be hosting a special in-person meeting where they will provide an update on the regulatory framework that the Planning Division is proposing on how to address data centers moving forward. 

Where: In Person (Room 215 - Madison Municipal Building at 215 Martin Luther King Jr Blvd)
When: Tuesday Sept. 29th at 5:00pm 
Register for Public comment

Recommended Zoning Framework Overview: At this time, staff recommends the following framework for zoning regulations related to data centers: 

• Create three data center uses based on size, as defined below. The recommended framework would include a maximum data center size limit of 100,000 sq. ft. and allow only one data center on a property. 
• All data center types are a permitted use; however, supplemental regulations and limits on where certain data center types are allowed will help control for the predominant land use/development concerns for each data center type. 
• Additional regulation would limit allowance for data centers in the TOD Overlay District, where housing and transit-supportive mixed-use development is a policy priority. 

Together with other recommended supplemental regulations outlined in this memo, these data center types would exclude data center developments commonly referred to as “hyperscale" or a “data center campus" primarily by limiting the size and number of data centers.'

Pedestrian Plan & Safe Routes to Schools Plan

After years of work, public input and community engagement, the city of madison recently adopted two new plans which I am proud to sponsor and have been a small part of their creation: 

Pedestrian Plan 

This plan looks at how we can make those trips safer, more comfortable, more accessible and even more enjoyable. The Plan provides:

• Improvements to the City's infrastructure to improve safety and connectivity.
• Changes needed to make Madison more accessible for users of all ages and abilities.
• Program and policy recommendations to encourage and promote walking as a safe and healthy means of transportation and recreation.

Safe Routes to Schools Plan

Safe Routes to School (SRTS) programming focuses on helping kids and their families walk, bike and roll to and from school. The City, in collaboration with partners such as the Wisconsin Bike Fed  and the Madison Metropolitan School District, focuses on education, encouragement, engagement and infrastructure improvements, to increase safety & accessibility, encourage physical activity and make walking, biking and rolling to school fun. These efforts are coordinated by the School Traffic Safety Team. The Safe Routes to School Framework Recommendations including:

• Policies and procedures to support walking and biking to/from schools
• Recommendations to expand and improve education and encouragement programming
• School Specific Planning
  • Support for 23 schools to assess school needs, engage with school community, develop recommendations, and prioritize improvements.
  • Each school will receive a final plan and traffic safety handout.
• Review of Unusually Hazardous Transportation (UHT) locations
  • Update methodology for determining UHT locations and digitize maps of current UHT locations.

Updates and Notices

• Brush and Yard Waste: Look up your set out dates for brush and yard waste collection. Separate yard waste from brush when you put it on the curb.

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, September 28, at 4:30 p.m. in virtual format. Agenda items include 2027 Executive Capital Budget deliberations.
  • Meeting Details
  • Meeting Agenda
  • Register for Public Comment
  • Watch Online 
• 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. 
  • Meeting Details
  • Meeting Agenda
  • Register for Public Comment
  • Watch Online
• 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.
  • Meeting Details
  • Meeting Agenda
  • Register for Public Comment
  • Watch Online

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 (PIMs)

• Madison LakeWay Public Art Project Design Presentations, Thursday, October 1: The City of Madison and the Madison LakeWay Public Art Ad Hoc Selection Committee are holding a public meeting for the finalists to present their design proposals.

• Euclid Ave and Birch Ave Reconstruction, Thursday, October 1: Details on the project design, construction schedule, residential impacts, and special assessments will be discussed.  The presentation will be posted on this website for anyone unable to attend.

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