Thanks for electing me to a full term, Eastside Alders Meet & Greet and more

Hello neighbors, 

I am grateful to express my deepest appreciation for your vote of confidence in electing me to a full term as your Alder. It has been an honor to serve District 17 since my appointment in October 2022, and I am thrilled to continue working for and with you.

Together, we have tackled some of the most pressing issues facing our community, including resolving an issue with the dumping of large furniture, addressing pick-up and drop-off challenges at Sandburg Elementary, addressing and resolving persistent noise complaints, and finding solutions to meet the needs of our unhoused community members. I am proud of what we have accomplished together, and I am committed to continuing to work hard to address the challenges we face.

As part of my commitment to serving you, I will continue to meet with MPD and other City agencies regularly, host monthly office hours and look forward to hosting a town hall in the coming months. These forums provide an opportunity for us to discuss the issues that matter to you and work together to find solutions that benefit us all.
Once again, I am deeply grateful for your support, and I am eager to continue serving you as your Alder for District 17. Together, we will build a brighter and more prosperous future for our district and our overall community.

If you’re interested in learning more about my professional background and civic experience please check out my About Me message. 

In my weekly Alder blog updates you can expect me to cover some of the following topics: 

• Office Hours in the District 
• District engagement opportunities 
• Committee/Board highlights
• Highlights from my previous week of meetings and any action items of interest
• Recent constituent Q&A 
• Development updates 
• Recent successes & challenges and/or agenda highlights 
• Meeting & Event highlights for the City of Madison 

Please do email me at district17@cityofmadison.com with anything else you’d like me to include in my regular updates. 
 

May Office Hours in the District

Hey District 17 residents! Are you ready for a chance to sit down, relax, and have a friendly chat with me? Join me for coffee and pastries at Java Cat Coffee House on May 19th from 7am to 9am. Bring your questions, ideas, and concerns, and let your voice be heard on issues impacting our district and community overall. It's an opportunity to connect with me in person, and I encourage you not to miss out on this fantastic chance to engage, connect, and be informed!

Java Cat Coffee House
4221 Lien Rd, Madison, WI 53704

District Engagement Opportunities:

Eastside Alders Meet & Greet 
When: Friday, May 26th, 5:30pm - 7:30pm 
Where: La Taguara, 3010 Crossroads Drive, Madison, WI 53718
Food: Light refreshments provided 

As your newly-elected alder, I am excited to hit the ground running and get to work on the priorities that matter most to our community. I firmly believe that in order to make meaningful progress, we need to work together as a team and listen to the voices of all our constituents.

That's why I am thrilled to invite you to our Eastside Alders Meet & Greet event, where you'll have the chance to meet not only myself, District 3 Alder Derek Field, District 15 Alder Dina Nina Martinez-Rutherford, and District 16 Alder & Common Council President Jael Currie. 

I organized this event because we understand that the issues facing our community are complex and multifaceted, and we are committed to working collaboratively to find solutions that benefit everyone.

At this meet & greet, we want to hear from you. We want to know what issues are most pressing for you and your neighbors, and we want to hear your ideas for how we can make our local government more accessible and responsive to your needs. We believe that by fostering a strong sense of community engagement, we can create a more vibrant, inclusive, and prosperous community for everyone.

So please, come join us for an evening of conversation, connection, and collaboration. We hope to see you there!


 

Committees & Board highlights: 

I was appointed to serve on the following committees & board for this term: 

• Committee on Employee Relations 
• Community Services Committee 
• Economic Development Committee
• Finance Committee
• Madison Public Library Board 

Highlights from my previous week of meetings and any action items of interest

Interim Men’s Shelter: Last Friday with the help of Angie Black, I worked to organize a meeting to share concerns regarding the interim shelter and East Towne Mall. We were able to bring together a diverse group of interested people including representatives from Porchlight, Catalyst for Change, MPD, East Towne Mall's leadership (including CBL Properties and JC Penny), and the City of Madison’s Community Development Division.

Together, we identified the challenges that have been taking place and worked to generate realistic solutions. But we didn't stop there! I asked everyone in attendance to stay accountable and provide updates on how the proposed solutions are working in about 30 days. By doing so, we can continue to build on the progress we intend to make and identify areas where we can improve.

This meeting was a testament to what can be achieved when we work together towards a common goal. I am excited to see what we can accomplish when we continue to collaborate on issues concerning our district and City overall. Stay tuned for more updates!

Recent Constituent Q&A 

Q. “The grass along the curb of the road verge was stripped away by snow plows this winter and there are long cuts where the grass has been peeled away.,  ...
I’d like to see the city re-sod or re-seed these areas as it was damage the snow plows created.”

A. Thanks to Charlie Romines, Streets & Urban Forestry Superintendent for a quick reply and also resolving the issue in a timely manner: 
“Repairing sod damage from snow clearing is pretty standard practice for us in the spring, especially when the snow falls before the ground freezes, or in the case of this year the ground never really froze leading to further damage. In the future the best way to get on our list to make repairs is through the City’s Report a Problem site. We are in fixing sod damage season now so we will add the location to our repair list.”  Visit this page to report a problem or you may email me directly at district17@cityofmadison.com 


Q. What is the City doing to fix the problems at the Meadowlands Apartments? 

A. Common Council President and Alder for District 16 has a great summary in one of her recent blog updates. Visit the blog update for a full summary.

Development updates 

Get Involved: City’s First Purpose-Built Shelter Engagement Process Kicks Off

Please join the City of Madison, Dane County, Porchlight, Inc. (shelter operator) and Dimension IV (architect consultant) at one of the three upcoming public information meetings to learn more about the project, preliminary design concepts and next steps. Here is the schedule for those meetings:

• 5:30-7 p.m., May 9, 2023, Virtual via Zoom. Advance registration is required: May 9, 2023 Public Information Meeting Registration 
• 5:30-7 p.m., May 11, 2023, in person at East Madison Community Center, 8 Straubel Court, Madison, Wis., 53704 (Spanish and Hmong Interpreter Services will be available.)
• 5:30-7 p.m., May 17, 2023, in person at Hawthorne Library, 2707 E Washington Ave., Madison, Wis., 53704

READ FULL DETAILS

Common Council Agenda Highlight: 

Recognizing May 2023 as Asian Pacific Islander Desi American Heritage Monthin the City of MadisonAs the lead sponsor of agenda item #2, I am thrilled to recognize May 2023 as Asian Pacific Islander Desi American Heritage Month in the City of Madison. I extend my sincere gratitude to Representative Francesca Hong for her invaluable assistance in helping me to bring this important resolution to fruition. Collectively, my colleagues on Common Council and I are taking a meaningful step towards honoring the contributions of the vibrant and diverse Asian Pacific Islander Desi American community in our city.

Meeting & Event Highlights for the Week of May 1, 2023

Meetings

Common Council: The Common Council meeting will take place on Tuesday, May 2, 2023 in hybrid format at 6:30 PM. Agenda items include proclaiming May 2023 to be Jewish American Heritage Month and recognizing May 2023 as Asian Pacific Islander Desi American Heritage Month in the City of Madison. Other agenda items include authorizing the use of up to $123,000 of Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds to implement a neighborhood improvement project identified in the South Madison Neighborhood Plan; and amending Section 33.09(3) of the Madison General Ordinances to combine the City-County Homeless Issues Committee, Landlord and Tenant Issues Committee.

o Meeting Details

o Meeting Agenda

o Register for public comment

o Watch Online

Board of Public Works: The Board of Public Works will take place on Tuesday, May 3, 2023 in virtual format at 4:30 PM. Agenda items include amending the City of Madison Official Map to establish mapped reservations for future Streets and Highways in the City of Madison consistent with recommendations in the adopted the Greater East Towne Area Plan.

o Meeting Details

o Meeting Agenda

o Register for public comment

o Watch Online

District 12 Sidewalk Replacement Program: The District 12 Sidewalk Replacement Program will take place on Wednesday, May 3, 2023 from 5:30 PM to 8:30 PM. The public information meeting for District 12 Sidewalk Replacement Program has been scheduled for 5:30 p.m., May 3, 2023, via Zoom. Registration prior is required.

Events

· East Side Farmers' Market, Tuesday, May 2, 2023: The Eastside Farmers' Market is Madison Wisconsin’s finest weekday farmers' market. Our goal is to bring the freshest Wisconsin grown food direct to the heart of the East side. Our vendor members are agricultural producers and food artisans who make value added products from Wisconsin's agricultural bounty.

 

· Dane County Farmers' Market - Wednesday Market, Wednesday, May 3, 2023: The Wednesday Dane County Farmers’ Market is located on the 200 block of Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd, in between the Madison Municipal Building and the City County Building. While more intimate than the Saturday Market, you will still find many of your favorite Dane County Farmers’ Market members, as well as a full array of fruits and vegetables, eggs, cheeses, honey, maple syrup, bakery items, cut flowers, plants, and many specialty items.

· Wright Design Series: People Are My Medium, Wednesday, May 3, 2023: Joe Dreher considers himself a social artist, producing work mainly described as installation art. He uses a number of tools and mediums to create his work including photography, murals, street art, wheat paste, painting, sculpture, architecture, and poetry.

This free lecture is presented in partnership with American Institute of Architects Wisconsin. This is a virtual event - (Register in advance for the live webinar): https://mononaterrace.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_qr-SXTfMTSeWYAIDmoSKLQ...

· Strategies to Prevent Basement Flooding, Thursday, May 4, 2023: Ever had water in your basement? Whether it’s a reoccurring issue or has only happened during extreme weather conditions, in most cases, it can be avoided. With some planning, a few rules and basic landscaping tools, most homeowners can address this problem on their own. Sponsored by MG&E.

· SpringFest Arts & Crafts Fair, Saturday, May 6, 2023: Join us for the 18th annual SpringFest Arts & Crafts Fair. Over 80 crafters from the Midwest will be selling their handmade goods. You can expect to see a variety of jewelry, baskets, garden art, cards, pottery, woodwork, baby gifts, soaps, balms, lotions, knitwear, paintings, home décor and more! It's the perfect place to find a unique gift for that special someone (or for yourself).

Save the Date!

· The Run Madtown Twilight 5K will be held on Saturday May 27th from 6:30pm – 8:30pm

· The Run Madtown Half Marathon & 10K will be held on Sunday May 28th from 6:30am –11:00am

Announcements

· Urban Forestry Spring Planting Adds Trees to Long Vacant Planting Sites: The City of Madison Streets Division’s Urban Forestry section plants thousands of trees each year in the right of way space along the road edge.

· Get Involved: City’s First Purpose-Built Shelter Engagement Process Kicks Off: The City of Madison invites the community to get involved in the public engagement process for the City’s first, purpose-built shelter.

· Peak Hour Lane Closure--West Johnson Street: Beginning Friday, April 28 at 7:00 a.m. JH Findorff will be reducing the 300 block of West Johnson Street to two lanes at all times (N Broom Street to State Street).

· Open House for Upcoming Plans in West Area: The City of Madison Planning Division is excited to announce an Open House for upcoming plans, projects, and initiatives in the West Area.

· Street Closure--North Bassett Street: Starting Monday, May 1 at 7:00 a.m.

· Madison Parks Foundation Unveils Dog Park Memorial Art Sculpture: The Madison Parks Foundation is excited to announce the unveiling of a new tribute & memorial sculpture in Quann Park off-leash dog park!

· Accessible Taxi Grants Will Help Fill Transit Gaps: People who use wheelchairs face barriers to daily living activities, social outings, and fully participating in what the City has to offer, because of inadequate accessible transportation options.

· Madison Public Library Celebrates National Library Week: From April 23-29, Madison Public Library is celebrating National Library Week online and at all library locations.

· Jornada Abierta para los Proyectos y Planes Futuros en el Área Oeste: The City of Madison Planning Division is excited to announce an Open House for upcoming plans, projects, and initiatives in the West Area.

· The Madison Common Council Welcomes the 2023-2025 Cohort of Alders Serving the 20 Districts of the City of Madison: (MADISON, WI) The Common Council Office is proud to introduce the 2023-2025 cohort of alders representing the 20 districts that make up the City of Madison.