Meeting and Event Highlights for the Week of July 3, 2023
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***City Offices, including the Common Council Office, are closed on Tuesday, July 4: Administrative offices are closed on Tuesday, July 4, 2023 for Independence Day. Emergency services will be open; please call 911. You may use Report a Problem for non-emergencies.***
Hey Everybody,
I hope everyone has a nice holiday weekend. Be safe. If you have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to reach out. Thanks, Alder Conklin district9@cityofmadison.com
Meetings
· Board of Public Works: The Board of Public Works meeting will take place on Wednesday, July 5, 2023 in virtual format at 4:30 PM. Agenda items include consideration of a report of the City Engineer regarding the results of a review of water resources impacts and the necessity of permits for public works construction projects and consideration of a number of both private and public contracts, and more!
· Public Market Development Committee: The Public Market Development Committee meeting will take place on Thursday, July 6, 2023 in virtual format at 5:00 PM. Agenda items include allowing the City of Madison to authorize a lease, operating agreement, and responsibility matrix with the Madison Public Market Foundation, as well as an update on the Public Market Project, and more!
Save the date!
· Comprehensive Plan Interim Update (2023) Public Meeting, 07/13/2023: The City of Madison is currently working on an Interim Update of its 2018 Comprehensive Plan. The Interim Update is focused on the Generalized Future Land Use (GFLU) map. The Goals, Strategies, and Actions as adopted within the original six Elements of the Comprehensive Plan will not be revised. The City is updating the GFLU map to reflect land use recommendations from neighborhood, area, and neighborhood development plans adopted between summer 2018 and summer 2023. In addition to these administrative updates, the public has the opportunity to propose GFLU map amendments through this online application.
Learn more about the process to revise the GFLU map by reviewing the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) document. A virtual public meeting has been scheduled for July 13th at 6 p.m. (registration required). Staff will provide an overview of the Comprehensive Plan Interim Update and answer questions.
· Virtual Public Meeting - West Area Plan, 07/18/2023: Join us at a virtual public meeting to see what we've heard thus far via surveys, interactive mapping, and previous public engagement, and to review and provide feedback on initial plan recommendations. This meeting will cover the same content as the July 26 virtual public meeting and August 2 in-person meeting at Rennebohm Park. See details for these meetings, also in the Events section of the Planning Division's webpage.
· Virtual Public Meeting - West Area Plan, 07/26/2023: Join us at a virtual public meeting to see what we've heard thus far via surveys, interactive mapping, and previous public engagement, and to review and provide feedback on initial plan recommendations. This meeting will cover the same content as the July 18 virtual public meeting and August 2 in-person meeting at Rennebohm Park. See details for these meetings, also in the Events section of the Planning Division's webpage.
· In-Person Public Meeting - West Area Plan, 08/02/2023: Join us at Rennebohm Park to see what we've heard thus far via surveys, interactive mapping, and previous public engagement, and to review and provide feedback on initial plan recommendations. This meeting will cover the same content as the July 18 and July 26 virtual public meetings, which are also featured in the Events section of the Planning Division's webpage. The meeting at the park will include food for purchase and some fun outdoor activities. We look forward to meeting folks in person and discussing the plan!
Events
· East Side Farmers' Market, Tuesday, July 4, 2023: The Eastside Farmers' Market is Madison Wisconsin’s finest weekday farmers' market. Our goal is to bring the freshest Wisconsin grown food direct to the heart of the East side. Our vendor members are agricultural producers and food artisans who make value added products from Wisconsin's agricultural bounty.
· Food Cart Pop-up, Tuesday, July 4, 2023: Pop over to your neighborhood park for a Food Cart Pop-up! Scheduled at various times and in parks across the city, food carts and trucks, offering desserts, coffee, dinner and more, add to the fun of your favorite City of Madison parks. Join KC Taste Asian Cuisine at Olbrich Park!
· Dane County Farmers' Market - Wednesday Market, Wednesday, July 5, 2023: The Wednesday Dane County Farmers’ Market is located on the 200 block of Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd, in between the Madison Municipal Building and the City County Building. While more intimate than the Saturday Market, you will still find many of your favorite Dane County Farmers’ Market members, as well as a full array of fruits and vegetables, eggs, cheeses, honey, maple syrup, bakery items, cut flowers, plants, and many specialty items.
· Food Cart Pop-up, Wednesday, July 5, 2023: Pop over to your neighborhood park for a Food Cart Pop-up! Scheduled at various times and in parks across the city, food carts and trucks, offering desserts, coffee, dinner and more, add to the fun of your favorite City of Madison parks. Join Kona Ice at Vilas Beach Park!
· The Capitol View Farmers’ Market, Wednesday, July 5, 2023: The Capitol View Farmers Market is returning to the North Star Neighborhood! Join us each Wednesday (May 31-October 11, 2023) from 3:00-7:00pm to support local farmers and vendors, enjoy live music and food carts, and make the most of summer in Madison!
· Parks Alive | Hammersley Park, Wednesday, July 5, 2023: 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! Hammersley Park: July 5, July 19, August 2, August 16.
· Concerts on the Square, Wednesday, July 5, 2023: The Capitol Square comes alive for six consecutive Wednesdays during the summer months with music from the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra. FREE and open to the public, grab a blanket, a picnic basket, and your family and friends for this Madison tradition!
· Food Cart Pop-up, Thursday, July 6, 2023: Pop over to your neighborhood park for a Food Cart Pop-up! Scheduled at various times and in parks across the city, food carts and trucks, offering desserts, coffee, dinner and more, add to the fun of your favorite City of Madison parks. Join Kona Ice at Vilas Beach Park!
· Parks Alive | Owl Creek Park | Movie: Spider-Man: No Way Home: 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! Owl Creek Park: July 6, July 20, August 3, August 17.
· Capitol City Band Concerts in the Park, Thursday, July 6, 2023: Old fashioned band concerts in the park, "as American as apple pie." Familiar toe-tapping tunes, songs, polkas, broadway tunes and the marches of John Philip SoUSA. Music for all ages and all cultures. Relax, enjoy the music. Bring a friend. Bring a chair for listening comfort.
· Concerts on the Rooftop: The Whiskey Farm, Thursday, July 6, 2023: The Whiskey Farm is an Americana and folk rock band from Madison. Formed in 2010, they have released five studio albums, including their acclaimed 2022 record, Over These Green Hills. Winners of four Madison Area Music Awards and the national Songs for Social Change Contest, the band is known for their multi-instrumentalists and layered harmonies in lyric-driven songs.
· Summer Nights at Segoe, Friday, July 7, 2023: Summer Nights at Segoe will feature live music from 6:30pm - 8:30pm. Carts in Parks: The City of Madison Carts in Parks program continues in 2022 and will be regularly featured at parks around Madison! Food carts are scheduled at a variety of parks and community events through the summer. Many of the food carts accept credit for payment, but not all. Please plan accordingly. The exact food cart(s) and the schedule are subject to change. Weather may impact or cancel vending activities.
· Sandburg Woods Volunteer Day, Saturday, July 8, 2023: Madison Parks is seeking volunteers in conservation to assist in removing invasive plants in Sandburg Woods Conservation Park. Participants will learn plant identification, conservation methods, ecological restoration efforts and methods, as well as park history.
· Art Fair on the Square, Saturday, July 8 and Sunday, July 9, 2023: Art Fair on the Square is a nationally respected summertime event that attracts some 200,000 Midwestern art lovers each July. The fair features live music, entertainment, a range of dining options, as well as nearly 500 artists exhibiting paintings, prints, photographs, sculpture, jewelry, handmade clothing, accessories, and fine craft.
· Food Cart Pop-up, Saturday, July 8, 2023: Pop over to your neighborhood park for a Food Cart Pop-up! Scheduled at various times and in parks across the city, food carts and trucks, offering desserts, coffee, dinner and more, add to the fun of your favorite City of Madison parks. Join Cool Sweet Treats at Vilas Beach Park!
· Bird & Nature Adventures | Owen, Saturday, July 8, 2023: History and Ecology with Lois Komai and Chris Sessions ~ Join experienced School Naturalists Lois Komai and Chris Sessions for a free fun family-friendly guided tour to learn about the natural and social history of Owen Park or take a healthy nature walk on your own any day in July along easy hiking paths. Explore the woodlands and pastures that have been restored to oak openings and native prairies.
· Food Cart Pop-up, Sunday, July 9, 2023: Pop over to your neighborhood park for a Food Cart Pop-up! Scheduled at various times and in parks across the city, food carts and trucks, offering desserts, coffee, dinner and more, add to the fun of your favorite City of Madison parks. Join Cool Sweet Treats at Vilas Beach Park!
· Bird & Nature Adventures | Turville Point, Sunday, July 9, 2023: Beating the Heat with Alex Singer ~ Join Naturalist Alex Singer for a free fun family friendly guided walk or take a healthy nature walk on your own any day in July. Enjoy the cool woods and natural areas and learn how trees, plants, and animals adapt to deal with heat and draught. We will follow easy walking trails that take you to through the woodlands and restored prairie to the beautiful Lake Monona shoreline.
Announcements
· Mallards Fireworks at Warner Park--Traffic Closures: Streets near Warner Park on the City's north side will have closures following the Madison Mallards Fireworks show the night of Monday, July 3. The show is expected to start between 9:30pm-10:00pm and will last about 20 minutes.
· Plan Ahead for Farmers' Market Saturdays; City to Close Capitol Square to Traffic: Anyone planning to visit downtown Madison on a Saturday this summer should plan to park and walk a bit further to get to the Dane County Farmers' Market on the Square; the eight blocks immediately surrounding the square will be closed to motor vehicles.
· This July, Celebrate Park and Recreation Month: Madison Parks and Madison School & Community Recreation (MSCR) are celebrating National Park and Recreation Month - Where Community Grows throughout July and you’re invited!
· Increased Need for Crossing Guards as City of Madison Prioritizes Safety: The City of Madison Traffic Engineering Division is currently facing an increased need for crossing guards throughout the city.
· Have a Say: Help Us Interview Firefighter/EMT Candidates!: The Madison Fire Department seeks community members to serve on our upcoming Firefighter/EMT interview panels. It’s our way of giving voice to the community as we seek the best possible individuals to serve our city as a member of the fire department.
· Madison Arts Commission awards $107,485 for arts projects in their 2023 grant cycle: The Madison Arts Commission awarded $107,485 to 68 organizations and individuals for projects through their annual arts grants program.
· Poor Air Quality Delaying Some Trash & Recycling Collections on Thursday, June 29, 2023: Due to continued concerns about poor air quality, residents with a scheduled Thursday collection day who have their trash/recycling collected from an alleyway, dead-end, or one-way street may have their pickup delayed until Friday, June 30, 2013.
· Limited Library Service June 29-July 1: All Madison Public Libraries will have limited service from Thursday, June 29-Saturday, July 1 due to scheduled network upgrades.
· Dane County Air Quality at Unhealthy Levels Due to Wildfire Smoke: Public Health encourages everyone to take steps to protect yourself from wildfire smoke during the Air Quality Advisory in effect until Thursday PM.
· 33 development projects coming to Madison's skyline: Eleven tower cranes hover over future multistory buildings downtown, and just about 6,000 apartment units are on the way. The Dane County Regional Airport, which recently opened a new wing, is on pace to eclipse record-breaking, pre-pandemic passenger numbers. Building renovations — some in the mega-multimillion-dollar range — will make sections of Madison unrecognizable in the next few years.
· Maliha Nu’Man Named City of Madison’s 2023-24 Youth Poet Laureate : During a ceremony earlier this month at Pinney Library, the City of Madison, the Madison Arts Commission, and Madison Poet Laureate Angela Trudell Vasquez celebrated the accomplishments of Madeleine Bohn, who served as Madison’s first Youth Poet Laureate. Afterwards, Trudell Vasquez publically announced and welcomed Maliha Nu’Man as the second Madison Youth Poet Laureate.
· A Wild Rumpus Returns this July to Offer A Unique Play Experience in the Park: MADISON, WI -- Madison Parks and Madison Public Library bring you A Wild Rumpus: An Anji Play Experience at two parks July through August.
· How to Help Your Trees During the Spongy Moth Outbreak: According to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, we are seeing a very high number of spongy month caterpillars throughout the state. We are experiencing the same outbreak here in Madison. The population boom is due to a variety of environmental factors that have made conditions favorable for this species to thrive.
· No Streets Division Collections on Tuesday July 4, 2023: There will be no trash, recycling, brush, or large item collection on Tuesday, July 4, 2023 in observance of the Independence Day holiday. The Streets Division drop-off sites will also be closed.
Streets Division Updates
· Independence Day: Make sure you check your collection schedule to see how the upcoming July 4 holiday affects your trash & recycling collection. Your calendar can be downloaded at www.cityofmadison.com/CollectionSchedule. Also – be mindful of the drop-off site schedule with the holiday. The drop-off sites will be closed on Tuesday, July 4. The Sycamore & South Point sites are also usually closed on Wednesdays, so that means they will also be closed on Wednesday, July 5, too.
· Special Olin Avenue Closure in Late July: Due to the All City Swim meet, the Olin Avenue facility will be completely closed to the public on July 27, 28, and 29. That means no drop-off site, no mulch pickup, and no brush processing during those three days.
· Recycle Better on July 12: Sustain Dane and the Streets Division are teaming up to offer one last Recycle Better class in 2023. The class starts on July 12. You can sign up and get more details here or by checking out Sustain Dane’s Recycle Better website, www.sustaindane.org/Better
· Avoid Battery Fires: Lithium battery fires have been in the news lately, so be sure you are handling your batteries correctly so you do not cause a fire. The correct recycling steps can be found on the Streets Division’s website.
· August Moving Days – Already?: Yeah, I know. It’s nearly July, so moving days will be around the corner. All the details you need are up on the Streets Division’s website, www.cityofmadison.com/MovingDays.