Meetings and Updates Week of Oct 7

• City Meetings:
  • Plan Commission 10/7
  • Common Council 10/8
  • Public Safety Review Committee 10/9
• East Side Man Still Missing, Residents Encouraged to Check Private Property
• Proposed Amendment to the City’s Lease with The Salvation Army Temporary Family Shelter on 10/10 CDBG Agenda
• Brush Collection Ended for 2024, Yard Waste Collection Begins 10/6
• 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, October 7, at 5:30 p.m. in virtual format. Agenda items include amending Madison General Ordinances related to Lakefront Encroachments to codify lakefront yard policy and add detail, as well as 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, October 8, at 6:30 p.m. in hybrid format. Agenda items include:

• Items 1-4: Honoring resolutions about White Cane Safety Day, Domestic Violence Awareness Month, congratulating Mentoring Positives on their 20th anniversary serving the Darbo-Worthington neighborhood, and Indigenous Peoples’ Day 2024.
• Item 6: A presentation by the City Clerk
• Item 7: A presentation on public safety, including Madison Police Department, the Community Alternative Response Emergency Services program, and the Violence Prevention Unit
• Item 75: A resolution authorizing the City to apply for a grant of up to $4,250,000 from the Flexible Facilities Program funded through the State of Wisconsin Department of Administration Division of Energy, Housing and Community Resources for the Imagination Center at Reindahl Park Project (I’m a cosponsor). If the City gets this grant, it will offset construction-related capital costs for the Imagination Center project, making it less expensive for Madison taxpayers.
• Item 76: A resolution accepting a $670,000 grant award, without a local match requirement, from the Build America Bureau of the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) and authorizing the Mayor and City Clerk to execute the associated grant agreement with USDOT (I’m a cosponsor). Grant funds will be used to implement the “Madison, WI Asset Scan to Identify Opportunities for Transit-Oriented Development” project.
• Item 79: A resolution approving the final Starkweather neighborhood plat at the former Voit Farm property at 3450-3614 Milwaukee Street. Here is the developer’s Letter of Intent which includes a helpful map on page 2 that outlines their intended construction phasing with Phase 1 expected 2026-2028 and Phase 2 expected in 2029 and beyond.
• Item 80: A resolution authorizing the City Planning Division to begin the process of preparing the Southeast Area Plan and adopting a Public Participation Plan (I’m a cosponsor along with other SE area alders). Here is the staff presentation sharing some background information with the Plan Commission in late September. The Public Participation Plan shows the Southeast Area Plan process beginning fall 2024/winter 2025 and final Southeast Area Plan adoption will be around winter/spring 2026. Watch future weekly blog posts and this Southeast Area Plan project webpage for updates. I anticipate that there will be a kick-off public meeting sometime in December. Stay tuned!
• Item 81: A similar resolution authorizing the start of the Southwest Area Plan process, which will happen on the same cycle and timeline as the Southeast Area Plan.

Meeting info:

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

Public Safety Review Committee

The Public Safety Review Committee meeting will take place on Wednesday, October 9, at 5:00 p.m. in virtual format. Agenda items include:

• Item 5: A presentation on the 2025 City Budget by Deputy Mayor Reuben Sanon
• Item 6: An intergovernmental agreement between the City of Sun Prairie and the City of Madison for the Madison Fire Department to provide emergency crisis services through the City of Madison CARES program (I’m a cosponsor). Under the agreement, Sun Prairie will pay Madison on a per-call basis for each call response in Sun Prairie to cover their share program’s costs.
• Item 7: A resolution authorizing the Mayor and City Clerk to amend the competitively selected service contract for ongoing emergency detention transport services (I’m a cosponsor). This program avoids the alternative where we need to send two on-duty officers with a patient to Winnebago Mental Health Institute for each transport.
• Item 8: A resolution authorizing a five (5) year non-competitive service contract for up to $60,000 annually with Domestic Abuse Intervention Services, Inc. for the Law Enforcement Advocate Partnership (LEAP) (I’m the sponsor). MPD are frequently engaged in responding to domestic violence situations. The LEAP program is a mechanism for Police Officers to make a confidential referral to DAIS and having a DAIS staff member follow up directly with the victim.
• Item 9: A resolution accepting a USDOJ Office of Community Policing Services (COPS Office) Community Policing Development Microgrant for $136,398, and using funds to evaluate to MPD’s stratified policing business model for community engagement and proactive crime reduction (I’m a cosponsor).
• Item 10: A resolution authorizing a competitively selected service contract for a one-year term with four annual renewal options, for a total of five years, with The Psychology Center SC for employee mental health and wellness services (I’m a cosponsor).

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.

East Side Man Still Missing, Residents Encouraged to Check Private Property

From MPD:

“The Madison Police Department continues to search for the whereabouts of Eric Boll, who rode off from his home on e-bike. There are concerns Eric may have harmed himself. MPD has used extensive resources to locate Eric, including drones, the MPD Mounted Team, K-9 teams and foot patrol though area parks and wooded areas.
The East District is adjacent to rural and wooded/farmland areas outside of the City. Residents of the East side and neighboring areas, particularly those who own wooded/remote property are encouraged to check their private properties and contact 911 if he is located.”

More information is available on MPD’s Incident Report page for this case.

Proposed Amendment to the City’s Lease with The Salvation Army Temporary Family Shelter on the Oct 10 CDBG Agenda

District 3 includes the former Karmenta rehab facility at 4502 Milwaukee Street, which has been home to The Salvation Army’s temporary shelter for families (with children) since 2021. The original lease agreement between the City and The Salvation Army ends in April of 2026. My understanding is that The Salvation Army has been fundraising for the capital funding necessary to develop a new permanent family shelter, and the recent rise of construction costs means that their original fundraising goal is no longer sufficient. This extends their timeline to raise sufficient funds to build a permanent family shelter elsewhere in the City. Eventually, when The Salvation Army opens their new permanent family shelter, the City will determine what to do with the Karmenta property (which the City owns). I've asked City Planning staff to gather nearby residents' input on this specific topic as part of the upcoming Southeast Area Plan process.

Because of these fundraising-related delays to The Salvation Army’s eventual permanent family shelter, City staff prepared an amendment to the original lease agreement that makes two changes to the lease:

1. Adds an option to extend the lease for an additional two years, setting a new end date in April of 2028
2. Lists a variety of maintenance and upkeep needs that will explicitly be The Salvation Army’s responsibility rather than the City’s responsibility

In their October 10th meeting, the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) committee will review the proposed lease amendment and take an advisory vote. This meeting’s agenda is not yet available, but it will soon be posted on this webpage for the Oct 10th meeting. Residents can send input on this item to members of the CDBG committee at cdbgcommittee@cityofmadison.com.

The lease amendment then goes to the Common Council for a final vote on October 29, 2024. I will post about this again in the weekly update prior to that Council meeting.

Brush Collection Ended for 2024, Yard Waste Collection Begins Oct 6

Scheduled brush collection from the curb is over for 2024. Residents should not place any brush for collection out for pickup at this time. Curbside pickup of brush will return in the spring of 2025. Residents who still have brush this fall can take it to a Streets Division drop-off site. See this Streets Division webpage to learn their hours, locations, and restrictions.

Do Not Mix Brush into Your Fall Leaf Piles - Mixed Piles Will Not Be Collected

Yard waste and brush are different.

• Think of brush as branches or limbs.  It’s the woody material you’ve cut from your trees, shrubs, or bushes.  It has to that measure at least 18 inches in length, be shorter than 8 feet long, and have a diameter less than 8 inches.  We feed this material into a wood chipper to make mulch.
• Yard waste and leaves is the softer plant material you have raked or pulled from your lawns or gardens. This is hauled to a private facility for composting.

Piles of yard waste and leaves with brush mixed in will not be collected by yard waste collection crews.

Questions? Contact the Streets Division - East Office at 608-246-4532 or streets@cityofmadison.com.

Announcements and News Releases

• Capitol View Farmers' Market, Wednesday, October 9: 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!
• State Lawmakers Advocate for Fully Funding Dane County Cities : State legislators from Dane County and Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway are calling on the Wisconsin Legislature to adopt bipartisan measures that address the chronic underfunding of local governments. [posted October 3, 2024]
• Time to Vote for Your Electric Truck Names: Over the last two weeks, 792 unique names for Wisconsin’s first fully electric collection vehicles were submitted to the Streets Division.  There were many great names submitted and a group of finalists were selected. Now it’s time for you, the… [posted October 3, 2024]
• Innovative partnership aims to create more homeownership opportunities: The City of Madison is celebrating another step forward in expanding affordable homeownership opportunities with the groundbreaking of a “Missing Middle” development on the city’s southeast side. [posted October 3, 2024]
• MPD receives new tool to help reunite lost pets with owners: MADISON, Wis. – The Madison Police Department has a new tool to help reunite lost pets with their owners. Lost Dogs of Wisconsin donated a pet microchip scanner to MPD. The volunteer-run group provides free resources to dog owners across Wisconsin… [posted October 3, 2024]
• Free Breast Cancer Screenings Available : October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. This October, Public Health is urging women to get screened. [posted October 3, 2024]
• A Mammoth Achievement: Food Scraps Composting Goal Reached: The City of Madison set an ambitious goal to compost 22,000 thousand pounds of food scraps at our farmers’ market drop-off sites this year.  This is roughly the weight of two adult mammoths. We are thrilled to announce that not only have we… [posted October 3, 2024]
• Jeffrey Clay Erlanger Civility in Public Discourse Award : The City of Madison invites you to submit nominations for its annual Jeffrey Clay Erlanger Civility in Public Discourse Award. [posted October 2, 2024]
• New Art Exhibits Going Up at Six Madison Public Library Locations: A wealth of local talent can be found on the walls of your local library! Madison Public Library has six art exhibits going up in library locations during September and October. [posted October 1, 2024]
• Community Leaders, Elected Officials and Disability Rights Advocates Unite for the ‘Week Without Driving’: To kick off the Week Without Driving, disability rights advocates and representatives from Madison, Verona, Fitchburg, Sun Prairie, and Middleton came together for a group ride on a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) bus. [posted September 30, 2024]
• Energy Resource Fair, Tuesday, October 8: MGE will provide energy saving tips and a chance to win a SMART Thermostat, Energy Services will be on site to assist with Energy Assistance qualifications, and Project Home will discuss our Weatherization program and how they can improve health, safety and save energy in your home.
• Mayor Introduces 2025 Executive Operating Budget, Tuesday, October 8: Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway will announce her 2025 Executive Operating Budget.
• Conservation Park Tour, Wednesday, October 9: Conservation Park Tours are educational staff-guided walks held at various conservation parks on the 2nd Wednesday, May - October. Event starting times vary, depending on the sunset and typically last about 90 minutes. Walks are held rain or shine, free to attend, easy-paced and family-friendly. No registration is required.
• Homebuyer Education Workshop, Saturday, October 12: Take the first step to owning a home and join us in this Home Buyer Education Workshop. This FREE Homebuyer Education workshop takes place in-person at the Atrium Villager Mall (2300 S Park St, Madison, WI) on Saturday, October 12 from 8:30am-3:30pm! Lunch will be provided. Our first-time home buying workshops cover the following: how to find the right home, how to apply for a mortgage, credit improvement tips, how much you can afford, barriers that can prevent you from qualifying for a mortgage and what down payment assistance may be available to you.
• Conservation Volunteer Workday | Shift A, Saturday, October 12: Join us for a meaningful day of conservation efforts as we work together to protect and enhance our local conservation park! Your participation is crucial in safeguarding the biodiversity and natural habitats that make our park a haven for wildlife and a treasure for our community.
• Conservation Volunteer Workday | Shift B, Saturday, October 12: Join us for a meaningful day of conservation efforts as we work together to protect and enhance our local conservation park! Your participation is crucial in safeguarding the biodiversity and natural habitats that make our park a haven for wildlife and a treasure for our community.For the full list of upcoming events, please visit the City events calendar.