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Common Council

Meetings and Updates Week of July 15

posted 
  • City Meetings:
    • Common Council 7/16
    • Economic Development Committee 7/17
  • Northeast and West Area Plans Introduced
  • Join us for a Movie in the Park Event at Galaxy Park this Friday! 7/19
  • Share your Safety Concerns with MPD, Community Leaders at the Public Safety Summit 7/23
  • 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.

Common Council

The Common Council meeting will take place on Tuesday, July 16, in hybrid format at 6:30 p.m. Agenda items include:

  • A staff presentation from the City’s Data Team on the new “Results Madison” program and information about the national certification for What Works Cities data award. The presentation will be posted to Legistar as an attachment, here, shortly before the Council meeting.
  • A staff presentation on the City’s 2025 and Long-Range Budget Plan. The presentation will be posted to Legistar as an attachment, here, shortly before the Council meeting.
  • An appeal of the Plan Commission action on the conditional use request for a development at 6610-6706 Old Sauk Road on the west side.
  • Resolutions approving changes to the Large Item Collection and Electronic Waste Recycling Policy and the related ordinance (I’m a cosponsor). I wrote in more detail about the impact and rationale for these changes in my July 7th blog post. The Finance Committee and the Board of Public Works both voted to recommend approval of these changes in their meetings last week.
  • A resolution authorizing a non-competitive service contract between the Madison Area Technical College and the City of Madison Fire Department for the provision of paramedic training, 2024-2025 cohort (I’m a cosponsor).
  • A resolution requesting information, studies, and plans regarding the authorization of a local sales tax, sponsored by D12 Alder Amani Latimer Burris.
    • I believe this resolution was authored in the spirit of doing more research to find solution’s to Madison’s growing Operating Budget challenges and I appreciate the authoring alder’s intent and their work on this. However, I don’t plan to vote for it.
    • The resolution includes a clause that provides budget planning guidance to City Finance staff that meaningfully differs from the budget guidance that Common Council already provided earlier in the process.
    • Specifically, this resolution asks Finance Staff to “devise a temporary solution for 2025” and “use one-time sources, revenues, and/or rainy-day funds”, with the goal of working with the WI State Legislature on local sales tax authority or increase in state shared revenue to Madison in time for the 2026 budget. This hope for more help from the State seems pretty unlikely given that that Madison was singled out with the smallest statewide increase in municipal aid from the State in the last State Budget’s compromise on shared revenue for local governments. While the fall 2024 elections for state offices will use the new legislative district maps, remember that only half of WI’s state senators are up for reelection because they serve in staggered four-year terms.
    • Recall that the Common Council already passed a resolution with budget development guidance on April 16th, 2024, which includes the following directives to staff:
      • Evaluate service levels, staffing, and fiscal impact when developing their budget requests and to seek ways to increase efficiencies in their operations.
      • Explore a reduction in expenditures from cost-to-continue levels that does not compromise services to residents.
      • Develop language for a referendum to increase the allowable levy limit for a portion of, or the full amount of, the projected budget deficit, as well as options to replace existing non-property tax revenues, for consideration by the voters at the November 5, 2024, general election.
      • Prepare contingency plans for the 2025 budget in the event that the voters do not approve the referendum, including options for special charges, which will be presented to the Council with the executive budget.
      • Develop a multi-year plan to address the on-going structural deficit due to limits on revenues under state law, including options for developing new, or increasing existing, fees and charges, to be included with the executive budget.
      • Consider the overall level of general obligation borrowing in developing the City’s 2025 capital budget and capital improvement plan in order to reduce the rate of growth in property taxes.
      • Develop a community engagement plan to educate the public on the City’s financial condition and options for addressing the structural deficit and may engage a consultant to support this work, if needed.
  • The Council is also introducing resolutions to adopt the Northeast and West Area Plans at the July 16th meeting. Note that these are listed as introductions for referral only (without debate yet). The Plans will then be reviewed by a variety of Boards, Commissions, and Committees before coming back to Common Council for adoption in September. Those other boards, commissions, and committees can recommend changes along the way and Council will decide whether to adopt with those recommended changes or not.

Meeting info:

Economic Development Committee

The Economic Development Committee meeting will take place on Wednesday, July 17, in virtual format at 5:00 p.m. Agenda items include adopting the Sustainability Plan update, adopting the Northeast Area Plan (includes some of District 3, more on this below), and adopting the West Area Plan.

If you would like more information about becoming a member of a City board, commission, or committee, please visit the page linked here.

Northeast and West Area Plans Introduced

After nearly a year and a half of work, the City of Madison’s Planning Division has submitted both the West Area Plan and Northeast Area Plan for approval, with both plans scheduled to be introduced at the Common Council’s meeting on July 16, 2024. The Common Council will not be making a decision on either plan at the July 16 meeting. Instead, the plans will be referred to several City of Madison Boards, Commissions, and Committees for review, potential changes, and public comment before returning to the Common Council for a final vote. Members of the public can review the West Area Plan Introduction Draft and the Northeast Area Plan Introduction Draft on Legistar.

My thanks to City Planning staff for tracking comments and input from Northeast Area residents throughout the process. Planners posted early “draft” recommendations online in December 2023 and invited community feedback. Here are the comments that were mentioned the most often by individuals who provided feedback, of whom most were residents of the Northeast Area. The comments are organized by the Plan’s seven “strategies”:

  • Land Use and Transportation
    • Safer pedestrian crossings including several along East Washington Ave and Highway 51/Stoughton Road
    • Improving the bike network
    • Increase the frequency of bus route options
    • Reducing driver speeds in residential areas
  • Neighborhoods and Housing
    • More affordable housing (this was the most-mentioned comment overall in the resident feedback)
    • More housing options
    • More dense/residential corridors with retail/commercial
  • Economy and Opportunity
    • Too many vacant businesses and parking lots
    • Need more local businesses
    • Need more grocery stores
  • Culture and Character
    • Need character and placemaking
    • Need for community spaces for meetings/events
  • Green and Resilient
    • Plant more trees
    • Need a swimming pool
  • Effective Government
    • Listen to residents
    • Compared to wealthy areas, the City doesn’t maintain areas that are affordable (pot holes and no sidewalks)
  • Health and Safety
    • Influx of transient homeless population
    • Highways create issues with noise and air quality
    • More lighting needed at the East Washington/Mendota Street area 
    • Page 16 of the draft Northeast Area Plan includes a map that shows recommended land uses with different colors.
      Page 16 of the DRAFT plan includes a map showing the area's street grid and land use recommendations.

Part of District 3 is included in the Northeast Area: the Mayfair Park and Burke Heights neighborhoods. The Plan includes these recommendations within District 3:

  • A recommendation to expand the Mayfair Park boundary through acquisition of more land to the north and east of the current park.
  • Completing the now dead-end Parkside Drive, though the specific footprint of that street extension is not being made final by this plan and has been a topic of discussion between neighbors, city staff, and myself. I suspect that the Parkside Drive extension’s actual path will be determined by the shape of the Mayfair Park expansion.
  • Extending Nakoosa Trail to Jannah Lane, which would add street frontage to Sycamore Park and better connect the currently disconnected neighborhoods south and east of Sycamore Park. Note that the City currently owns some but not all of the right of way it would need for this street connection and there isn’t yet a project or funding to make this happen, so putting this in the plan is just an idea and would be quite a way down the road.
  • A proactive rezoning recommendation to the area just northwest of the Badger Interchange, south of Commercial Ave and east of Thompson Drive. My understanding is that this is an effort to prevent the development of residential land uses right next to the interstate and state highway interchange where residents would be exposed to road noise from increasing highway traffic. Note that rezoning is a separate legislative process from this Plan and will not be made final by the adoption of this Plan.
  • Unspecified improvements to the flow of traffic and bike/pedestrian crossings at the intersection of Commercial Ave and Pully Drive, which is currently awkwardly placed along the Highway 30 westbound on-ramp.
  • A recommendation that the City come up with streetscape design guidelines for the area near Lien Rd near Thierer Rd, and for Commercial Ave to the east of Thompson Drive.
  • Adding more programming to Sycamore Park, such as Parks Alive.
  • Bring a B-Cycle facility to the Sycamore Park area to take advantage of the inter-neighborhood connectivity improvement that the Autumn Ridge path will bring to the Burke Heights area. 

The Area Plans are tentatively scheduled to be reviewed and up for a vote at the following meetings:

  • Economic Development Committee: July 17, 2024 (West Area Plan and Northeast Area Plan)
  • Transportation Commission: July 31, 2024 (West Area Plan and Northeast Area Plan)
  • Community Development Block Grant Committee: August 1, 2024 (Northeast Area Plan)
  • Landmarks Commission: August 5, 2024 (West Area Plan and Northeast Area Plan)
  • Urban Design Commission: August 14, 2024 (West Area Plan and Northeast Area Plan)
  • Board of Parks Commissioners: August 14, 2024 (West Area Plan and Northeast Area Plan)
  • Plan Commission: August 26, 2024 (West Area Plan and Northeast Area Plan)
  • Common Council: September 10, 2024 (West Area Plan and Northeast Area Plan)

Each meeting will have the opportunity for public comment. Agendas and instructions on how to register for public comment are typically posted one week in advance of each meeting.

Movie in the Park Event at Galaxy Park on Friday!

Grab a blanket or lawn chair and join Madison Parks for a free movie in the park starting at 6:30pm! Madison Parks is partnering with local organizations for a special neighborhood community engagement event. Please join us! Bring the family!

Tentative Schedule of Activities

  • 5pm - 6:30pm: DJ, field games, bouncy castle, food carts
  • 6:30pm - 8:15pm – Movie: The Croods (2013), PG 1h 38m

Location: Galaxy Park, 132 Milky Way, Madison, WI 53718

Share your safety concerns with MPD, community leaders at the Public Safety Summit on July 23rd

Madison Police Department staff and other community leaders are hosting a Public Safety Summit. The goal of the summit is to understand current safety trends in our city and the strategies employed to prevent crime. Panelists will discuss opportunities for collaboration to enhance safety in Madison.

The Dane County Sheriff’s Office, Public Health Madison & Dane County and Focused Interruption Coalition are some of the agencies participating. The event is free and open to the public. “We want our community to share their concerns. We want people to have a better understanding of the community-wide effort our department is doing to reduce violence,” said Madison Police Chief Shon Barnes. 

Event Details: Tuesday, July 23 from 5-8 p.m. at the Warner Park Community Center. Food and a childcare room will be available for attendees. 

Community Participation Encouraged! Community members can submit questions or topics they would like discussed by emailing MPDPIO@cityofmadison.com.

News & Announcements

 

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

Capitol View Farmers' Market, Wednesdays all summer!: 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! (Location: far Eastside of Madison, near the Great Dane Eastside, 5901 Sharpsburg Dr.)

BINGO at the Madison Senior Center on Thursday, July 18: It is free to play BINGO. Small prizes are awarded to BINGO winners. An optional round of Blackout takes place at the end. Each BINGO card costs 50 cents. The first person(s) to get a “black out” wins the kitty. Event starts at 10:15 a.m.

Parks Alive!

Parks Alive builds stronger neighborhoods and connects neighbors to their parks through fun, family-friendly activities, music and free food. Events are held in parks across the city and throughout the summer. Connect with your neighbors and engage with your community at a Parks Alive event near you! Events start at 5:00 p.m.

6:30 p.m. movie: Migration (2023, PG, 1h 23m)

6:30 p.m. movie: The Marvels (2023, PG-13, 1h 45m).

Sina Davis Movies in the Park

The City of Madison Parks Division developed Movies with Madison Parks in harmony with the City's Neighborhood Resource Teams (NRTs). Sina Davis, from the Allied Drive Neighborhood, provided the spark and served as the main community driver behind the creation and development of the program. This popular program was named in her honor, just before her passing in July 2019.

The Wizard of Oz (1939), G 1h 42m

5pm - 6:30 p.m. DJ, field games, bouncy castle, food carts

6:30pm - 8:15 p.m. Movie: The Croods (2013), PG 1h 38m

Trolls Band Together (2023), PG 1h 31m

Please find additional upcoming City of Madison Parks events listed on the City parks event calendar.

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

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District 3 - Alder Field

Alder Derek Field

Alder Derek Field

District 3
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