Darkness Gives Way to Light, Last Chance Brush Collection, plus This Week's Updates

Hi Everyone,

I trust you’re managing well despite the gloomy weather. The damp chill and the long nights can do a number on your mood. I find it helps to go for walks with Bella, my sweet lab/chow mix, as she doesn’t seem to let anything darken her spirits. Besides, the solstice is right around the corner and the days will soon be getting longer. 

That cycle of renewal is something to hold dear as we turn the page on 2024. It’s challenging when our political discourse is so sullied, when the very concept of objective truth has been jettisoned. I’m rereading a book that I found helpful in 2108, The Death of Truth, by Michiko Kakutani, which I strongly recommend. 

I also recommend Timothy Snyder’s slim book, On Tyranny. Snyder’s warning about “obeying in advance” is worth underlining, all the more so because his alarming message seems to have been ignored by Jeff Bezos, Mark Zuckerberg, and the tech bros of Silicon Valley.

Now on to local matters.

Regarding the paid parking pilot vote on Tuesday -- yes, it failed by one vote, but three colleagues who were absent have all moved reconsideration, which means my amendment to rescind the pilot will get another shot at our next meeting in January.

Here are this week’s updates:

Set Out Brush This Week for Last Chance Pickup; Collection is Not Guaranteed

The Streets Division will perform one more sweep through the city collection brush that has been set out for collection, weather permitting.

If you have brush that needs to be collected, you can set it out for pickup on Sunday, December 15.  Crews will begin cycling through the city collecting it as the weather allows.

All neighborhoods share the same set out date.  It will take us several workdays to complete this round of collection. This last chance round may extend through the Christmas holiday, depending on the volume set out and the weather.  Your patience is appreciated.

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.

• Plan Commission: The Plan Commission meeting will take place on Monday, December 16, at 5:30 p.m. in virtual format. Agenda items include development-related requests in District 14 and District 16.

• Meeting Details

• Meeting Agenda

• Register for Public Comment

• Watch Online

• Economic Development Committee: The Economic Development Committee meeting will take place on Wednesday, December 18, at 5:00 p.m. in virtual format. Agenda items include authorizing the eventual forgiveness of $1,613,365 of debt held by Madison Ice Inc. for the Madison Ice Arena and Hartmeyer Ice Arena.

• 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

• Streets Division Drop-off Sites Now on Winter Hours: The Streets Division drop-off sites at 4602 Sycamore Avenue and 402 South Point Road are now on winter hours. The winter hours began on Friday, December 6, 2024.  They will remain in effect until the spring of 2025.The hours for the sites are… [posted December 12, 2024]

• RESCHEDULED: City Invites Public to Celebrate its New Autumn Ridge Path : Due to the 12/12/2024 forecast, the Autumn Ridge Ribbon Cutting will be rescheduled to 8:30 a.m., Tuesday, 12/17/2024. Original press release: https://www.cityofmadison.com/news/2024-12-09/city-invites-public-to-ce…-… [posted December 12, 2024]

• Buy Local This Holiday Season: Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway is encouraging residents to buy locally this gift-giving season. [posted December 10, 2024]

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

• Bird & Nature Adventures | Starkweather Creek Area, Saturday, December 21: 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, Goodman Community Center , Madison Audubon Society , and Friends of Starkweather Creek . No registration is required. Pets are not allowed.

• Holiday Fantasy in Lights at Olin Park, November 9th through December 31, 2024: Lighted holiday themed displays set in beautiful Olin Park. Drive through anytime Dusk until Dawn to enjoy this magical light show for free, brought to you by The Electric Group.

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

That's all for now.

Darkness gives way to light and there is always hope for a better day.

Take good care and stay safe,

Tag