Meetings and Updates Week of July 8th
posted- City Meetings:
- Finance Committee 7/8
- Plan Commission 7/8
- Plan Commission Special Meeting 7/11
- Madison Public Library Board 7/11
- Proposed changes to Large Item Pick-Up Policy on Agendas This Week
- Coffee With A Cop 7/17
- Events & Announcements
City 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 Monday, July 8, in virtual format at 4:30 p.m. Agenda items include changes to the Streets Division’s large item pick-up program (see more on this below).
Plan Commission
The regular Plan Commission meeting will take place on Monday, July 8, in virtual format at 5:30 p.m. Agenda items include a resolution adopting the City’s Sustainability Plan (I’m a cosponsor) and development related requests (none in District 3).
Plan Commission Special Meeting
The special in-person meeting of the Plan Commission special meeting will take place on Thursday, July 11, in in Room 215 of the Madison Municipal Building at 5:00 p.m. Agenda items include three very relevant presentation and discussion items about important topics in the development review and approval process: 1. Parking and Loading Considerations, 2. Conditional Use Process and Approval Conditions, and 3. Notifications and Communications in the Development Review Process.
Meeting info:
Madison Public Library Board
The Madison Public Library Board meeting will take place on Thursday, July 11, in Room 301 of the Central Library (201 W. Mifflin St.) at 5:00 p.m. Agenda items include a discussion of the 2025 budget outlook and budget scenarios. Here’s a link to Library staff’s presentation to the board, which includes some very interesting location-specific library traffic-over-time data that Board members may use to recommend branch closures or hours reductions. The presentation also includes a proposed 5% (or $1.08 million) cut scenario for 2025 that eliminates evening library hours at all branches, Sunday library hours at all branches, cuts to library programming (for kids, teens, tax assistance for adults, computer skills training, etc.), and roughly 15 or 16 library staff layoffs. There will also be a discussion about whether and how the future staffing needs for the Reindahl Imagination Center fit into the Library’s Operating Budget.
Proposed Changes to Large Item Pick-Up Policy on Agendas This Week
Both the Finance Committee meeting on Monday and the Board of Public Works meeting on Wednesday will include a discussion and an advisory vote on changes that I’m cosponsoring to the City’s Large Item Pick-Up service. I first wrote about this proposal in my June 16th blog post. The proposal makes residential buildings with greater than 8 dwelling units (who do not pay the Resource Recovery Special Charge on their monthly Municipal Services bill like smaller residences do) ineligible for large item pick-up service by the City. The proposal also gives City Building Inspection more tools to enforce the City's rules for not storing large items on the terrace for pick-up. If the proposal passes, starting in November after months of Streets Division communication about the changes, those large buildings would be responsible for arranging private large item pick-up and they can only store those items on the terrace for a maximum of 48 hours before pick-up. Building Inspection would then have extra enforcement tools to ensure compliance.
I’m co-sponsoring these changes because there are a handful of properties in the City, including one in District 3, that use the service very often and store their large item waste out on the curb *significantly* longer than the 48 hours allowed by ordinance, which invites others to illegally drop more waste at the site and add to the pile on the curb that the City needs to pick up (making collection more expensive for the City). The Streets Division has limited capacity to keep up with these requests, resulting in longer wait times before items can be collected. Streets Division staff told the Finance Committee in their June 10th meeting that the current cost of providing large item pick-up service far exceeds the revenue generated by the fees that properties over 8 units pay when they submit a large item pick-up request. They are also very concerned about the Division’s ability to keep up with these requests as additional, large residential complexes continue to open around the City. Going into a tough Operating Budget discussions later this year, we will need to re-think the services that the City can afford to provide and this proposal will limit the otherwise inevitable future growth in the cost of providing large-item pick-up services to large buildings that do not pay the Resource Recovery Fee Special Charge.
If you have thoughts about this proposal, consider sending your input to the Finance Committee Members (financecommittee@cityofmadison.com) or the Board of Public Works Members (boardofpublicworks@cityofmadison.com) ahead of their meetings this week. The proposal goes to Common Council for final action on July 16th.
Coffee With A Cop July 17th
From MPD East Neighborhood Resource Officer Laura Deloach:
“Hello East District!
We will host another Coffee With A Cop on Wednesday, July 17 at the Pinney Branch of the Madison Public Library (516 Cottage Grove Rd.). The time will be 12PM to 1PM. Many thanks to Madison Public Library for hosting us! Neighborhood Resource Officer Laura Deloach will be there, as will Detective Lieutenant Tracie Jokala. Lieutenant Jokala has a vast depth and breadth of experience with regards to Detective work, investigations, prosecutions, and interview skills. She uses this experience to lead the dedicated and talented East District Detective bureau- a team of seven whose investigative specialties span from domestic abuse to stolen autos, to complex financial crimes. Lieutenant Jokala is also an active member of the Wisconsin Association of Women Police.
If you have any questions, please feel free to email NRO Laura Deloach at LDeloach@cityofmadison.com.”
Events & Announcements
- Capitol View Farmers' Market, Wednesdays all summer!: The Capitol View Farmers' Market is held weekly on Wednesdays (3:00-7:00pm) from late May through mid-October. Join us each week for great local vendors, live music, food carts, and special activities from week to week. Visit our website and follow us on social media for the most up-to date information and schedules! (Location: far Eastside of Madison, near the Great Dane Eastside, 5901 Sharpsburg Dr.)
- Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway Celebrates Wisconsin Supreme Court Ruling Reinstating Ballot Drop Boxes: The decision allows localities across the state to once again permit voters to use a secure and convenient method of voting.
- Share your safety concerns with MPD, community leaders at the Public Safety Summit: Madison Police Department staff and other community leaders are hosting a Public Safety Summit. The goal of the summit is to understand current safety trends in our city and the strategies employed to prevent crime.
- How to Fall Safely: Learn to fall safely and to get back up without injury. Falls are a leading cause of death for older adults in Wisconsin. We will use thick “crash mats” for practicing. Classes are progressive. $60 fee. Scholarships available.
- Celebrating National Park and Recreation Month (July) and 130 Years of Parks: For nearly 40 years, the nation has celebrated Park and Recreation Month in July to promote the importance parks and recreation have in our health and well-being. Living close to parks and other recreation facilities is consistently related to higher physical activity levels for both adults and youth. Moreover, parks provide a connection to nature, which studies demonstrate relieves stress, strengthens interpersonal relationships and improves mental health.
