Meetings and Updates week of Sept 23

• City Meetings:
  • Plan Commission 9/23
  • Common Council 9/24
• How to Vote Absentee by Mail in the November Election
• Week Without Driving 9/30-10/6
• Engineering Project Meeting: Reconstruction of Sycamore, Mac Arthur, and Larson 10/1
• Dream Lanes Bowling Center Alcohol License Meeting 10/1
• 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.

Plan Commission

The Plan Commission meeting will take place on Monday, September 9, at 5:30 p.m. in virtual format. Agenda items include a presentation on the 2025 City Budget and a resolution authorizing City Planning staff to begin planning efforts related to the Southeast Area Plan. The Southeast Area includes Rolling Meadows, Heritage Heights, and Hiestand Park neighborhoods in District 3. Expect to see more information about this as public engagement events begin late this year or early next year. The agenda also includes development related requests (none in District 3).

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

Common Council

The Common Council meeting will take place on Tuesday, September 24, at 6:30 p.m. in hybrid format. Agenda items include:

• Item 1: An honoring resolution proclaiming September 30th through October 6th as the Week Without Driving in Madison, WI. I will be participating in Week Without Driving and encourage others to consider doing so if they can, more on this below.
• Item 2: An honoring resolution recognizing September 15th through October 15th as Hispanic Heritage Month.
• Item 3: A performance and activity update from Ellie Westman Chin, CEO of Destination Madison, the organization which promotes Madison for tourism and large events to support the City’s economy.
• Item 5: A presentation to the Council about the Mayor’s 2025 Executive Capital Budget proposal. I wrote some background information about this proposal in last week’s blog post. I believe the presentation will be posted to this Legistar item shortly before the meeting. This presentation is for information and Q&A only. The Finance Committee has an opportunity to consider amendments in their September 30th meeting before the budget comes back to Common Council in November.
• Item 13: A resolution establishing new soil infiltration design standards for stormwater infiltration that future development projects must meet, effective April 1, 2025.
  • From the Drafter’s Analysis: “… Under this ordinance, technical standards for infiltration are being added to the City’s standards applicable to all developments where infiltration is required, which change would require the infiltration design to utilize the best on-site soils for this purpose.”
  • My understanding is that this change to development-related stormwater regulations is proposed in response to a recent housing development proposal on the west side where concerns about the project's stormwater handling method became a point of contention among opponents of that project.
• Item 32: A resolution authorizing an application for a Section 5310 Enhanced Mobility of Seniors and Individuals with Disabilities Program Grant with U.S. Department of Transportation (I’m a cosponsor).
• Item 33: A resolution authorizing an application for a Section 5307, 5337 & 5339 Super Grant, public transit capital, capital maintenance, and capital planning grant with U.S. Department of Transportation (I’m a cosponsor).
• Item 56: A resolution designating City of Madison Polling Locations for the 2024 General Election on November 5th (I’m a cosponsor). You can find/verify your polling place at myvote.wi.gov!

Meeting info:

• 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.

How to Vote Absentee by Mail in the November Election

Absentee ballots for the November 5 General Election have been sent to 25,655 City of Madison absentee voters with requests on file!

If you’d like to vote by mail, here’s the easiest way to request your ballot:

1. Check My Voter Info at https://MyVote.wi.gov. Enter your name and date of birth to make sure you’re registered at your current address. Scroll down to My Absentee Status to see if you’ve already requested an absentee.
2. If you haven’t  requested an absentee, you’ll see a link that says, “Start here to request an absentee ballot.” Follow the prompts to submit your absentee request on the My Vote site. If you do not have identification on file with the Clerk’s Office, the site will instruct you to upload an image of your voter ID.
3. In the days ahead, return to the My Vote site to track your absentee. Enter your name and date of birth to check when the Clerk’s Office mailed your ballot, and where it is in the mail.
4. When you receive your ballot, mark the ballot in the presence of an adult witness. Seal the ballot in the return envelope. Sign the envelope as the voter. Have your witness sign, print their name, and print their address.
5. Return your absentee to the Clerk’s Office to be counted. You may mail it back or use one of the secure drop boxes near each Madison fire station. If mailing your ballot, allow at least one week for the Post Office to deliver it. If you need assistance returning your ballot due to a disability, you may have someone other than your employer, union agent, or a candidate on the ballot assist you.
6. After returning your ballot, check https://MyVote.wi.gov to verify that the Clerk’s Office has received it.

The Clerk’s Office sends all absentee ballots to the polls to be counted on Election Day. The goal of the City Clerk’s Office is that each eligible voter will be able to cast a ballot and have that ballot counted.

In-person absentee voting begins Tuesday, October 22. Stay tuned!

September 30-October 6 is Week Without Driving

An honoring resolution on the Sept 24th Council agenda proclaims the week of September 30 to October 6 as Week Without Driving in the City of Madison. Week Without Driving is a nationwide initiative that aims to raise awareness and promote understanding about the challenges faced by individuals who do not have reliable transportation, highlighting the impact of limited transportation on people's everyday lives.

People who do not drive do so for a variety of reasons, whether it be due to age, financial circumstances, physical or intellectual disability, a preference to minimize their environmental impact, alleviate traffic congestion, or prioritize the safety of pedestrians and bicyclists. It is increasingly costly to own a car, with the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics estimating that, on average, it costs over $1,000 per month to own a car, as of 2023, making car ownership unaffordable for many Madison residents.

National organizers created the event “so that those who have the option to drive can learn firsthand about the barriers and challenges that nondrivers face and work with nondrivers to create more accessible communities for all.” It’s not meant to shame anyone who drives. Week Without Driving reminds me to think about how our communities are designed in a way that makes residents of many neighborhoods car-dependent, and to think about what that means for folks who cannot drive or cannot afford a vehicle. I’m fortunate to live within walking distance of a D1 route bus stop with service to downtown and back every 30 minutes, allowing me to travel to my day job, many in-person City meetings, or Woodman’s by bus.

Those interested in learning more or participating should check out the Week Without Driving webpage.

Engineering Project Meeting: Reconstruction of Sycamore, Mac Arthur, and Larson 10/1

The Mayfair Park neighborhood in District 3 has long awaited a City Public Works/Engineering project to redesign and reconstruct Sycamore Ave (west of Mendota St), Mac Arthur Rd, and Larson Ct. These streets were originally designed and built when the neighborhood was Blooming Grove, meaning they mostly don’t have curbs or proper stormwater handling and are otherwise in pretty bad shape. That also means the extent of reconstruction in this particular project is going to take a while to design and will not be cheap for the City. 

The City of Madison has apparently included this project in its Transportation Improvement Plan for several years, and is now getting closer to actually funding and working on the project. The 2024 City Capital Budget was finalized with this street reconstruction project slated for 2025, meaning that it wasn’t funded for 2024 but it is “in line” for funding soon. The City is now proposing to push that project back another year. The 2025 Executive Capital Budget proposal doesn’t include funding for the project in 2025. Engineering staff shared with me that there are a number of streets reconstruction projects in 2025 that are funded by federal grants (making them cheaper for Madison taxpayers) with rigid timelines on the use of the funds. They said that some 2024 work is being pushed back to 2025, resulting in some 2025 work being delayed to 2026.

I’ve coordinated with Mayfair Park neighborhood leadership on the project and potential timeline changes thus far and have planned a neighborhood meeting where City Engineering and Traffic Engineering staff will present high-level project ideas and timelines, and will take and answer residents’ questions. The intended audience of the meeting are residents who live on the streets being discussed, all of whom should have received postcard invitations. The meeting will be posted to Engineering's project webpage for those who are unable to make it. Meeting details:

• Where: Virtual meeting by Zoom, please register in advance HERE and the link to join will be emailed to you.
• When: Tuesday, October 1st, 2024 at 6:30pm.
• More information is available at this Engineering project webpage. This project isn't yet assigned to an Engineering project staff/planner, but once it is, that person's contact info will be listed on that webpage for questions.

Dream Lanes Bowling Center Alcohol License Meeting Oct 1st

The Dream Lanes Bowling Center (13 Atlas Court, near the Rolling Meadows neighborhood) may change ownership through a pending sale in the coming months, triggering the need for an application to the City to transfer their liquor license. Dream Lanes’ current owner/operator Robin Goldberg would continue to manage the site. Dream Lanes is hosting a public information session as part of their alcohol license application. Robin will coordinate the session.

When: Tuesday, October 1st from 6pm to 7pm

Where: Dream Lanes, 13 Atlas Court

Events & Announcements

• Secure Ballot Drop Boxes Now Open: The City of Madison’s secure ballot drop boxes are now open for the November 5 General Election. The boxes provide a secure way for City of Madison absentee voters to return their ballots to the City Clerk’s Office.If you requested an absentee… [posted September 20, 2024]
• Dane County Mayors Urge State to Fund Local Governments: Dane County’s seven Mayors met this week in Sun Prairie to discuss how to work together on a host of local issues – including reforms to state laws that artificially restrict local governments’ ability to meet the needs of their residents. [posted September 20, 2024]
• Bus Rapid Transit Launches on Sunday, September 22: Metro Transit is getting ready to launch its first ever bus rapid transit route on Sunday, September 22.Metro’s Rapid Route A will offer 15-minute service Monday through Friday until 8:00 pm and until 7:00 pm on Saturdays. [posted September 19, 2024]
• District 19 Alder John Guequierre Hosts Three City Budget Educational Sessions: Alder John Guequierre of District 19 has planned a series of three educational sessions with accessibility and inclusivity at the heart of these sessions. Alder Guequierre invites residents to think critically about what is needed to create and… [posted September 17, 2024]
• Greater Madison MPO Seeks Community Input on Draft Coordinated Plan: The Greater Madison MPO released its draft 2024-2028 Coordinated Public Transit-Human Services Transportation Plan, the Greater Madison area's transportation plan for older adults, people with disabilities and people with low incomes. [posted September 17, 2024]
• Library Takeover Team Hosting Day of Indian Mindfulness Activities at Central Library: Mindfulness the Indian Way is a full-day, immersive experience planned for Saturday, September 28 at Central Library, where attendees will learn how the rich traditions of Indian culture can help them feel more present and aware in their daily lives. [posted September 17, 2024]
• Name Our Electric Collection Trucks: We are calling on you to help us choose names for our two new electric vehicles. The names should be, well, electrifying. [posted September 17, 2024]
• Madison Adds Electric Collection Trucks to its Fleet: The City of Madison Streets Division will be the first community in Wisconsin with an all-electric trash Health Resource Fair, Tuesday, September 24: This annual event coincides with National Senior Center Month and reinforces the 2024 theme of "Powering Connections." Over 30 agencies will be on-hand to share information and resources. The event will wrap-up with lunch and a presentation on Genetic Counseling: Why it is Important for Older Adults. Registration is required to receive lunch.
• Capitol View Farmers' Market, Wednesday, September 25: 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!

Metro Transit - Fast Fare Pick Up! Pick up a Fast Fare card and get help from City of Madison staff. To learn more about Fast Fares, please visit the Fast Fares webpage.

• Fast Fare Pick Up at Pinney Library: September 23
• Fast Fare Pick Up at Madison Senior Center: September 24
• Fast Fare Pick Up at Alicia Ashman Library: September 24
• Fast Fare Pick Up at Central Library:September 25
• Fast Fare Pick Up at Lakeview Library: September 25
• Fast Fare Pick Up at Sequoya Library: September 26
• Fast Fare Pick Up at Meadowridge Library: September 26

For the full list of upcoming events, please visit the City events calendar.