Meeting and Event Highlights for the Week of January 20, 2025

In the D19

• Speeding Concerns: I have been receiving an increasing number of concerns about speeding in residential neighborhoods. I discussed this with Captain Blackamore of the Mid-Town District on Friday, January 17. He has raised the priority of installing the limited supply of digital speed boards in our district. When I receive a concern, I also ask Traffic Engineering to add the street location to their list of possible traffic calming projects. It is a long list, usually over 450 potential projects. One way to raise the priority is for multiple persons to register their concerns. I'll blog more about this process in the future.
• District 19 Mourns the Loss of Mid-Town Detective Erik Lee: On Monday, January 13, Mid-Town Detective Erik Lee died unexpectedly while on duty. A visitation will be held from 10 am to 1 pm on January 24 at Deer Creek Church, 6602 Dominion Drive.
• Southwest Area Plan Survey: Madison's Planning Division is continuing gathering input for the Soutwest Area Plan, which includes that portion of District 19 between the Beltline and Schroeder Road. Selected residents have been mailed a postcard inviting them to participate in a survey.
• Madison Gas & Electric 2025 Tree Trimming: Madison Gas and Electric has announced their 2025 plan for trimming trees on Madison property for safety. Here is the map of affected areas. A more complete description of the process is available from the link in the title to this item, including how to provide any input you may have.

Image credit: Madison Gas & Electric

Updates and Notices

City Offices are closed on Monday, January 20, 2025: Administrative offices are closed on Monday, January 20, for Martin Luther King Jr. Day. All emergency services will be open; please call 911.

• Emergency Water Issue: Call Madison Water Utility at 608-266-4665, 24/7.
• Sanitary Sewer Back-up: Call 608-266-4430. An emergency crew will respond to your call.
• Report a Problem: Report non-emergencies that can wait until the next City working day.

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.

• Finance Committee: The Finance Committee meeting will take place on Tuesday, January 21, at 4:30 p.m. in virtual format. Agenda items include increasing the threshold requiring competitive selection of service contracts from $50,000 to $75,000.
  • 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.

Public Information Meetings (PIM’s)

• Sauk Creek Greenway, Wednesday, January 22: Join the City for the fifth public meeting to learn about what is proposed in the Final Sauk Creek Corridor Plan! The virtual public meeting will take place on January 22 from 6:30-8:30 p.m. Registration prior to the meeting is required.
• Public Input Meeting - Madison LakeWay Schematic Design, Thursday, January 23: As part of the Madison LakeWay development initiative, Madison Parks is seeking your comments on the proposed lakeshore and path features along the John Nolen Drive causeway. The area under consideration spans 0.6 miles of public lakeshore and is the first phase of implementation for the Madison LakeWay.

Announcements and News Releases

• Subzero Temperatures May Cause Trash & Recycling Delays on January 21, 2025: Due to the subzero temperatures expected for the morning on January 21, 2025, some residents may experience a delay in their trash and recycling pickup. Here’s what you should do:1. Have Your Carts Ready for Pickup by 6:30am as Scheduled… [posted January 17, 2025]
• Snowplow Name Submissions End on January 24 at 4:00pm: The first phase of this year’s snow equipment naming is ends in one week. You have until 4:00pm on January 24, 2025, at 4:00pm to submit your snowplow name ideas so they can be considered as finalists for the naming election that will be hosted… [posted January 17, 2025]
• Building Neighborhood Strength, Supporting Food Security, and More: 2025 Neighborhood Grant Program is Now Open!: From now through February 18, 2025, small groups of five or more residents, centers of worship, nonprofits, neighborhood associations and other groups serving neighborhoods can apply for the Neighborhood Grant Program. [posted January 16, 2025]
• No Trash & Recycling Collection or Drop-off Sites on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day (January 20, 2025): There will be no trash or recycling collection by the Streets Division on Monday, January 20, 2025 in observance of the Martin Luther King, Jr holiday. The drop-off sites and Streets Division offices will also be closed. Trash & Recycling…[posted January 16, 2025]
• Metro Service Reduced on January 20: Buses will be operating Saturday schedules on Monday, January 20 due to Martin Luther King Jr. Day. [posted January 15, 2025]
• Residents of Southwest and Southeast areas invited to share perspectives in community survey: The City of Madison’s Planning Division is mailing out postcards on Wednesday, January 15, 2025 to a group of randomly-selected people living in the Southwest and Southeast areas as part of the ongoing area plan process. [posted January 15, 2025]
• Common Council Approves Grants for Older Adult Services: The City of Madison Common Council signed off Tuesday night on nearly $950,000 in grants to 13 community agencies that serve older adults in Madison. The decisions are the culmination of a months-long funding application process. [posted January 15, 2025]
• Free Fun Weekend in Madison’s Parks: Madison Parks, in partnership with Dane County Parks is offering a permit-free weekend on Saturday and Sunday, January 18 and 19, 2025. Permits are typically required for dogs in parks, disc golf and access to the lakes. This weekend, enjoy these…[posted January 15, 2025]
• City of Madison reaches agreement to keep ice arenas open under non-profit ownership: The Madison Common Council approved an agreement at its January 14 meeting that will keep two popular ice arenas in Madison open and address the outstanding debt owed to the City. [posted January 15, 2025]
• City of Madison’s State Street Campus Garage Mixed-Use Project Moves into Phase Two of Construction: The City of Madison has completed the initial phase for its portion of the State Street Campus Garage Mixed-Use Project, and the housing development partner will now begin work on phase two of the project. [posted January 14, 2025]
• Dane County Executive Agard, Madison Mayor Rhodes-Conway Announce 2025 Martin Luther King, Jr. Humanitarian Award Honorees: MADISON - Today, 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. The 2025 honorees are…[posted January 13, 2025]
• Madison Food Policy Council Announces Start of 2025 SEED Grants Cycle: The City of Madison Food Policy Council is announcing the opening of the 2025 SEED Grants cycle to address food access issues in our community. [posted January 13, 2025]
• Pick Up Packets of Native Wisconsin Seeds for Free at Madison Public Library Beginning January 13: MADISON, WI -- Madison Public Library's Seed Library returns with a collection of native Wisconsin plant seeds on Monday, January 13. Library visitors can stop into one of eight participating libraries (all locations except Central Library) to pick up seed packets while supplies last.  [posted January 13, 2025]

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

• Martin Luther King Jr. Humanitarian Awards, Monday, January 20: The program will also feature the MLK Community Choir and presentation of the 2025 MLK Humanitarian Awards by Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway and Dane County Executive Melissa Agard.
• Last day to establish residency for Spring Primary, Tuesday, January 21: Voters who move within Wisconsin after today may vote from their prior address in the February 18 Spring Primary.
• D7 Virtual Lunch and Learn with Water Utility General Manager Krishna Kumar: Understanding Your Water Utility, Thursday, January 23: Alder Nasra Wehelie will kick off the 2025 new year by hosting a virtual lunch and learn featuring Water Utility General Manager Krishna Kumar on Thursday, January 23, from 12 to 1 p.m. Kumar will discuss the Madison Customer Assistance Program (MadCAP) and other water quality programs implemented to ensure drinking water is accessible and safe for all Madison residents.
• Lakeside Lab Dance: BollyBeat, Thursday, January 23: Get your groove on and experience BollyBeat, a Bollywood inspired dance class which integrates fitness with infectious beats and lively rhythms. Expect easy to follow choreographed dance routines that ensure you not only move but also revel in the joy of dance! All skill levels are welcome in this cross-cultural and cross-generational offering. 6 – 7 PM (Doors Open 5:45 PM)
• Groove & Glide, Friday, January 24: 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 family, and have fun on the ice. 
• Bird & Nature Adventures | Edna Taylor, Saturday, January 25: Bird and Critter Tracks ~ Join Master Naturalist John Newman for a free, fun, family and kid friendly guided walk to explore Owen Conservation Park.  We will look for  and look fbird and animal tracks and signs!  Can you find White-tailed Deer tracks?  Wild Turkey droppings?  Signs of Grey Squirrels digging up acorns?  The meandering trail of a Deer Mouse in the grass or under the snow?  Try making some tracks and see who can guess what they are!  Dress warm and bring a camera or binoculars if you have them.  There may be hot chocolate and a campfire with smores after the walk.
• Mobile Vaccination Clinic: Badger Prairie Needs Network, Saturday, January 25 (this event occurs on multiple dates): Public Health is hosting mobile vaccination clinics throughout the county in partnership with community organizations! All vaccines are free to those eligible…

• Learn to Ice Fish, Sunday, January 2 (this event occurs on multiple dates):Learn to Ice Fish with Madison Parks and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources! (link is external)There is no cost to attend (advanced registration is required), however, anglers ages 16 and older will need a Wisconsin fishing license, which can be purchased online at Go Wild(link is external). For first-time license buyers, the cost is just $5 for an annual permit.

   

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