Meetings and Updates Week of 2/17
posted- City Meetings:
- Finance Committee 2/17
- Plan Commission 2/17
- Transportation Commission 2/19
- Alcohol License Review Committee 2/19
- Gun Violence Near North Thompson Drive
- Vote in the Spring Primary Election on Tuesday 2/18!
- Sharing Bird Flu Information from Public Health
- Events & Announcements
Snow updates: all City streets will be plowed starting at noon on Saturday; please avoid parking in the street if possible and follow alternate-side parking rules. Sidewalks should be cleared by noon on Sunday.
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, February 17, at 4:30 p.m. in virtual format. Agenda items include a resolution authorizing a contract with The Welch Group for government affairs and strategic advocacy (lobbying) services and an overview of the 2026 City Budget calendar and process.
Plan Commission
The Plan Commission meeting will take place on Monday, February 17, at 5:30 p.m. in virtual format. Agenda items include development-related requests including one in District 3 for a proposed new coffee shop with a drive-through window at 3915 Lien Rd near the Mayfair Park neighborhood. However, note that this item is recommended to be referred to the March 3rd Plan Commission meeting while we wait to see what the Urban Design Commission recommends in their meeting on Wednesday. Here’s a link to design documents showing the building’s tentative design.
Transportation Commission
The Transportation Commission meeting will take place on Wednesday, February 19, at 5:00 p.m. in virtual format. Agenda items include a presentation on the history and future of Madison transportation.
Alcohol License Review Committee
The Alcohol License Review Committee will take place on Wednesday, February 19, at 5:30 p.m. in hybrid format at room 210 of the City County Building or virtually. Agenda items include two requests in District 3: a Change of Agent request for Metro Market on Cottage Grove Road and a New License request for a Class B Combination Liquor & Beer license for Dream Lanes at 13 Atlas Ct, both in District 3.
If you would like more information about becoming a member of a City board, commission, or committee, please visit the page linked here.
Gun Violence Near North Thompson Drive
Thursday night saw another incident of gun violence in the district, this time resulting in the homicide of a 18-year-old male and a non-life-threatening leg injury for a 16-year-old male. The incident took place at the 200 block of North Thompson Drive, The Meadows located in the Hiestand Park neighborhood, which is also the site where two shots-fired incidents took place last fall. Officers recovered a handgun at the scene but no arrests had yet been made as of 2:40p.m. on Friday.
According to MPD’s Incident Report: “Detectives believe this was a targeted incident between people who knew one another. This does not take away the danger of what occurred. There were multiple uninvolved people, including children, outside at the time the shots were fired.” The Violent Crime Unit is leading the investigation.
This recent pattern is as surprising as it is troubling. Before last fall, we had not seen this kind of activity at the property in years. In a November exchange I had with a local Neighborhood Resource Officer, she shared that MPD gets few calls for service at the property – which is notable given its large size. She also reported that The Meadows management works regularly with her when they have issues, including sharing security camera footage. That cooperation is very important. The Meadows also upgraded the strength of their outdoor lighting late last year (and so did the City and MG&E for brighter LED street lighting along Swanton Road and North Thompson).
MPD officers will continue their investigation and will share information through updates to the Incident Report page for this case. Madison Dane County Public Health’s Violence Prevention Unit has been in touch with the families of those involved and is planning more resident outreach and service referrals in the community. I’ll be working with Hiestand Park neighborhood leaders to share more information and will ask MPD officers and Violence Prevention staff and partners to join an upcoming neighborhood meeting, date TBD.
We are asking that anyone in the North Thompson Drive or Swanton Road area with Ring doorbell footage, other camera footage, or any other information about the incident last night to please reach out to contact Madison Area Crime Stoppers at 608-266-6014 or online at p3tips.com. Information may be shared anonymously.
Vote in the Spring Primary Election on Tuesday, February 18!
Polling places will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Find your polling place and see your sample ballot at https://MyVote.wi.gov(link is external). While other Madison residents have additional races on their Spring Primary ballots, District 3 residents’ ballots will only include the race for State Superintendent of Public Instruction.
Learn what the State Superintendent does at this very helpful League of Women Voters page.
Read about the candidates’ positions and values at this PBS article.
Make a plan to vote on Tuesday!
Sharing Bird Flue Information from Public Health
Madison Dane County Public Health is an excellent source for trusted information. I wanted to share this from their newsletter:
“Bird Flu 101
H5N1 bird flu is a type of flu that spreads among wild birds and sometimes causes outbreaks in dairy cows and chickens. It can cause serious illness or death in some animals, like chickens and other birds, and less serious illness in other animals, like dairy cows. Usually, this flu spreads between animals and birds, but sometimes it can spread to people.
If you work with or have other contact with poultry, dairy cows, unpasteurized (raw) dairy products, or wild birds, you're at higher risk for getting H5N1 bird flu. Learn what symptoms to watch for and how we can help you get tested.
The current risk to public health is low, but we’re monitoring the situation closely, and so should you. Most people don’t get very sick from H5N1 bird flu, but it’s important to get tested if you have symptoms so that we know where H5N1 is in our community. This will help protect other people and animals from getting sick.
Read our blog post and check our webpage for more on the current outbreak of H5N1 bird flu and how to protect yourself from getting sick.”
Events & Announcements
- City of Madison Honors Crossing Guards During Adult School Crossing Guard Recognition Week: Madison, WI – The State of Wisconsin’s Department of Public Instruction has declared the week of February 17-21 Adult School Crossing Guard Recognition Week, and the City of Madison proudly recognizes their 63 dedicated crossing guards.
- Mayor Rhodes-Conway announces next steps on housing agenda : Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway is announcing new housing goals, an interactive housing tracker for the public to monitor progress, and an update to her Housing Forward initiative to guide City actions over the next two years.
- Prioritizing Traffic Safety for All Road Users: D7 Virtual Lunch and Learn with Traffic Engineering, Thursday, February 20: Alder Nasra Wehelie is excited to continue her Lunch and Learn session for this month, featuring Traffic Engineering on Thursday, February 20, from 12 to 1 p.m. Whether you drive, bike, or walk, this virtual Lunch and Learn will offer residents a unique opportunity to gain insights into traffic safety and infrastructure planning.
- Provisional Voter Deadline, Friday, February 21: Provisional voters have until 4 p.m. to bring their photo ID to the Clerk's Office so the Board of Canvassers can count their provisional ballot.
- Mobile Vaccination Clinic: Badger Prairie Needs Network, Saturday, February 22 (this event occurs on multiple dates): We're hosting mobile vaccination clinics throughout the county in partnership with community organizations! All vaccines are free to those eligible.
- Bird & Nature Adventures | Edna Taylor, Saturday, February 22: 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, and Aldo Leopold Nature Center. No registration is required. No pets are allowed.
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. Additional upcoming events can also be found on the City events calendar.
