City Meetings and Updates Week of January 26

• City Meetings: Common Council 1/27
• Winter Salt Week is 1/26-1/30
• Madison Community Development Division “Telling Our Story” Update: How Neighborhood Centers Help Fill Food Gaps
• Rescheduled: Door Creek Park Shelter Ribbon Cutting 2/1
• Events & Announcements

City Meetings: Common Council

The Common Council meeting will take place on Tuesday, January 27, at 6:30 p.m. in hybrid format. Agenda items include:

•  Item 1: A resolution proclaiming January 26-30 as Winter Salt Week. See the below section in this blog post for more information about Winter Salt Week and why responsible use of salt is so important. 
• Item 16: A resolution approving a Transportation Alternatives Program agreement with the Wisconsin Department of Transportation for construction cost sharing and State Design Review costs for the Capital City Pedestrian/Bike Path extension through the Southeast Side (I’m a cosponsor).
• Item 30: A resolution authorizing a cost sharing agreement for the construction of the Madison LakeWay Community Causeway Improvements.
• Item 34: A resolution authorizing the noncompetitive purchase of renewable diesel fuel for City Fleet vehicles of up to $1.3m (I’m a cosponsor). The funding is already allocated and available in Fleet’s budget. From the resolution: “renewable diesel is a clean energy fuel that does not require costly infrastructure improvements to facilitate its use in colder temperatures; […] renewable diesel reduces carbon intensity by 65% on average when compared with petroleum diesel according to California's Low Carbon Fuel Standard Certified Carbon Intensities; […] the Fleet Division tested the use of renewable diesel in our fleet operations in 2024 and 2025 with positive results; […] additional testing is required to determine what blends of renewable diesel will meet our mechanical and operational needs throughout the year, specifically in the colder winter months”.
• Item 48: A resolution opposing the expansion of the Beltline (US 12/14/18/151) within the City of Madison and Supporting Improved Multimodal and Local Connectivity Across and Along the Corridor (I’m a cosponsor). Here’s the staff presentation with more conformation about this WisDOT study and its potential impacts on Madison residents, including: the addition of new raised “weave” structures that carry traffic lanes above-grade over other lanes, adding another general-purpose lane along the entire Beltline, adding a flex lane west of Verona Road, and the displacement of dozens of homes and commercial businesses due to the expanded width of the highway.

Meeting info:

• Meeting Details
• Meeting Agenda
• Register for Public Comment
• Watch Online

Winter Salt Week is Monday through Friday

Winter Salt Week is a series of programming to raise awareness of responsible salt use in the winter. Learn more about 2026 Winter Salt Week programming here. Here’s City Engineering’s related press release. 

All salt applied to City of Madison roadways, parking lots, and sidewalks eventually end up in our freshwater, polluting lakes, streams, and groundwater. Chloride contamination is increasing statewide, with measurable impacts on our drinking water. Even a small amount-just one teaspoon-can pollute five gallons of water to a level that is toxic for aquatic life, and removing salt from water is costly and challenging. Nationwide we spend over $5 billion annually to repair salt damage to roads and bridges and we’re not keeping up with the damage (source).

Winter maintenance best practices not only protect our freshwater resources but also minimize damage to infrastructure and property and reduce harm to aquatic plants and animals while maintaining public safety. Residents of Madison can make meaningful contributions to salt pollution reduction by learning about smart salting practices, engaging in safe winter driving, and hiring trained service providers.

At-home smart salting tips from Wisconsin SaltWise:

• Shovel first: The more snow you remove manually, the less salt you will have to use and the more effective it will be. Brooms work well to sweep away residual snow after shoveling and snow blowing and often no salt is needed.
• Use sand instead of salt: Below 15F, traditional rock salt is ineffective. Use sand or another abrasive for traction.
• Increase your water softener efficiency: Most wastewater treatment plants are not able to remove salt from wastewater, so all water softener salt passes through the treatment plant and into local water systems. Consider installing a blending valve that allows some “hardness” to bypass through the softener, blending fully-softened with some unsoftened water.

Madison Community Development Division “Telling Our Story” Update: How Neighborhood Centers Help Fill Food Gaps

Through City levy, federal, and other funding sources, Madison’s Community Development Division (CDD) in City government supports hundreds of programs and services delivered by nonprofit and community partners across the city. While this work often shows up as a line item in a budget, its impact is deeply human and felt in very real ways by residents across Madison.

To help bring those impacts to life, CDD has launched an internal "Telling Our Story" project. As part of this effort, CDD will share a new community impact story each month on its website to highlight how CDD funding supports residents and strengthens neighborhoods through the work of our community partners.

Here's a link to their first story, "How Neighborhood Centers Help Fill Food Gaps". Future CDD impact stories will be made available on this CDD webpage.

Rescheduled: Door Creek Park Shelter Ribbon Cutting & Winter Celebration on Saturday, Feb 1st

Consider joining a ribbon-cutting and winter celebration at Door Creek Park right here on the Far East Side! 

When: Saturday, February 1st (RESCHEDULED from last week due to severe cold) from 10am-noon

Where: Door Creek Park, 7035 Littlemore Drive

Schedule:

• 10:00am: Ribbon cutting inside the pavilion
• 10:30am – 12:00pm: free equipment use – skis, snowshoes, and ice skates – depending on amenities open
• 10:30am – 12:00pm: Learn to Classes, free and provided by Madison Nordic Ski Club
  • Learn to Cross-Country Ski
  • Learn to Snowshoe  
• Plus ice skating with games and prizes and free popcorn!

Food Carts (!!!)

• Antojitos Authentic Mexican Food
• Runnin' on Empty
• Tacos El Cucuy
• Tom's Travelin' Coffee

Events & Announcements

• Don’t Miss 2026 Wisconsin Salt Week Livestreams, Videos and More: The City of Madison Engineering Division is proud to take part in Wisconsin Salt Week, Jan. 26-30, 2026, and invites the community to join in on the community educational opportunities to learn how to responsibly use salt and minimize salt use. [posted January 23, 2026]
• Statement on Law Forward Case: The City of Madison believes that all forms of voting — including absentee voting — should be encouraged, promoted and protected. That commitment to Madison voters and absentee voters in particular has been longstanding and will continue. [posted January 23, 2026]
• Application period opens for 2026 Arts Grants: The Madison Arts Commission (MAC) invites individual artists and non-profit organizations to apply for its annual grant program. [posted January 23, 2026]
• Mayor, community partners celebrate completion of ‘missing middle’ affordable homeownership project: Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway, Ald. Sean O’Brien, and representatives from the Madison Area Community Land Trust celebrated the completion of new affordable homes in the Owl Creek neighborhood. [posted January 21, 2026]
• Extreme Cold Temperatures On the Way(link is external): As temperatures drop, take steps to stay warm. [posted January 21, 2026]
• Prepare Your Home for Freezing Temperatures: Frigid temperatures are a good reminder for home and business owners to make sure their water pipes are protected from freezing or bursting. [posted January 20, 2026]
• 2026 SEED Grants Cycle Now Open: The City of Madison Food Policy Council is opening the 2026 SEED Grants cycle to address food access issues in our community. [posted January 20, 2026]
• Groove & Glide | Olbrich, Friday, January 30: Experience the fun and beauty of ice skating under the stars and lights with music and games.  All ages and experience levels are welcome. Groove & Glide events are free to attend and no registration is needed. 
• Kiddie Basketball Clinic, Saturday, January 24 (This event occurs on multiple dates): This basketball clinic is designed for boys and girls in kindergarten through 3rd grade. Kids will learn the fundamentals of dribbling, shooting, passing and game-play. 
• Skate Cinema | Norm of the North, Saturday, January 31: Join us for an evening of ice skating and a movie at Skate Cinema! Bring a lawn chair and a blanket, and make it an evening to remember. This event is free to attend, and no registration is required. Ice skating is allowed while the movie is playing. Warm up by the fire pit. Bring your own skates or rent a pair from inside the staffed warming pavilion. 
• Door Creek Park Ribbon Cutting & Winter Celebration, Sunday, February 1: Join City leaders, partners, and friends for a ribbon-cutting and winter celebration at Door Creek Park!
• Learn to Cross-Country Ski, Sunday, February 1: Join us for a free cross-country ski workshop at Door Creek Park, hosted by Madison Nordic Ski Club (MadNorSki)! This requires advanced registration, is free to attend and part of the Ribbon-Cutting and Winter Celebration.
• Learn to Snowshoe, Sunday, February 1: Join us for a free snowshoeing workshop at Door Creek Park, hosted by Madison Nordic Ski Club (MadNorSki)! Advanced registration is greatly appreciated. This is a free event and part of the Ribbon-Cutting and Winter Celebration.

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