City Meetings and Updates Week of October 5
posted- City Meetings:
- Plan Commission 10/5
- Common Council 10/6
- Urban Design Commission 10/7
- City Brush Collection Extended into Fall Season, Leaf Collection Begins
- Metro Transit Seeks Feedback About Paratransit Services
- Events & Announcements
City Meetings
Plan Commission
The Plan Commission meeting will take place on Monday, October 5, at 5:30 p.m. in virtual format. Agenda items include:
- Item 2: a resolution authorizing City Planning to prepare for the upcoming Near West Area Plan and adopt a public participation plan. The Near West Area will cover roughly land between Park Street to the east, Midvale Blvd to the west, the UW Arboretum to the south, and Lake Mendota to the north - here's a map. Here's a staff memo outlining the project scope, schedule, and public participation plan. Finally, Planning staff provided this background memo and this presentation for Plan Commissioners.
- Item 3: a resolution authorizing City Planning to prepare for the upcoming North Area Plan and adopt a public participation plan. The North Area will cover roughly the land north of Aberg Ave and Maple Bluff to the south, the railroad corridor and Packers Ave to the east, Lake Mendota to the west, and City limits to the north - here's a map. Here's a staff memo outlining the project scope, schedule, and public participation plan. Finally, Planning staff provided this background memo and this presentation for Plan Commissioners.
- Item 4: a proposal for a drive-through window for a coffee shop at 6401 Cottage Grove Road, not in District 3 but nearby in District 16. Here's the applicant's Letter of Intent, here are the project plans, and here's the staff report recommending approval subject to the recommended conditions in the staff report.
Meeting info:
Common Council
The Common Council meeting will take place on Tuesday, October 6, at 6:30 p.m. in hybrid format. Agenda items include:
- Item 1: an honoring resolution proclaiming October to be Pedestrian Safety Month and October 15th to be White Cane Safety Day in Madison.
- Item 3: a presentation of a compensation study commissioned by the City. Here are the study recommendations.
- Item 43: a resolution amending ordinances to rename City Traffic Engineering to the Mobility and Infrastructure Division to better reflect that agency's work (I'm a cosponsor). Here's the staff presentation they will give at the Transportation Commission meeting.
Meeting info:
Urban Design Commission
The Urban Design Commission meeting will take place on Wednesday, October 7, at 4:30 p.m. in virtual format. The agenda includes item 6, an amendment to a Planned Development at 6302 Driscoll Drive in District 3. This amendment would allow the owner to change from their previous approved plan of building a four-unit dwelling to building two duplexes instead. Here are the project plans and here's a staff memo providing background information. After the Urban Design Commission hearing, this amendment next goes to Plan Commission on October 19th.
Meeting info:
If you would like more information about becoming a member of the City board, commission, or committee, please visit the page linked here.
City Brush Collection Extended into Fall Season, Leaf Collection Begins
The Streets Division has extended brush collection into the fall this year as a 2026 trial.
Small brush piles will be collected alongside fall leaves and yard waste, but there is one important requirement: please keep your brush separate from your leaves and yard waste. Mixed piles will not be collected.
The brush set-out dates will be the same as your neighborhood's fall leaf and yard waste set-out dates. Larger stacks, logs, and thicker limbs that cannot be handled by the leaf and yard waste crews will be collected later using a truck-mounted crane.
Please check your neighborhood's specific set-out dates before putting materials at the curb. Brush collection set out dates have been updated on the Streets Division's website. The fall brush set out dates will be the same as the fall leaf & yard waste set out dates for your neighborhood.
Why the change this year? The fall of 2026 is a trial year for collecting more brush alongside yard waste in the fall. It is not guaranteed to continue in the years ahead. Streets is aware of how frustrating the end of brush pickup season has been for residents each year, particularly people with oak trees and other species where you need to wait until later in the year to trim them safely. By extending brush pickup into the fall, hopefully it will alleviate this concern.
At the end of this collection season, Streets will review the effect on operations, equipment used in collecting and hauling material, and the composter to determine if they can continue doing this in future autumns.
Metro Transit Seeks Feedback About Paratransit Services
Metro's Paratransit service looks to strengthen its processes and give riders more opportunities to share their experiences and feedback. Metro paratransit is a shared-ride service that uses a variety of companies and vehicles to respond to individual ride requests. This Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) paratransit service is for individuals with disabilities who cannot use Metro's accessible fixed-route bus service. The paratransit service area, hours, and days of service closely match fixed-route schedules. Read more about paratransit here.
Metro is working with new and existing service providers to improve the overall rider experience, updating policies, procedures, and quality-control practices to continue aligning with ADA and FTA requirements.
This survey is a way to gather feedback so that Metro can keep working on making the system better. Your responses can be completely anonymous. Here's a link to the survey, which will close on October 21st.
You can also provide feedback at any time by:
- Calling (608) 266-4466
- Emailing mymetrobus@cityofmadison.com
- Filling out an online form at MyMetroBus.com/Feedback
If you have any questions or need additional assistance with this survey, please contact Metro Paratransit by calling (608) 266-4466 or emailing mymetrobus@cityofmadison.com.
Events & Announcements
- New Oil Drop-Off Site Now Open : Madison residents have a new option for dropping off motor oil in the City. A new location is now open at 1504 Quann-Olin Parkway, Madison, Wis. This is the City's third site it hosts for used motor oil and used oil filters. … [posted October 2, 2026]
- 2026 Fall Leaf & Yard Waste Collection Begins; First Set Out Date for Some Neighborhoods Is 10/4/26: Honey locust leaves are falling; backyard gardens are being harvested. It's time to start the fall leaf and yard waste pickup season! The first set out date for some - not all - neighborhoods is Sunday, October 4, 2026. Dates when you should set out… [posted October 2, 2026]
- Samantha Jane Mullen Named Next Thurber Park Artist-in-Residence: The Madison Arts Commission is pleased to announce sculptor Samantha Jane Mullen will be the next Thurber Park Artist-in-Residence. [posted October 1, 2026]
- Early Detection Starts with Breast Cancer Screening(external): This October, Public Health Madison & Dane County is urging women not to skip or delay their recommended breast cancer screening. [posted October 1, 2026]
- Celebrate Native Nations with Teejop & Beyond Programs at Madison Public Library beginning October 12: MADISON, WI – The Teejop & Beyond: Celebrating Native Nations program begins at Madison Public Library on Monday, October 12 (Indigenous Peoples' Day). The program is hosted in partnership with Ho-Chunk Gaming Madison and highlights both… [posted October 1, 2026]
- Share Your Input on Madison LakeWay SkyLine Public Art Designs: In May, the Public Art Selection Committee selected four finalists to develop design proposals for the public art for the first phase of the Madison LakeWay development project along Lake Monona, called the SkyLine. [posted September 29, 2026]
- Thurber Park Artist-in-Residence Opening, Tuesday, October 6: The City of Madison and the Madison Arts Commission is holding an opening for the new Thurber Artist in Resident, Samantha Jane Mullen.
- Free Homebuyer Education Class (in person), Saturday, October 10: Take the first step to owning a home and join us in this Home Buyer Education Workshop. This FREE Homebuyer Education workshop takes place in-person at a Madison area location to be determined on Saturday, October 10, 8:30 am – 3:30 pm! Lunch will be provided.
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. Additional upcoming events can also be found on the City events calendar.