Week of November 10, 2025
postedDistrict Niners,
It is curtain time for the City of Madison 2026 budget where amendments to the budget (some good, some indefensible will be offered). Taxpayers are again asked to dig deeper into their pockets to pay for some projects that were ill-conceived, that is, long-term effects and/or consequences were never addressed. What is so wrong with implementing a budget based on performance measurements and outcomes instead of holding fast to "cost to continue" for budgeting purposes? Does cost to continue mean doing the same old thing repeatedly and hoping/wishing for a different result? When do we cease doing CPR on cost to continue? When do we (as taxpayers) ask for transparency? When do we say enough?
Madison Marathon
Yes, it's still 26.2 miles of pounding the cement for those so inspired. For those whose travels take you on to streets and roads, plan for extra time for runners on those roadways.
Updates and Notices
Public Health Offices Closed: Public Health Offices will be closed on Tuesday, November 11, 2025, for the Veteran's Day holiday. The City of Madison Offices will remain open and operate regular office hours.
Boards, Commissions & 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.
- Common Council: The Common Council meeting will take place on Tuesday, November 11, at 5:30 p.m. in hybrid format. Agenda items include adopting the 2026 City Budget.
- Common Council: The Common Council meeting will take place on Wednesday, November 12, at 5:30 p.m. in hybrid format, if needed. This meeting, if needed, would be used for budget deliberations.
- Common Council: The Common Council meeting will take place on Thursday, November 13, at 5:30 p.m. in hybrid format, if needed. This meeting, if needed, would be used for budget deliberations.
If you would like more information about becoming a member of a City board, commission, or committee, please visit the page linked here.
Announcements and News Releases
- 2026 & 2027 Trash and Recycling Schedules Now Available: Tired of being unsure if this week is your recycling week? Worried about mixing up those confusing holiday schedules? Are you just done with wondering if the neighbors you have been relying on to put out their carts first so you can follow their lead…
- Street Closures for Madison Marathon: Several streets in and around downtown will be closed for the Madison Marathon races on Sunday, November 9th. The races all begin at 7:00 AM on the Capitol Square with the full marathon course taking runners through the UW Arboretum, Vilas Parkand around the Lake.
- North Randall Avenue - Street Reopened: North Randall Avenue has been reopened to traffic between Campus Drive and West Dayton Street, as of Wednesday morning, November 5. The street had been closed to traffic since May for a UW/DOA utility installation project.
- Madison Public Library's 150th Anniversary Celebrations Wrap Up with 150 Artists x 150 Years Exhibition and Events : MADISON, WI The final celebration of Madison Public Library’s 150th Anniversary in 2025 will take the form of an art show highlighting literacy, history, and the wealth of local art connections the library has made over the past 12 years.
- Foods Scraps at the Farmers Market: Season Over and Goal Update: The ability to bring your food scraps to a neighborhood farmers’ markets has ended for 2025.For the winter months, you can use one of the Dane County Scrap Stops to drop off your food scraps. Visit the Dane County website to register for a kiosk…
- Gorham Street Lane Closures: Work began Monday, November 3 on W Gorham Street, between N Broom Street and N Bassett Street, and will last until approximately Friday, November 21. There will be lane closures and vehicle travel lane shifts in place to accommodate utility.
- Updates to Winter Alternate Side Parking Program: The City of Madison is reviewing its Alternate Side Parking Program to find ways to improve safety, efficiency, and communication during winter months.
- Put Your Pumpkins in Your Leaf Piles: Spice up your leaf piles with this season’s jack-o-lanterns. Streets Division crews will collect pumpkins, hay, corn stalks along with your leaves and other yard waste. Remove wires, candles, string, electric lights, and similar items from your.
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.
Events
- Wright Design Series - Designing our Community: Potter Lawson’s Evolution, Monday, November 10: For over a century, Potter Lawson, Inc has shaped Madison’s landscape as the city’s oldest architecture, planning, and interior design firm. Architect Doug Hursh will share a brief architectural history of the firm, including the impact it has had on the city and significant community projects.
- Connecting D7: Learning Together with Alder Badri Lankella featuring MPD, Thursday, November 13: Join Alder Badri Lankella for a virtual lunch-and-learn featuring Chief of Police John Patterson and West District Captain Timothy Patton from the City of Madison Police Department as guest speakers.
- Public Art Dedication at Parks Lakeside Offices, Friday, November 14: The City of Madison is pleased to announce the acquisition and installation of a significant late mid-century mosaic mural by acclaimed Dutch artist Arnold Zweerts.
- Warner Family Fun Night, Friday, November 14: Join us at WPCRC for Warner Family Fun Night! Families can create art projects, play in the gym, watch a movie or win some prizes playing bingo!
- T-shirt to Tote, Saturday, November 15: Give an old tee new life as a reusable tote! Visit the first indoors Dane County Farmers’ Market of the season and stop by our activity station to make a bag for your market purchases.
- Bird & Nature Adventures | Starkweather Creek Area, Saturday, November 15: Fall Tree Walk ~ Join Tree Expert Naturalist Sean Gere for a fun and informal free family friendly guided walk for all ages on easy paths along Starkweather Creek. Enjoy the outdoors and learn about trees when leaves have fallen and you can see the branching structures and bark more easily.
- Bird & Nature Adventures | Warner Park, Sunday, November 16: Fat Bears and Chonky Squirrels ~ Join Wildlife Naturalist Kathlean Wolf for a free guided walk on easy walk paths along Warner Pond and the wild side of Warner Park. Wild critters are busy fattening up and hunkering down as days gets colder. Learn about wildlife and how they change their bodies and their environment in preparation for winter.
Visit RoundTrip @ the Winter Bike Fashion Show, Sunday, November 16: This free, family-friendly event features models showing off their winter biking gear, demonstrations on how to layer for cold-weather rides, and Q&A sessions filled with tips for staying comfortable riding through the winter. You’ll also have a chance to practice loading a bike onto a Metro bus rack!
Your Well-being
Is your flu, RSV, pneumococcal or Covid booster shot at the top of your priority list? It is not too late.
Until next time,
Joann
Additional upcoming events can also be found on the City events calendar.