Thank you for voting; Be aware of upcoming construction; Announcements & Events

Hello neighbors,

Thank you. Thank you for voting. And thank you for voting to re-elect me to represent you on the Madison Common Council. It is truly an honor to work to ensure District 5 and the City of Madison are the best they can be. Please continue to be in touch with questions, concerns, and ideas.

We are fast approaching construction on N Franklin Ave, and the Madison Metropolitan Sewerage District project that will close the on- and off-ramps at Campus Drive for most of the summer. The best way to stay informed about the progress of these projects is to sign up for email updates directly (scroll to the bottom of the page on each of the links above), but I will continue to cascade information as I receive it. Please note that the Campus Drive work will require a detour of Metro buses onto the 2600 block of Stevens Street, turning north onto Farley Ave. There will be approximately six buses per hour on this route during peak daytime hours. Parking will be removed on the 2600 block of Stevens Street during this time.

Boards, Commissions, and Committee 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, April 7, at 4:30 p.m. in virtual format. Agenda items include setting the rates for Sewer Utility and Stormwater Utility, as well as an update on federal executive orders and directives to pause federal grants.
  • Meeting Details
  • Meeting Agenda
  • Register for Public Comment
  • Watch Online
• Plan Commission: The Plan Commission meeting will take place on Monday, April 7, at 5:30 p.m. in virtual format. Agenda items include allowing hotels to rent fifty percent of their rooms for stays of thirty consecutive days or more, as well as development-related requests in Districts 1, 6, 8, 12, 14, 16, and 20.
  • Meeting Details
  • Meeting Agenda
  • Register for Public Comment
  • Watch Online
• Transportation Commission: The Transportation Commission meeting will take place on Wednesday, April 9, at 5:00 p.m. in virtual format. Agenda items include providing Metro staff the authority to issue citations for nonpayment of bus fare.
  • 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.

Public Information Meeting (PIMs)

• Metro Transit Public Hearing Scheduled, Wednesday, April 9 (Virtual): On Wednesday, April 9, Metro Transit and the City of Madison Transportation Commission will hold a public hearing at 6 PM to review and discuss proposed service to Verona.
• Sidewalk Replacement Program District 10, Thursday, April 10: A public information meeting is scheduled for 5:30 p.m., April 10, 2025, via Zoom. Registration prior is required.

Announcements and News Releases

• REVEREND JAMES C WRIGHT HUMAN RIGHTS AWARD: The City of Madison Equal Opportunities Division (EOD) and the Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC) presents the Reverend James C. Wright Human Rights Award annually. The award honors the late Reverend James C. Wright, who served as Executive Director of the Equal Opportunities Commission from its inception in 1968 until his retirement in 1992. One or more awards will be presented. For more information on award criteria, nominations, awards presentation, and more, visit the Reverend James C. Wright Award website.
• Metro Statement on Recent Driver Assault: On Sunday, March 30, a Metro operator was assaulted during their work shift. Violence against Metro or other City employees is completely unacceptable.
• Metro Transit Enacting New Safety Measures to Protect Drivers, Passengers : In response to a series of recent incidents, Metro Transit and the City of Madison are examining current policies and procedures and putting together a set of initiatives to enhance employee safety.
• Metro Transit General Manager Leaving to Pursue New Opportunities: Metro Transit General Manager Justin Stuehrenberg has announced he will be leaving his position on May 30, 2025.  
• City of Madison Seeks Redevelopment Proposals for Block 113 (Brayton Lot): The City of Madison’s Economic Development Division is announcing the release of a Request for Proposals (RFP) for the redevelopment of Block 113 in downtown Madison, presenting a rare chance to repurpose a full city block in the heart of downtown.
• City of Madison sees fewer snow violations this winter: Without much snow this past winter, the City of Madison's Building Inspection Division received significantly fewer snow removal complaints than the previous winter.
• Knutson Drive Reconstruction: Knutson Drive is currently closed to through traffic while scheduled reconstruction in the area is completed. This project includes a new street design with curb and gutter, sidewalk, and driveway aprons.
• 25th Anniversary Book Club Café Event to Feature Bestselling Author Christina Clancy at Madison Public Library Bestselling author Christina Clancy will headline the 25th Anniversary Book Club Café fundraiser hosted by the Friends of Madison Public Library on Monday, May 19 at Central Library where she’ll share her thoughts on writing, libraries, reading and book clubs.
• Madison's Largest Park Cleanup Project Seeks Volunteers: Madison Parks’ largest volunteer cleanup project is seeking volunteers for Saturday, April 26. Residents and neighbors are invited to accept the Earth Day Challenge and register in advance on the all-new volunteer website.

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.

Events

• Madison Forward Fund Community Celebration & Stories, Tuesday, April 8: Please join Madison Mayor Rhodes-Conway and Mayors for a Guaranteed Income in celebrating the culmination of Wisconsin's first guaranteed income research program - the Madison Forward Fund. During this event, you will hear stories from MFF participants about the impact of guaranteed income on their lives and learn about evaluation findings from the recently completed pilot program. This event is also a chance to hear about several exciting new partnerships that have grown out of the Madison Forward Fund, and to connect with others who are continuing to expand the guaranteed income landscape in Madison and beyond.
• No credit or bad credit? Join Wisconsin Women’s Business Initiative Corporation (WWBIC) for this seminar on April 10, 8:30-9:30am, to help you through these challenges.
• Warner Family Fun Night, Friday, April 11: Join us at WPCRC for Warner Family Fun Night! Families can create art projects, play in the game room or the gym, watch a movie or win some prizes playing bingo!
• Disc Golf Cleanup Day - Hiestand Park, Saturday, April 12: Help us get Hiestand Park ready for the season! We're partnering with the disc golf community to host a large-scale cleanup event. Volunteers will work together to clear debris, remove trash, and prepare the park for everyone to enjoy.
• Mobile Vaccination Clinic: Badger Prairie Needs Network, Saturday, April 12: We're hosting mobile vaccination clinics throughout the county in partnership with community organizations!
• Bird & Nature Adventures | Owen, Saturday, April 12: Explore Owen Conservation Park on gentle trails through historic oak openings on a hillside with an Ice Age kettle and along restored prairies with beautiful vistas on this high point overlooking the west side of Madison. Co-sponsored by Madison Parks and the Friends of Owen Conservation Park.
• Please join the Wisconsin Baroque Ensemble for a lively concert on April 12 at 7:30pm at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, 1833 Regent Street.
• Bird & Nature Adventures | Turville Point, Sunday, April 13: Walks at Turville Point held on the 2nd Sunday of every month are co-sponsored by Madison Bird City FUN partners, Madison Parks and Friends of Olin Turville.
• National Prescription Drug Take Back Day is coming up on April 26, from 10am-2pm. Safe Communities is hosting three drop-off sites on National Prescription Drug Take Back Day in Madison:

1. Elver Park - 1250 Mckenna Blvd Madison, WI 53719
2. Warner Park - 2930 N Sherman Ave, Madison, WI 53704
3. Mt. Zion Baptist Church - 2019 Fisher St., Madison, WI 53713

Additional upcoming events can also be found on the City events calendar.

Best wishes,

Regina Vidaver