
Meeting and Event Highlights for the Week of January 15, 2024
postedCity Offices are closed on January 15: Administrative offices are closed on Monday, January 15, 2024 for Martin Luther King Jr Day. Emergency services will be open; please call 911. Use Report a Problem for non-emergencies.
Streets Division Updates
- Declared Snow Emergency: In effect until Sunday, January 14, 2024 – 7:00 am
- Sidewalk Clearing Update: Posted Friday, January 12, 2024 – 9:58 am
- Snow Plowing Update: Posted Friday, January 12, 2024 – 12:38 pm
- Winter Information: The City of Madison has a hub for all things winter from how to use salt correctly to winter recreation opportunities to free sand locations to snowplowing update email signups. All of that is available at www.cityofmadison.com/Winter
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 here.
- Finance Committee: The Finance Committee meeting will take place on Tuesday, January 16, in virtual format at 4:30 p.m. Agenda items include the acquisition of property in Districts 12 and 13, approving contract amendments to complete work at the Royal Thai Pavilion in Olbrich Botanical Gardens, and providing Metro Transit with funding via Dane County for accessible transportation.
- Transportation Commission: The Transportation Commission meeting will take place on Wednesday, January 17, in virtual format at 5:00 p.m. Agenda items include entering into agreements with Dane County to provide Group Access Services, Volunteer Driver Escort Services, and accessible transportation services, as well as approving the application for a pedal-cab service operator license for Badger Bike Taxi Cab.
- Madison Food Policy Council: The Madison Food Policy Council meeting will take place on Wednesday, January 17, in virtual format at 5:30 p.m. Agenda items include approving contract language for City Agriculture Leases, approving a memorandum on land banking policy, and staff reports from the Business Development Specialist, Public Health Madison & Dane County, and Extension Dane County, UW-Madison.
Public Information Meetings & Sessions
- District 11 Book Club Discussion: "How Minds Change" on January 17th at 7:00 pm at the Sequoya Library (in-person) Is it possible for individuals and politicians to shift their perspectives and transcend the prevalent "us-versus-them" mindset that pervades our society? The next book in our District 11 Book Club Discussion is the 2023-24 Go Big Read book, "How Minds Change: The Surprising Science of Belief, Opinion, and Persuasion" by David McRaney. Copies of the book are available for you to check out from the Sequoya Library at 4340 Tokay Blvd. This book illustrates that disengaging from tribal conflicts during discussions can promote a higher level of critical thinking. Borrow a copy of 'How Minds Change' from the library and join me and others for a lively discussion on Wednesday, January 17th, at 7:00 pm.
- Mineral Point “Road Diet” Discussion on January 18, 2024 at 7:00 PM: Madison Midtown Police Station Community Room, 4020 Mineral Point Road. 7:pp pm to 8:30 PM (In-Person) Mineral Point Road from Midvale Blvd to the Speedway/Glenway intersection is still on the list to be resurfaced in 2024. However, due to high traffic volumes on this section of Mineral Point Road caused by construction on other arterial roads in the area, city traffic engineering decided to delay any consideration of a “road diet” on this section of Mineral Point Road until early 2025. Now is your time to weigh in on the advantages and disadvantages of putting Mineral Point Road on a “Road Diet.”
- Public Input Meeting - Galaxy Park, Thursday, January 18: Madison Parks is planning to make improvements to Galaxy Park in 2024! Galaxy Park is a mini park located on Madison's east side. The park currently offers a playground and sun shelter. Parks has prepared two plan options to add additional amenities.
Announcements & News Releases
- January 12 Trash and Recycling Collection on West Side Incomplete; Make-up Information to Be Announced: The City of Madison Streets Division were unable to complete trash and recycling collection for west side residents that have a January 12, 2024 scheduled collection day due to weather conditions. At this time, a make-up collection schedule for the…
- South Madison Community Invited to Try Virtual Reality during Penguin Party at the Library: Live the life of an Adelie penguin in the Antarctic by playing the Virtual Reality game Waddle: A Penguin's Tale, a learning game developed by FieldDay Lab at UW-Madison, at Goodman South Madison Library on Friday, January 19 from 1-3pm.
- Madison Declares Snow Emergency on January 12, 2024; Overnight Alternate Side Parking Rules In Effect Citywide: A snow emergency has also been declared for the evening of January 12, 2024. Alternate side parking rules will be in effect for the entire City of Madison for at least the next two evenings to assist with clearing the roads. Snow emergencies can…
- Westside Alders Introduce a New Informational Series to Keep Residents Informed on Citywide Updates Called “Westside Community Connections”: Alders John W. Duncan, Nasra Wehelie and Barbara Harrington-McKinney team up to form a new monthly series of informational sessions called “Westside Community Connections”. The sessions will kick off on Thursday, January 18, 2024, at 6:00 p.m.
- Meet Zeke and Freddie: Badges presented to MPD's newest K-9 officers: MADISON, Wis. – The Madison Police Department is formally welcoming its two newest K-9 officers to the unit.K-9 Zeke and K-9 Freddie were awarded their badges Thursday during a special swearing-in ceremony.
- All Madison Public Libraries Will Be Closed Friday, January 12 and Saturday, January 13 All Madison Public Library locations will be closed on Friday, January 12 and Saturday, January 13 due to inclement weather. All library events and all community events held in Madison Public Libraries on Friday and Saturday will also be canceled.
- City to Close Non-Essential Services to the Public Friday January 12th through Saturday January 13th Due to Inclement Weather: Due to expected heavy snowfall and strong blowing snow conditions starting early Friday morning and continuing through Saturday, all non-essential, in-person City services will be suspended on Friday January 12 through Saturday January 13, resuming…
- Reduced Metro Service on January 15: Martin Luther King Jr.
- Thank You! 60th Anniversary of City’s Civil Rights Equal Opportunities Ordinance : The Department of Civil Rights would like to thank everyone who came to the 60th Anniversary of the City of Madison Equal Opportunities Ordinance Celebration. DCR would also like to express appreciation to everyone who supports the civil rights work…
- Sycamore and South Point Drop-off Sites Closed Friday, January 12, 2024: The Streets Division drop-off sites at 402 South Point Rd and 4602 Sycamore Avenue will be closed Friday, January 12, 2024 due to the severe weather. The South Point and Sycamore drop-off sites are expected to re-open on Tuesday, January 16, 2024…
- Early Start for Trash & Recycling Collection on Friday, January 12, 2024; Place Carts Out for Collection by 5:30am: Early Start for Trash & Recycling Collection on Friday, January 12, 2024; Place Carts Out for Collection by 5:30am
- Five Resumes Received for the District 19 Common Council Vacancy : Council Executive Committee Will Meet on January 23rd to Recommend Interim Alder
- Snow Emergency Continues Tonight; Overnight Alternate Side Parking Rules in Effect Citywide: A snow emergency remains in effect for the City of Madison tonight, January 10, 2024.When parking your vehicle this evening, please choose off-street parking options. Additional details about the Streets Division’s ongoing snowplowing response can…
- Cinesthesia Film Series Returns to Central Library January 17: Cinesthesia is back! This eclectic movie series hosted by cinephile Jason Fuhrman returns to Central Library for monthly screenings. Check out the lineup for 2024...
Events
- Meditation At Monona Terrace, Thursday, January 11 (This event occurs on multiple dates): Life can be stressful, meditation can give you a sense of calm, peace, and balance that benefits both your emotional well-being and your overall health. All experience levels and drop-ins welcome. Thursdays, January 11 through May 16, from 12 noon – 12:45pm. Virtually on Zoom (advance registration required) & FREE to participate.
- Groove & Glide, Friday, January 19: Make the most of winter at a Groove and Glide event! Experience the fun and beauty of ice skating under the lights with fun music and games. All ages and experience levels are welcome. Grab your friends, a date, or the whole family, and come have some fun on the ice.
- Bird & Nature Adventures | Starkweather Creek Area, Saturday, January 20: Outings in the Starkweather Creek area vary each month - be sure to check the starting location. Adventures typically at 10:00am on the 3rd Saturday of the month, year-round, and frequently start at the Goodman Community Center, unless noted otherwise. Outings include nature walks, canoe/kayak adventures, bicycling tours, and more, and are sponsored by the Madison Friends of Urban Nature, Madison Parks, Badgerland Bird Alliance, Goodman Community Center, Madison Audubon Society, and Friends of Starkweather Creek. No registration is required. Pets are not allowed.
- Candlelight Snowshoe Walk, Saturday, January 20: Join Madison Parks, Wild Warner and the Friends of Cherokee Marsh in this free, family-friendly event at Warner Park. See the park by candlelight and warm up by the fire. Limited snowshoes will be available to borrow during the event, or bring your own or wear appropriate winter footwear. No registration is needed. This event will take place with or without snow cover but may be canceled if conditions are icy or otherwise unsafe.
- Learn to Ice Fish, Sunday, January 21: Learn to Ice Fish with Madison Parks and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources! Participants will learn ice fishing techniques and how to properly, and safely ice fish. This is a free event offered during the Free Fishing Weekend and no fishing license is required. Advanced registration is required. This event is open to adults and children and is ideal for persons aged 7 years and older. Children must be supervised by a parent or adult guardian. Participants will be asked to sign a waiver for themselves and their children, upon arrival.
- Bird & Nature Adventures | Warner Park, Sunday, January 21: The Art of Winter with Kathlean Wolf ~ At a time when the sun is dim and the landscape has faded to grayscale, the artistry of nature is hidden all around us. Join Wild Warner Naturalist Kathlean Wolf for a free guided walk or take a walk on your own to enjoy contrasts in the landscape, fallen leaves exposing the shapes of trees, dried summer plants creating snow-capped sculptures and ice and frost creating fantastic scenes.