Reminder: Neighborhood Walk this Wednesday July 12th at 530pm

Hello -- 

I'm looking forward to meeting more community members who reside in the district as well as reconnecting with those I've already been in the community with during tomorrow's neighborhood walk in partnership with the Sandburg Neighborhood Association. Please note it's up to you if you'd like to walk the full walk with us.  It is perfectly okay to come outside and wave us over to stop in front of your home for a brief conversation. You'll know it's us as we'll be wearing bright safety vests. 

In the spirit of transparency, I'm sharing an email thread regarding the short notice for tomorrow's neighborhood walk.  Going forward I will be sure to work with the Association and others interested in engagement opportunities to choose dates that would allow for more time to connect with neighbors in advance, however, there still may be times when an opportunity presents itself that doesn't allow me as much notice as community members may hope for. 

I also encourage you to ask your neighbors if they are also subscribed to my blog updates to increase the chances that they too are getting info as Alders do not have enough funding in our budgets to send a large number of postcards out for each engagement opportunity to work on. 

Be sure to scroll down for the walk details and flyer. 

From a District 17 Resident who lives on Anniversary Lane: 

"Alder Madison,

Today I received an invite to the neighborhood walk. It is scheduled for tomorrow. Although I appreciate you all taking the time to meet with the neighborhood, I am a bit frustrated that we weren’t provided more than a day of notice. I think you’ll find many that want to attend won’t be able to due to the very short notice."

My response to this resident

"Hello XXXX --

I join you in your frustration.  Here's why --

1st: serving as Alder is supposed to be a part-time job, however, it requires the ability to work full-time, which most weeks I actually can commit 30+ hours.  Recently, I have had some personal family commitments that require more of my time.

2nd: the date selected was the best that worked for the neighborhood association leadership and others taking part in the planning who live in the area.  The date would not allow for the required 3 weeks to send out postcards.  ( I have Cc'd Kate Pinkston from the Neighborhood Assoc on this thread) So in essence, I chose a date that works best for your neighbors and not for myself --- as it was important to prioritize your neighbor's availability. 

Despite my schedule, and the schedules of your neighbors due to their own family commitments -- we decided to still do our best to offer an engagement opportunity as it's something that the leaders of the Sandburg Neighborhood Association wanted to do and I of course wanted to offer my support.

I do hope that more neighbors including yourself, if home, will come out to say hello even if it's from your porch/lawn vs taking the full walk with us.  For example, while we were walking to pass out fliers yesterday, we had several conversations with neighbors which allowed me to gather concerns to share with city agencies.

It is easy to be frustrated, however, it is offering your understanding of our schedules that will work towards creating a thriving district." 

What I failed to mention to this resident is that I also included a brief note in my blog post about the neighborhood walk on July 5th. 

Neighborhood Walk, Wednesday, July 12th, 530pm:

Join me and Sandburg's Neighborhood Association leaders on a neighborhood walk to discuss some of the challenges our district is facing. It's the perfect opportunity to share your concerns and solutions. We'll be joined by various City agencies including the Mayor's office. 
 

5:30PM: We'll meet at Sandburg Elementary School located at 4114 Donald Dr.

• Walk Crest Line Drive to Melody Lane
• Melody Lane to Independence Lane
• Independence Lane to Anniversary Lane
• Anniversary Lane to Forest Run
• Forest Run to Hayes Rd
• Hayes Rd to Portage Rd
• Portage Rd back to Donald Dr/Sandburg Elementary

Feel free to walk and talk with us or simply come outdoors to chat with us for a few minutes as we make our way through the area.
Questions? Email district17@cityofmadison.com