secretary SMNA

2024-10-14 Updates from Alder Wehelie

Country Grove Park Update

The project is progressing according to schedule and is anticipated to be completed by the end of the year. The contractor is completing landscaping work around the courts area, and the courts will be opened for use when work is complete. Work continues on the shelter structure and surrounding area. Landscaping installation around the shelter structure and parking lot will be completed in 2025. 

For more information, please visit the following websites:

Maple Grove Project Neighborhood Meeting, Thursday, November 7, 2024, at 6 p.m.

Livesey Company proposes to construct a new, three-story, mixed-use building on the vacant property at 6702 Mader Drive. The new building would have 2,500 square feet of commercial space and 125 apartments. The apartments would be comprised of 105 studio and one-bedroom units and 20 two-bedroom units. There would be 104 underground parking spaces and 81 surface parking spaces.

A virtual neighborhood meeting to hear more about this proposed project is scheduled for Thursday, November 7, 2024, at 6pm. You can join the virtual meeting using your computer, smartphone, or tablet or listen in via telephone. You will receive login information after registering at www.cityofmadison.com/MeetingNovember7Mader.

District 7 Lunch and Learn features the Economic Development Division

Join me on Thursday, November 21, at noon to learn more about small business opportunities, business certification, and how to apply for support and access programs through the City of Madison. Staff from the Office of Business Resources will join us.

There will be time for Q&A at the end of the presentations. Attendees can also email their questions in advance to Lorissa Banuelos, Community Engagement Strategist, at lbanuelos@cityofmadison.com. Please include the “November 21 Lunch and Learn” in the subject line. For more information, please get in touch with me by email at district7@cityofmadison.com or by phone at (608) 571-4919.

This Lunch and Learn is virtual via Zoom and free and open to all residents. You can join the virtual meeting using your computer, smartphone, or tablet or listen in via telephone. You will receive login information after registering here. Advanced registration is required. 

Meeting and Event Highlights 

Help Name Wisconsin’s First Electric Trash Trucks!Fill out the poll by October 21, 2024, at 4:00pm to help choose names for these trucks.

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, October 14, at 4:30 p.m. in virtual format. Agenda items include a briefing on the 2025 Executive Operating Budget.
  • Finance Committee: The Finance Committee meeting will take place on Tuesday, October 15, at 4:30 p.m. in virtual format. Agenda items include a briefing on the 2025 Executive Operating Budget.
  • Economic Development Committee: The Economic Development Committee meeting will take place on Wednesday, October 16, at 5:00 p.m. in Suite 303 of 2352 S Park St. Agenda items include an update on the City of Madison’s Economic Development Plan, as well as a discussion of the 2025 Budget.
  • Transportation Commission: The Transportation Commission meeting will take place on Wednesday, October 16, at 5:00 p.m. in virtual format. Agenda items include the Director’s report, a review of the 2025 Transportation Projects List, and clarifying Transportation Demand Management procedures.

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

For the full list of upcoming events, please visit the City events calendar. 

secretary SMNA

2024-10-04 Neighborhood News & Updates

Absentee Ballots and Voter Registration

Absentee ballots for the November 5 General Election have been sent to 25,655 City of Madison absentee voters with requests on file. The goal of the City Clerk’s Office is that each eligible voter will be able to cast a ballot and have that ballot counted. To learn more click  HERE.

Register to vote at any Madison Public Library. If you have a Wisconsin ID and your address is up-to-date with the DMV, you can also register online.

The Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) is Looking for Community Feedback

The Greater Madison Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) has released its draft  2024-2028 Coordinated Public Transit-Human Services Transportation Plan. The federally required plan outlines strategies to meet the transportation needs of older adults, individuals with disabilities and people with low incomes in the Greater Madison region and Dane County. Community members are encouraged to review the draft plan and provide feedback by Friday, October 18, 2024.

How to submit feedback:

  1. Email: Send your comments to Ben Lyman, Transportation Planner, at  blyman@cityofmadison.com.
  2. Mail: Address your written feedback to Greater Madison MPO, 100 State St. Ste. 400, Madison, WI 53703.

Jeffrey Clay Erlanger Civility in Public Discourse Award

The City of Madison invites you to submit nominations for its annual Jeffrey Clay Erlanger Civility in Public Discourse Award. This award honors Jeffrey Clay Erlanger, who was an individual of integrity, passion, intelligence and civility. Jeff understood that thoughtful and caring people could have very different views on how to best address our community’s many complex issues and problems. Jeff, a lifelong quadriplegic due to complications from a spinal tumor discovered in infancy, died on June 10, 2007. He spent a significant part of his life committed to public service, focusing on constructive advocacy and civil debate, fairness, openness and effective representation. He embraced the similarities that unite us.

Jeff served on the City of Madison’s Economic Development Commission; he was chair of the Commission on People with Disabilities; chair of the Board of Directors of the Community Living Alliance; and ran for the Madison Common Council in 2002. He also held a number of other significant positions in the community. One of his greatest accomplishments was his successful push for the accessible taxicab service in Madison today. He was honored last year when an accessible playground was named in his memory at Rennebohm Park on Madison’s Westside.

To learn more about this award and its criteria click  HERE. Submissions are due November 1, 2024.

Flock to State – State Street Pedestrian Mall Experiment ends October 30th

If you haven’t visited State Street as part of this year’s State Street Pedestrian Mall experiment yet, you have about one month left to #FlockToState. The experiment, which began in May and closed the 400-600 blocks of State Street to all non-emergency vehicle traffic to allow pedestrians and people on bikes to use the street space freely, will officially end on Wednesday, October 30.

Thurber Artist in Residence Chosen

The Madison Arts Commission and the Bubbler at Madison Public Library are pleased to announce Jennifer Bastian as the 2024 Thurber Park Artist-in-Residence. The Madison Arts Commission and the Bubbler at Madison Public Library launched the Thurber Park Artist Residency in 2019. The residency is based out of a dedicated art studio at Thurber Park, located at 3325 Thurber Avenue. The Artist-in-Residence has access to a rent-free studio space for 11 months and receives a stipend. Additionally, the artist has the opportunity to create a piece of outdoor public artwork for consideration by the City of Madison. The Artist-in-Residence works closely with the Bubbler at Madison Public Library to engage the local community through open studio days, community workshops, or other strategies determined by the artist and residency administrators. To learn more click HERE.

Streets Division Updates

  • Fall Leaf Collection Starts Week of October 6:  Every neighborhood gets 3 set out chances.  Set out dates vary by neighborhood.  Get yours at  www.cityofmadison.com/YardWaste.
  • Brush Collection Over for 2024: Brush collection has concluded for 2024.  There will be no more scheduled brush collections until the spring of 2025.  Take your brush to a drop-off site instead.  Drop-off site information can be found at  www.cityofmadison.com/DropOffSites.
  • Vote for your Electric Truck Names: The election is open to choose the names of Wisconsin’s first electric collection trucks.  The election is being hosted by the non-profit  Wisconsin Clean Cities.  You have until October 21 to vote, and feel free to share with your friends and family.  Everyone can vote.
  • Are You Recycling Right?: Be sure you are putting the correct materials in your recycling cart. Check the Streets Division’s recycling page to be sure you are only putting the correct plastic containers, glass bottles & jars, metal cans, and paper products into the green carts. Details are available at  www.cityofmadison.com/Recycling.
  • Mammoth Food Scraps News:  We did it!  We set a goal of composting 22,000 pounds of food scraps this year, which is the weight of two adult mammoths.  And not only did we hit that goal, we stampeded past it.  We’re at 24,000 pounds and counting.  The market sites are running out of time for the year, so if you want to bring your scraps there’s still time.  Details can be found at  www.cityofmadison.com/FoodScraps.