Month: January 2024

My Colleagues, Alders John W. Duncan District 1 and Alder Barbara Harrington-McKinney District 20 are excited to work collaboratively to provide a platform for our residents to learn more about the important work City of Madison agencies are doing to keep our communities safe and thriving. These sessions will replace my Lunch and Learn series which I held during the 2nd Thursday of the month at noon.

To participate in the virtual Westside Community Connections session on Thursday, January 18 from 6pm-7:30pm, please register in advance at the following link: www.cityofmadison.com/westsidecommunityconnections 

The sessions are created to give far westside residents district and citywide updates and will feature a different city agency each month. This month’s session will feature Yang Tao, Ph.D., P.E., Director of Traffic Engineering. Tao will share important updates, both district specific and citywide, on the Vision Zero Initiative, Safe Streets Madison program, and street lighting. Alders will assist in facilitating the meeting and there will be time for a Q&A at the end of the presentation by Tao.

For more information, please contact me at district7@cityofmadison.com or by phone (608) 571-4919

Looking forward to seeing you!

~Alder Wehelie.

2024 Neighborhood Grant Program 

Have you and your neighbors been thinking about making community improvements or strengthening your neighborhood group? The Planning Division will once again offer funding through the  Neighborhood Grant Program for Leadership and Capacity Building and Community Enhancement projects. 

Please review  Grant Program Guidelines and Application. You can also check the  Workshop recording to help you understand criteria and past projects. Once you are ready to start an application, please contact the Planning Division at  Neighborhoods@cityofmadison.com, and share project ideas with your alderperson. The application deadline is February 26, 2024 at 4:30 p.m.

Northeast Area Plan Art Workshop on January 24, 6-8pm

Do you have art project ideas for the Northeast area? Or would like to join a brainstorming session to generate potential art-related projects that could be included in the  Northeast Area Plan?

In collaboration with the City Arts Administrator Kairn Wolf, the Northeast Area Planning (NEAP) team is hosting an upcoming  art workshop on January 24, 6-8pm at the Fleet Service Facility located at 4151 Nakoosa Trail, Madison, WI 53714. The primary goal of the workshop is to gather feedback and insights regarding potential art projects within the NEAP area. Your participation would be instrumental in shaping the artistic vision of this community.

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. New grant funding will help close the gaps. $250,000 in grants will be available to Madison cab companies for the purchase of accessible taxi cabs later this year. Accessible cabs cost between $50,000-60,000 each. Click  HERE for more information. 

Streets Division Updates

Severe Winter Storms & How to Stay Informed

Forecasts show a serious winter storm for Friday into Saturday, potentially worse than the one we received on January 9.  Higher winds and intense snowfall may create near whiteout conditions in some areas, especially on open areas of Madison, like on areas bordering farm fields.  

Here is what you should do in order to stay informed about the City response to this storm, and all winter storms. 

• Subscribe to the City of Madison News Release email list. Do this at  www.cityofmadison.com/News.  Everyone can get these. If there are any changes to the Streets Division’s trash & recycling collection schedule, it is announced as a news release first.  And all other important city news are all published as News Releases.  You are welcome to sign up to receive them directly from the City. 
• Subscribe to the Winter Information lists, too: On  www.cityofmadison.com/Winter, sign up to receive Snow Plow Updates.  If you ever want to know what the plows are doing – sign up to receive those updates and that update will tell you.  Yes, the updates are sometimes quite long and detailed, but they explain the plow deployments and what to expect on the roads.  You can sign up to receive other alerts regarding snow emergency declarations, to sidewalk clearing, to nightly text reminders for alternate side parking.  All of it is at  www.cityofmadison.com/winter.
• Use the Winter Website: The City’s website has a great many of other resources to stay prepared for winter. That website again is  www.cityofmadison.com/Winter. 

Madison Public Library Takeover Returns

Until January 31, 2024, the Madison Public Library is accepting applications for the  Library Takeover program. Teams of 3-4 people can apply to participate. The program includes a multi-session course on event planning and culminates in a finished and fully-funded program at the library in 2024. The library will choose a maximum of three teams to participate and will provide them with $2,000 each to plan their event. Each individual team member will also receive a $400 stipend and a certificate of completion from Madison Public Library. “This year we are looking for more innovative, out-of-the-box idea–submissions that will surprise us or challenge everyone’s expectations of what one might typically see in a public library,” said Community Engagement Librarian Sean Ottosen.