secretary SMNA

2024-08-26 Updates from Alder Wehelie

West Area Plan: The Plan Commission will take up the West Area Plan on Monday, August 26. This is the last step before it heads to the Common Council on September 10. The Transportation Commission, Landmarks Commission, and Urban Design Commission have recommended minor amendments. The Plan Commission will consider these and Plan Commissioners could recommend other changes.

Resurfacing – Maple Grove Road, Putnam Road and Stratford Drive

August 13 Payne and Dolan started reconstructing the asphalt surface on Maple Grove Road from McKee Road to Putnam Road.  Contractors will be working from Chester Drive to McKee Road during the project and will maintain one…

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.

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, August 26, in virtual format at 4:30 p.m. Agenda items include amending the 2024 Resource Recovery Special Charge, as well as accepting a donation of Narcan, fentanyl test strips, and educational posters for overdose prevention.
  • Plan Commission: The Plan Commission meeting will take place on Monday, August 26, in virtual format at 5:30 p.m. Agenda items include approving housing recommendations that serve to strengthen efforts to expand rental, homeowner and student developments that were prepared by the Housing Strategy Committee, as well as adopting the Northeast Area Plan and the West Area Plan.
  • Water Utility Board: The Water Utility Board meeting will take place on Tuesday, August 27, in virtual format at 4:30 p.m. Agenda items include 2025 Capital and Operating Budget requests, as well as PFAS settlements.
  • Board of Public Works: The Board of Public Works meeting will take place on Wednesday, August 28, in virtual format at 4:30 p.m. Agenda items include establishing soil infiltration design standards.

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

Announcements and News Releases

Events

  • Imagination Center Update: Town Hall to Inform, Educate, Advocate, Tuesday, August 27: Join us for a Town Hall led by Alder Sabrina Madison and the Sandburg Area Neighborhood Association to discuss the Imagination Center at Reindahl Park. Get informed about the current budget threats, educate yourself on the library’s benefits, ask questions, and learn how to advocate effectively to support this important community resource.
  • Capitol View Farmers’ Market, Wednesday, August 28: 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!
secretary SMNA

Aug 2024 Newsletter from PHMDC

August 2024
Here’s an overview of some of the things we’ve been working on at Public Health Madison & Dane County since our last newsletter.  For the best reading experience, we recommend clicking the link at the top of this email that says, View this email in your browser.
Partnering to Provide School-Age Vaccinations
Once again, we’re partnering with SSM Health, GHC, UW-Health, and Madison Metropolitan School District to provide school-age vaccinations at schools this fall. It’s a great opportunity to help families get the shots that are required for school attendance, including meningitis, which is now required (see page 2 for schedule). With a pertussis outbreak in Dane County, COVID on the rise all summer, and flu season starting in fall, we’ll be able to get kids up to date on all the vaccines they’re due for, helping them stay healthy and in the classroom!
New Initiatives to Improve Beach Testing This Summer
This summer, staff in our laboratory implemented two new innovations to improve our beach water quality testing. We used a new rapid testing system that detects bacteria in water samples within 2 to 4 hours, compared to the usual method that provides results in 18 hours. This allowed us to re-open beaches much faster after a closure, leading to more beach days. 

We also piloted a system that helped us pre-emptively close certain beaches known to have high levels of bacteria in the water after heavy rains. The new system helped us shift to a proactive, rather than reactive mode of waiting for test results, allowing us to close unsafe beaches sooner to protect health and safety! 

During the summer, our beach conditions webpage is one of our most visited pages, showing how valuable beach water quality testing is to our community. We’ll be analyzing the success of these initiatives over the winter to determine if we’ll implement them again next year.
Environmental Scan of Hemp Products in Stores Completed
Did you know 1 in 3 teens have tried cannabis by the 12th grade? The teenage brain is still developing and continues to develop until about age 25. Using cannabis during this time may harm the developing brain, causing difficulty thinking and problem-solving, difficulty maintaining attention, and more. It can also increase a teen’s risk of mental health issues and potential for addiction. While medicinal and recreational cannabis are illegal in Wisconsin, hemp derivatives that contain low levels of delta-9 tetra-hydrocannabinol (THC), the psychoactive component of the cannabis plant, are legal. They’re unregulated, and there is no age restriction to buying them.

We recently completed an environmental scan of 68 stores throughout Dane County to assess the products being sold and their availability. We visited smoke & vape shops, gas stations, wellness stores, and more to look at things like external signage, flavors and packaging, signs about checking IDs, where products were positioned, and to chat with clerks. Some of what we saw has major implications for youth. Here are just a few of our findings: we found a total of 30 distinct cannabinoids in various products in teen-friendly flavors; candy-like edibles were available in almost every store; excluding THC beverages, 28% of stores had some self-serve component. 

In response to these findings, we’ll be doing community outreach on best use practices for those who use the products, and policy best practices for stores who sell the products.
Meet Our Board of Health
Our Board of Health, including its newest member Leslie Seltzer, provides oversight and guidance for our department and is recognized by both the City of Madison and Dane County governing bodies. The Board’s work focuses on: Providing policy, financial, and contractual oversight Reviewing and recommending public health policies and regulations Assuring that state and local public health laws and regulations are enforced Recommending community public health priorities Our Board is made up of a County Board Supervisor, a Common Council member, three Dane County residents, and three City of Madison residents. You can learn about them on our Board of Health page, where you’ll also find agendas and meeting minutes, and statements and resolutions they’ve created. 
Summer Outreach
We had another great summer spreading the word about health and safety and providing support to community organizations at festivals and events around Dane County!

We engaged with lots of community members to educate them about a wide range of topics, from PFAS, communicable diseases, and the higher prevalence of ticks this year, to our services they may be eligible for, like sexually transmitted infection screening & birth control, breast & cervical cancer screenings, pregnancy nurse home visits, syringe services, and WIC benefits. Here are a few pictures of our staff in action!
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To stay up to date on our work throughout the year, subscribe to our news releases, newsletters, and blog – Link below!
Sign Up For Public Health News Releases, Newsletters, and Blog
secretary SMNA

2024-08-05 Updates from Alder Wehelie

Events

Announcements

  • Bicycling Survey: UW students are looking to learn more about your experiences and opinions on cycling in Madison! This survey will help students understand the Madison cycling community and help direct policy and planning. You can take the survey by clicking here.
  • City of Madison Absentee Ballot Drop Boxes Updated Ahead of Primary: Madison’s 14 absentee ballot drop boxes are getting an updated look ahead of the Tuesday, August 13, 2024, primary election.