Meetings and Updates Week of Oct 21

• City Meetings:
  • Plan Commission 10/21
  • Committee on Aging 10/23
  • Housing Strategy Committee 10/23
• Early Voting between 10/22 and 11/3; List of Eastside Locations
• Coffee With A Cop at Pinney Library 10/29 at 6pm
• Update on North Thompson Drive Shots-Fired Situation
• 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 21, at 5:30 p.m. in virtual format. Agenda items include development related requests (none in District 3).

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

Committee on Aging

The Committee on Aging meeting will take place on Wednesday, October 23, at 2:30 p.m. in virtual format. Agenda items include approving the allocation of City funds that are budgeted and designated to support older adult programming among a group of agencies selected through a Request for Proposals process conducted by the Community Development Division. Staff is recommending a reallocation of funds to build a multicultural coalition of existing and new organizations offering older adult services in Madison. That means the organization who previously received the large majority of funding, NewBridge, would get a smaller allocation (though still the largest allocation of funds). Alders have been getting a lot of emails from NewBridge staff, volunteers, and program attendees asking for more funding. Here's the detailed Older Adult Services Funding Recommendations report for those who are interested. The Committee on Aging will take an advisory vote and then this goes to the Finance Committee on Oct 28th.

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

Housing Strategy Committee

The Housing Strategy Committee meeting will take place on Thursday, October 24, at 5:00 p.m. Agenda items include approving housing recommendations that serve to strengthen efforts to expand rental, homeowner, and student housing opportunities.

• 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.

Early Voting Between Oct 22 and Nov 3; List of Eastside Locations

In-Person Absentee Voting Begins, Tuesday, October 22. The last day to vote absentee in person will be Sunday, November 3. Check out the Clerk’s Office’s In-Person Absentee Voting website for locations and hours. Here is a list of Eastside in-person early voting locations near District 3:

• Pinney Library: 516 Cottage Grove Rd
  11 a.m. – 7 p.m. weekdays, October 22 - November 1
  10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Saturdays, October 26 & November 2
• Hawthorne Library: 2707 E Washington Ave
  11 a.m. – 7 p.m. weekdays, October 22 - November 1
  10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Saturdays, October 26 & November 2
• Madison College Truax Campus: 1701 Wright St
  11 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. weekdays, October 28 - November 1
• East Madison Community Center: 8 Straubel Court
  11 a.m. – 4 p.m. weekdays, October 22 - November 1
• Global Market & Food Hall: 2161 Zeier Rd
  11 a.m. – 7 p.m. weekdays, October 22 - November 1
  10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Saturdays, October 26 & November 2
  10 a.m. – 1 p.m. Sundays, October 27 & November 3
• Hmong Institute: 4402 Femrite Dr
  11 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. Tuesdays, October 22 & 29
  11 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. Thursdays, October 24 & 31
  10 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. Fridays, October 25 & November 1
• Olbrich Gardens: 3330 Atwood Ave
  10:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. weekdays, October 22 - November 1
• SS Morris AME Church: 3511 Milwaukee St
  10 a.m. - 2 p.m. Sundays, October 27 & November 3

Coffee With A Cop At Pinney Library, October 29th at 6pm

Residents are invited to October’s East District Coffee With A Cop, hosted by East District officers. This will take place at Pinney Library, 516 Cottage Grove Road, on Tuesday, October 29th from 6pm-7:30pm.

(This one is at the same time as next week’s Common Council meeting.)

Update on North Thompson Drive Shots-Fired Situation

The area near the 200 block of North Thompson Drive have experienced two separate incidents of multiple gunshots, one on October 6th and one on October 12th. In both cases there were multiple guns involved, many casings left at the scene, and some damage to property. I am so grateful that there haven't been injuries reported, though this is clearly a concerning pattern.

MPD is working hard on the investigations, both coordinated by the Violent Crime Unit and involving our local East District officers. Law Enforcement is seeking those involved and is running extra patrols through this area. Anybody who has Ring doorbell or dash-camera footage of this area from the evenings of Oct 6th or 12th, or other relevant information, should please contact Madison Area Crime Stoppers by calling 608-266-6014 or visiting p3tips.com. Tips can be shared anonymously. 

In addition, staff with Madison Dane County Public Health’s Violence Prevention Unit have been canvassing the North Thompson Drive area this week and surveying residents for details about safety/violence issues they’ve experienced or seen. They are in touch with Hiestand Park Neighborhood Association leaders as well. In addition to gathering information to understand the area’s challenges, we will be organizing a community meeting for residents of the North Thompson Drive area in the coming month to discuss what this information-gathering reveals as well as possible short- and longer-term solutions.

Events & Announcements

• What to Know About Election Observers: Voters may notice individuals wearing Election Observer badges at in-person absentee voting sites or at the polls. Wisconsin allows anyone to observe the voting process as long as they are not a candidate on the ballot. Political parties, individual… [posted October 17, 2024]
• Electric Truck Naming is Down to the Wire; Truck Name Vote Ends on October 21, 2024 at 4:00pm: The public vote to choose the names for Madison’s and Wisconsin’s first electric trash collection vehicles is about to be unplugged.Make your choice for the names on the Wisconsin Clean Cities website (https://wicleancities.org).  The vote ends… [posted October 17, 2024]
• Election Checks and Balances: Our election processes include checks and balances to ensure election integrity. You may see individuals wearing Election Observer badges when you go vote. Observers play a role in keeping our elections transparent. Anyone can observe our… [posted October 16, 2024]
• Absentee Voting Begins Oct 14 in Care Facilities: Voters in qualified nursing homes and assisted living facilities will be able to cast their absentee ballots this week. State law requires poll workers to bring absentee voting to absentee requestors in certain nursing homes and care facilities. The… [posted October 14, 2024]
• October 15 is White Cane Safety Day in Madison: Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway and Common Council has proclaimed October 15, as “White Cane Safety Day” in the City of Madison. White Cane Safety Day is a day the Council takes to advocate for and educate about the White Cane Law. Since 1964, the… [posted October 14, 2024]
• Celebrate Native Nations during the Teejop & Beyond Program Series at Madison Public Library this Fall: MADISON, WI -- Teejop & Beyond: Celebrating Native Nations, a program created by Madison Public Library in partnership with Ho-Chunk Gaming Madison, will return to libraries across Madison on Indigenous Peoples’ Day (Monday, October 14). [posted October 14, 2024]
• Virtual Fireside Chat with Yannette Figueroa, Tuesday, October 22: Discover the crucial role of Latinos in local government with Common Council President Yannette Figueroa! Don't miss this opportunity to learn from one of our community's most influential figures. Register now and be part of shaping our local government!
• Warner Family Fun Night - Halloween Special, Friday, October 25: Join us for a special Halloween Family Fun Night! The fun begins with hayrides around Warner Park, 5-6pm, Family Fun Night inside WPCRC, 5-8pm, then a free, outdoor movie starting at 6pm. All kids aged 11 and under must be accompanied by an adult for all activities.
• Bird & Nature Adventures | Edna Taylor, Saturday, October 26:Join a naturalist for an easy family-friendly walk from Aldo Leopold Nature Center into beautiful Edna Taylor Conservation Park and enjoy a bit of nature education along the way. Walk will begin at the Aldo Leopold Nature Center, 330 Femrite Drive. Meet outside at the Children's Shack. Co-sponsored by Madison Parks, Badgerland Bird Alliance, and Aldo Leopold Nature Center . No registration is required. No pets are allowed.
• Inspired by Wright: Tour & Art Making Activity, Sunday, October 27: Tour the Frank Lloyd Wright designed Monona Terrace Community and Convention Center and discover how Wright saw geometric shapes in the world around him.  You’ll learn how Monona Terrace’s unique landscape influenced his choice of geometry, expressed in nearly every aspect of the building. Then, use this newly gained knowledge to create your own Wright-inspired glass piece of art.

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