Note on video explainer + Meeting and Event Highlights for the Week of January 12, 2026

Hey there, 

Just a quick note that I'm going to re-record my video explainer (for the harm reduction item mentioned in yesterday's blog post) as the video I did record has some kind of sound issue that is there the entire video.  

Also, I've gotten emails about the moratorium on data centers.  I am a co-sponsor the following item on tonight's Common Council Agenda. 

"Creating Section 28.140 to establish a temporary moratorium on the consideration and/or issuance of zoning certificates for data centers and telecommunications centers and amending 28.061, 28.082, and 28.151 to accommodate the temporary moratorium."

Sponsors so far include: Satya V. Rhodes-Conway, Tag Evers, Derek Field, Yannette Figueroa Cole, Carmella Glenn, MGR Govindarajan, John P. Guequierre, Sabrina V. Madison, Dina Nina Martinez-Rutherford, Julia Matthews, Sean O'Brien, Michael E. Verveer, Regina M. Vidaver

Alder Madison

district17@cityofmadison.com 

Meeting and Event Highlights for the Week of January 12, 2026

Updates and Notices

Metro Transit Service: Riders can stay informed by signing up for Metro Rider Alerts. Watch for canceled trips in Metro’s bus tracker or on third-party apps like Google Maps and Transit. Also, feel free to contact our customer service staff with any questions.

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 at the Meeting Schedule page.

• Common Council: The Common Council meeting will take place on Tuesday, January 13, at 6:30 p.m. in hybrid format. Agenda items include creating a temporary moratorium on the issuance of zoning certificates for data centers and telecommunications centers of more than 10,000 square feet of floor area.
  • Meeting Details
  • Meeting Agenda
  • Register for Public Comment
  • Watch Online
• Plan Commission: The Plan Commission meeting will take place on Monday, January 12, at 5:30 p.m. in virtual format. Agenda items include development-related requests in Districts 4, 5, and 9.
  • Meeting Details
  • Meeting Agenda
  • Register for Public Comment
  • Watch Online

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 Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Humanitarian Award Honorees: Dane County Executive Melissa Agard and City of Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway proudly announced this year’s recipients of the City-County Humanitarian Awards honoring Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. [posted January 8, 2026]
• Lake Street Closure for Crane Removal: From Monday, January 12 to Friday, January 16, N Lake Street will close between University Avenue and State Street by Mortenson Construction to dismantle a tower crane. [posted January 8, 2026]
• IM Report - Dec 17, 2025: During the December 17, 2025 meeting of the Police Civilian Oversight Board, Interim Independent Monitor, Meeka Glass provided an update to the board but was unable to share detailed information due to a technical issue. This report contains… [posted January 7, 2026]
• 2025 Housing Tracker Year in Review: New homes surpass annual average, focus on affordability: The City of Madison’s Housing Tracker shows steady progress toward the goal of adding 15,000 new homes of all types by 2030, with its latest update providing preliminary year-end totals for 2025. [posted January 7, 2026]

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

• Girls' Mentorship Group, Tuesday, January 13: Join Keena Atkinson of R'oujie Wellness on Tuesday evenings at Warner Park Community Recreation Center! This free series is designed for females aged 11 to 18. Pre-registration is requested but not required.
• Neighborhood Grant Program Workshop, Wednesday, January 14: The Planning Division will host the Neighborhood Grant Program again in 2026. If you have a project idea and want to ask questions or are simply interested in learning more about the program, please join us for this workshop! This will be a hybrid meeting.
• Bird & Nature Adventures | Starkweather Creek Area, Saturday, January 17: Otter Go Sledding Party ~  Join Naturalist Paul Noeldner and Friends of Starkweather Creek for a free family friendly sledding party and nature walk or go sledding on your own to embrace the joy of winter!  Some sleds will be provided, please bring a sled if you have one.
• Candlelight Snowshoe Walk, Saturday, January 17: Join Madison Parks, Friends of Urban Nature, Wild Warner and the Friends of Cherokee Marsh(link is external) in this free, family-friendly event at Warner Park. See the park by candlelight and warm up by the fire.
• Bird & Nature Adventures | Warner Park, Sunday, January 18: Enjoying Winter's Art ~ 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 forming fantastic scenes.

Additional upcoming events can also be found on the City events calendar.