2023-04-21 Madison Streets Department Updates

Earth Day Challenge is April 22

For over 20 years now, the City of Madison Parks Division has hosted an Earth Day Challenge where they ask for the community’s help to tidy up the city parks

There are still several parks that could use volunteers to help with the clean-up effort.

If you have some time this Saturday,  consider volunteering. I know this is a last-minute promotion of this event, and the weather won’t be the best on Saturday, but if you have the time and ability to pitch in, the Parks Division would certainly appreciate it.

Here’s the link to see which parks that could still use a hand and more details: Earth Day Challenge Parks.  Note that the registration window has passed, but per the website liked above, walk-up help would be accepted.

Food Scraps Recycling Returns!

Food scraps recycling will return to the Eastside Farmers’ Market on Tuesday, April 25, 2023.

The market drop-off will be every Tuesday from 4:00pm to 7:00pm starting April 25 and ending on October 31, 2023. 

The scraps can be dropped off for free at the designated food scraps drop-off tent at the market. 

Only certain food scraps are acceptable at the market drop-off locations, though.  Please be sure you are only bringing the kind of compostable food scraps. 

We can accept raw fruits & vegetables, coffee grounds, egg shells, and the similar kind of material that would be appropriate for a backyard compost bins.

Do not bring meat, dairy, bones, compostable plastic products, paper products, pet waste, and other non-compostable items to the market site.  We cannot take them.

More details about the food scraps program can be found at www.cityofmadison.com/FoodScraps.

And, yes, we will also be returning to the South Madison Farmer’s Market as well – but that market won’t get off the ground until late May.

We found last year that most people found out about our market through word of mouth, so feel free to talk this up to your friends and neighbors.  Last year, we were able to take 5 tons of food scraps to the Neighborhood Food Solutions farm for composting– and I’m pretty excited to see how much we can compost this year.

Yard Waste Collection Continues

Keep in mind that you get 2 spring time yard waste collections.  There is one in April and then another one in May.

I’ve heard from a few residents that were worried the light snow we received recently would delay collections, but it did not.  We are still on schedule.

If you missed your April pickup opportunity, that’s okay.  We’ll be around one more time in May.

You do not want to miss your May pickup opportunity because that will be your last chance for curbside pickup this spring. 

Once your May pickup opportunity passes, Streets crews will not be around again for yard waste collection again until the fall.

Get the dates when you should set out yard waste for pickup at www.cityofmadison.com/YardWaste.

And what happens if you miss both pickup chances?  There’s always the drop-off sites and your own compost bin.

A Good National-Audience Recycling Article?

Many times national news stories about recycling miss, or under represent, that recycling is regional.  It feels universal, but in reality markets and rules vary by state. This means the rules in other states are not the same as in Wisconsin.  And recycling can vary even down to the city level because some places will have opportunities that are not available elsewhere.  This underappreciated fact leads to a lot of recycling confusion.

With that said, the Washington Post published a recycling article that I feel did a good job and I would like to pass along to all of you. You will need a Washington Post subscription to read it or you can use the Madison Public Library e-resource subscription.

The article relies heavily on information from northern Virginia (it’s the Washington Post after all) but it provides  information about how to recycle right while grounding it quite well in the fact that recycling varies around the country.  And it has a nice graphics and a fun little sorting game at the end, too.

The main takeaway of the article, in my opinion at least, is to follow your up-to-date local recycling rules, which is exactly correct. 

Whatever is printed on the toothpaste tube or top of the pizza box or wherever – the advice you should follow if a thing is recyclable or not is your local guidelines.

With that in mind, you can get your 2023 Recyclopedia today from any Madison Public Library branch, or you can download the PDF from the Streets Division website, or you can have one mailed to you by contacting the Streets Division.

Final Section

Thank you all for your time and attention, as always.  For those of you who enrolled in the Master Recycler class in April – thank you and good luck on your projects.  And we are offering the class again in July so those of you who have not yet taken it, maybe I’ll see you there.

2023-04-17 Updates from Alder Wehelie

Meetings

Construction will take place in stages between 2023 and 2024.

Attend the public information meeting to learn about road work, construction schedule, and expected lane closures. Much of the work will require traffic control and lane closures.

The proposed project would include replacing the current 5-foot wide sidewalk with an 8 to 10-foot wide sidewalk, relocating or replacing street infrastructure such as traffic signal poles and street lighting as needed, and where necessary installing new curb and gutter.

Events

  • Dane County Farmers’ Market – Wednesday Market: 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.
  • Voices of Color with Host Melvin Hinton, Thursday, April 20, 2023: In April, we welcome Lourdes Shanjani, to Voices of Color. Lourdes is a bicultural public health professional driven by a passion for centering Health Equity and advancing Social Justice. She has been with Public Health Madison & Dane County for almost 3 years, and she has over 15 years of extensive experience working with diverse populations in both the United States and the Dominican Republic. Both her professional and personal journey as an immigrant Afro Latina help her to keep a health and racial equity focus. Our community is a rich mix of many different cultures. Being an inclusive community means learning about and appreciating our differences. 
  • Friday Night Hoops, Friday, April 21, 2023: 3 Point Contests, referee apprenticeship and leadership development!
    • 3 games Middle School (Ages 11-13) 5:00PM – (GAME 1) 5:45PM – (GAME 2) 6:30PM – (GAME 3)
    • 3 games High School (Ages14-18) 7:15PM – (GAME 1) 8:00PM – (GAME 2) 8:45PM – (GAME 3)

On-site Registration day of event.

  • Mad City Ultras, Saturday, April 22, 2023: MadCity Ultras consists of 50 kilometer running races (5 laps around Lake Wingra). There is a competitive 50 kilometer race for solo runners, and non-competitive 50 kilometer relay race fun run. 
  • Madison Parks Earth Day Challenge, Saturday, April 22, 2023: Join Madison Parks for this year’s Earth Day Challenge and volunteer to help clean up your neighborhood park on Saturday, April 22! For more than 20 years, Madison Parks has honored Earth Day by recruiting volunteers for the Earth Day Challenge. This year, Madison Parks is seeking more than 900 volunteers at 60+ parks to assist with trash pickup, raking, weeding, removing sticks, and more. All ages are welcome to participate. Advanced registration is required for anyone 10 years and older. REGISTER ONLINE TODAY!

DESCRIPTION: Take the first step to owning a home, and join us in this Home Buyer Education Workshop. This FREE HUD Approved Homebuyer Education workshop takes place in-person at the Villager Mall on Park St, Atrium Entrance (2300 S Park St.) on Saturday, April 22nd from 8:30am-3:30pm! Lunch will be provided.

Any questions contact Maria Davila-Martinez (mdavila-martinez@cityofmadison.com) or by phone at 608-266-6557.

Your Path to Homeownership is provided by La Casa de Esperanza, a Non-Profit HUD Approved Housing Counseling Agency dedicated to assisting individuals and families to increase income, build savings and gain assets. Our focus on financial wellness is supported by the Center’s programs and services which include; home buyer education and counseling, free tax services, employment coaching, financial coaching and access to financial workshops. Our people-centered approach supports our belief that everyone deserves an opportunity to work on their financial wellness.

  • Bird & Nature Festival 2023, Sunday, April 23, 2023: The 2023 Bird & Nature Festival is a free, family-friendly event celebrating Madison Bird City, Arbor Day and Earth Day.  See live birds by Open Door Bird Sanctuary and visit nature displays throughout the day.  Plan 30-45 minutes for your visit anytime between 12 and 4 pm, during this ongoing event. 

Save the Date!

  • Fire OPS 101, Wednesday, May 24th, 2023: Join us for Fire OPS 101 and experience a day in the life of a fire fighter! Fire OPS is a program that allows community leaders and elected officials to experience a day in the life of a firefighter. Y?ou will dress in turnout gear and will participate in realistic scenarios that we face on a day-to-day basis. The scenarios will include fire attack, search and rescue, vehicle extrication, and emergency medical services. 

Announcements

The new center on Latham Drive opened last spring, allowing preschool children to receive a full day of programming that focuses on emotional wellbeing, equality, and autonomy. Reach Dane provides services to 1,000 children, ages 0-5, and is often the last stop for children and families who have very few childcare options.

Eligibility: Anyone who identifies as disabled is eligible to be nominated (including chronic illnesses & mental health conditions), and nominators do not need to identify as disabled. Self-nominations are not accepted to celebrate the spirit of community and interdependence. You are welcome to submit more than one nomination.

Deadline: Nominate a disability leader by Monday, May 15 at 11:59 PM PT

2023-04-07 Neighborhood News & Updates

Common Council Election Results

On April 4, City of Madison residents elected seven new alderpeople* and secured additional terms for 12 incumbents, seven of whom faced challengers. Results for District 14 will not be confirmed until April 7.New alders will be sworn in the morning of April 18. They will participate in their first Common Council meeting later that day at 6:30 p.m.

Also on April 4, a majority of voters said yes to the municipal referendum to stagger alder terms. Alders in even-numbered districts (2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20) will be up for election in even-numbered years and alders in odd-numbered districts (1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17, 19) will be up for election in odd-numbered years. The 2025 Spring Election shall include one-year terms for alders in even-numbered districts. In subsequent elections, the term for all alders shall be two years.

Sound the Alarm. Save a Life

The American Red Cross is making homes fire resistant through the Red Cross Home Fire Preparedness Campaign. At no cost, you can have the Red Cross visit your home and demonstrate some simple changes that will help protect your family against fires including:

  • Free smoke alarm installation if no working smoke alarms are present in your home
  • Guidance in developing a Family Disaster Plan
  • Valuable emergency preparedness tips and information

Visit the Red Cross webpage to learn more and to setup your free appointment.

Stormwater, Parks, Land Use and more at West Area Open House on May 10!

The West Area Plan team will host an Open House on May 10 at Lussier Community Education Center from 6:30-8:00 p.m. 55 S. Gammon Road. Individuals, families and other community members encouraged to drop in to hear short City agency presentations at 6:45 p.m. on projects spanning land use planning, transportation, stormwater management, water quality protection, parks and open space and more. Residents will then have the chance to talk with staff to learn more including how these projects may affect them and how they can be involved. FOOD and INTERPRETATION for SPANISH and ARABIC languages. Visit the West Area Plan webpage to learn more, and to sign up for the email list to receive regular West Area Plan updates.

Please update your Neighborhood Association profile on the City website by April 30

If your organization has been formally recognized, it will be listed with a descriptive profile that neighbors, businesses, community based organizations, and educational institutions use to find out about your group. Please find your group on our City website, review the information, and update only the information that needs to be changed here. If you have any questions, please send an email to Neighborhoods@cityofmadison.com

Madison Parks Earth Day Challenge

Join Madison Parks for this year’s Earth Day Challenge and volunteer to help clean up your neighborhood park on Saturday, April 22! For more than 20 years, Madison Parks has honored Earth Day by recruiting volunteers for the Earth Day Challenge. This year, Madison Parks is seeking more than 900 volunteers at 60+ parks to assist with trash pickup, raking, weeding, removing sticks, and more. All ages are welcome to participate. Advanced registration is required for anyone 10 years and older. Saturday, April 22, 2023, 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., unless otherwise noted. REGISTER ONLINE

Streets Division Updates

  • Brush collection has started. Curious how to do it right? Check out our video! You get five curbside pickups opportunities. To learn the dates when you can set out your brush, go to www.cityofmadison.com/BrushCollection.
  • Yard waste collection starts for certain residents the week of April 16. We have a video for yard waste pickup, too. To get the dates when you should set out yard waste, go to www.cityofmadison.com/YardWaste.
  • Drop-off sites are now on expanded hours. To get the drop-off site hours and locations, go to www.cityofmadison.com/DropOffSites.
  • Are you recycling right? How sure are you? 17.6% of what is placed into our recycling carts is trash that should not be in your recycling. You can brush up on your recycling rules by picking up a copy of the Recyclopedia today. They are available from any Madison Public Library, or you can contact the Streets Division to have one mailed to your home.

2023-04-03 Updates from Alder Wehelie

Spring Election

The Spring Election is Tuesday, April 4, 2023. Polls open at 7 a.m. and close at 8 p.m. If you have not registered to vote, you can still register to vote on Election Day at your polling location.

April 7, 2023 is the deadline for provisional voters to submit ID.

  • Voters who cast a provisional ballot at the polls have until 4 p.m. Friday to submit a copy of their ID to the Clerk’s Office so their ballot can be counted by the Board of Canvassers.

Meetings:

City-County Homeless Issues Committee: The City-County Homeless Issues Committee will take place in virtual format on Monday, April 3, 2023 at 5:30pm. Agenda items includes the Madison/Dane County homelessness by numbers presentation and a HSC Gaps Analysis presentation.

Events:

Save the Date!

Announcements

  • Women’s History Month Profile – 4 Women Making History at Fleet: Fleet Pioneers: It’s no secret that the automotive industry is severely under-represented by women globally. Picture the last mechanic that worked on your personal vehicle. What was their gender? If you visualized a man, you wouldn’t be alone. We value every member of our team but we really need to do better in this regard at Fleet as well. It would be great to see the makeup of the division more accurately reflect the Madison community we serve. 
  • Sign Up for Free Hands-Only CPR & AED Training: Madison Fire Department EMTs and Paramedics will host monthly hands-only CPR and AED awareness trainings for the community. These classes are free, but registration is required.
  • Street Closure–Livingston Street at E Washington Avenue: Starting Monday, March 27, S Livingston Street will be closed at E Washington Avenue for work related to Bus Rapid Transit (BRT). The closure is estimated to last approximately two months–until Friday, May 26. 
  • Streets Division Drop-off Sites Hours Expand Starting April 3, 2023: Starting on Monday, April 3, 2023 the Streets Division drop-off sites at 402 South Point Road and 4602 Sycamore Avenue will begin their expanded summer hours.

2023-03-27 Updates from Alder Wehelie

Meetings

  • Water Utility Board: The Water Utility Board will be held in person at 119 E Olin Avenue, Room A & B, Madison, WI 53713, on Tuesday March 28, 2023. Agenda items include commending and expressing appreciation to Kelly Miess (Kelly), Water Utility Engineer, on retirement from Madison Water Utility (MWU) after nearly 13 years of service.
  • Madison Public Library Board: The Madison Public Library Board will meet in virtual format on Thursday March 30, 2023. Agenda items include approval to adopt the following policy: All Madison Public Library locations will close when City offices close due to inclement weather.
  • Public Information Meeting – Kestrel Park, Monday, March 27, 2023: Madison Parks is creating a Park Development Plan for Kestrel Park. Kestrel Park is designated as a mini park acquired by Madison Parks in 2015. A mini park is described as a park with fewer than 5 acres and used to address limited, isolated, or unique recreational needs. This 2.16-acre parcel, located off Mid Town and Pleasant View roads, near Verona, is currently undeveloped. A Park Development Plan will include general locations of future park amenities based on input received from the community. In January 2023, Madison Parks staff held the first public meeting to present an overview of the Park Development Plan process, an inventory and analysis of surrounding parkland and Kestrel Park, and gather input and comments to update the draft plan. 

Events

  • Movin’ Out Financial Literacy Series (#1 – Financial Goals & Money Mindset), Tuesday, March 28, 2023: The City of Madison, in partnership with Movin’ Out, invite South Madison residents to participate in Movin’ Out’s financial wellness series! This six-session financial literacy program covers a range of topics to provide a solid understanding of the fundamentals of personal finance. In between sessions, interested participants can work with Movin’ Out’s Counseling staff on their own financial goals toward homeownership.
  • Community CPR & AED Training, Wednesday March 29, 2023: Interested in learning hands-only CPR and how to use an AED? Join Madison Fire Department EMTs and Paramedics at Fire Station 14 (3201 Dairy Drive) on Wednesday, 3/29, 8:30-10:00 AM.
  • Advanced registration required! Register by emailing Captain AJ Greenlee at agreenlee@cityofmadison.com.
  • Northeast Area Plan Open House, Wednesday, March 29, 2023: City staff are continuing their outreach efforts for the Northeast Area Plan. During the kick-off meetings residents shared questions and comments about a variety of topics outside the purview of our Planning team. Staff are excited to share that an Open House has been scheduled to bring together residents and staff from various City agencies. The Open House will take place on Wednesday, March 29th from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. at Madison College, Truax Main Building, 1701 Wright Street, Room D1630. 
  • Public Information Meeting – Sycamore Park, Thursday, March 30, 2023: Madison Parks is updating the master plan for Sycamore Park and we want to hear from you! The update process will review existing park uses and amenities as well as identify future improvements. Master plans are dynamic long-term planning documents that provide a framework for future development and improvements. They embody community goals for the planning area and establish the general location of desired amenities. Master plans are conceptual diagrams, and the identified improvements are often implemented in phases, with each phase requiring further design development and public engagement before construction.
  • Dog Park Cleanup Day 2023, Saturday, April 1, 2023: Do you love your dog park? Help us clean up your favorite city of Madison off-leash dog park. This event is suitable for ages 15 and older. Ages 5-14 may also participate when accompanied by an adult. 
  • Disc Golf Volunteer Day – Elver Park, Saturday, April 1, 2023: It’s spring cleaning time for the disc golf courses! Join Madison Parks in beautifying Elver and Hiestand disc golf course with trash removal, brush cutting, and other course improvements. We’ll be working two Saturdays – April 1 at Elver Park and April 8 at Hiestand Park and both events 9am to 11am. 
  • Bird & Nature Adventures – Tenney Park, Sunday, April 2, 2023: Nature-expert guided walks in Tenney Park along Lake Mendota and the Yahara River Parkway bike path through the Madison Isthmus are free, family-friendly and held the first Saturday of each month, from 2:30-4pm. The walk begins at the Tenney Beach parking lot, 1330 Sherman Avenue. No registration is required. No pets are allowed. Co-sponsored by Madison FUN Friends of Urban Nature, Madison Parks, Madison Audubon Society Tenney-Lapham Neighborhood Association  and Friends of the Yahara River Parkway .
  • Bird & Nature Adventures – Cherokee Marsh, North, Sunday, April 2, 2023: Cherokee Marsh is Madison’s largest conservation park with three units – North, South, and Mendota. Each month, year-round we explore the north unit’s beautiful trails through the woodlands, wetlands, and restored prairies along the Yahara ‘Catfish’ River. Co-sponsored by Madison Parks, Friends of Cherokee Marsh , Sierra Club and Madison Audubon Society . Follow North Sherman Ave. to the parking lot at the end of the gravel entrance road. Free, family-friendly guided nature walks at Cherokee Marsh Conservation Park – North are held on the 1st Sunday of each month, year-round 1:30-3pm. No registration is required. No pets are allowed.

Save the Date!

  • Madison Parks Earth Day Challenge, Saturday, April 22, 2023- Register to Volunteer Today!: Join Madison Parks for this year’s Earth Day Challenge and volunteer to help clean up your neighborhood park on Saturday, April 22! For more than 20 years, Madison Parks has honored Earth Day by recruiting volunteers for the Earth Day Challenge. This year, Madison Parks is seeking more than 900 volunteers at 60+ parks to assist with trash pickup, raking, weeding, removing sticks, and more. All ages are welcome to participate. Advanced registration is required for anyone 10 years and older.

Announcements

Streets Division Updates

2023-03-24 Madison Recycling & Streets Updates

Master Recycler Class Returns April 6

If you’ve been meaning to take the Master Recycler class from Sustain Dane & the City of Madison, now is your chance.

There will be two offerings of the class this year.

The first chance will be coming up in April.  Here’s a link to enroll in the April session.

If the timing of the April class doesn’t work, fear not, there is a July class this year as well.  Here’s the link to enroll in that session.

What is the Master Recycler class?  Its two 90-minute online classes per session that provide a deeper dive into recycling, and other sustainable materials management practices.  The ultimate goal is for you to leave trained and confident to share this recycling information with your social circles through some sort of planned outreach project.  Could be a newsletter, a presentation, a delightful viral video, lessons for the kiddos in your elementary school class – the options are practically endless.

You see, while recycling information is available, few seek it out. Instead they turn to social media threads, or work conversations, and so on, and it’s easy for misinformation, half-remembered facts, and rumors to infect those interactions that will never involve the actual official recycling guidance.  The hope is that Master Recyclers (like you, perhaps) could be the expert to pierce these information bubbles with a bit of the real information about recycling guidance.

By the way – we’re not wild about the name “Master Recycler” but we’re coming up short on solid ideas to use instead.  If you have a good one, let me know.

The 2023 Recyclopedias Are Here!

Sorry for the delay in getting these out, but the news about us being able to recycle televisions, computers, and laptops for free this year broke a little late and that caused a delay with the booklet.

The paper copies are available at your public library branches.

While you’re there, check out a book or three.  Especially for Saturday – nothing better to do on a snowy spring morning that curl up with a new book.

Copies can also be mailed to you directly.  You just have to contact the Streets Division office that services your home to have one sent out.

A digital copy can be downloaded here.

We have a digital copy of a Spanish version of the Recyclopedia on our website as well.  Paper copies of the Spanish one haven’t yet arrived from the printer, but they should be at our offices and at the libraries any day now.  Chinese and Hmong translations are still in the process of being completed.

Brush Collection Starts Soon!

Yes, brush collection gets underway in early April.

Brush is things like fallen branches, or other woody material that you have trimmed from your trees, shrubs, and bushes that measure over 18 inches in length.  This material is turned into wood mulch (which is available to the public – check our mulch website: www.cityofmadison.com/Mulch).

As we’ve done for a few years now, there is a fixed schedule for when you should set out brush to the curb.

To get those dates you just have to follow two easy steps:

  1. Go to www.cityofmadison.com/BrushCollection
  2. Put your address into the form

And then put the brush out for pickup on the dates shown for your home.  Crews will not be in areas early, and they do not circle back through after your pickup occurred.

The best bet is to put it out on the Sunday shown on the website, and then your brush will be collected by the end of the following work week.

Yard Waste Collection Beginning Later in April

Yard waste is different than brush.

Yard waste is the more plant-like stuff – think of it like leaves, weeds, grass clippings, and the other stuff you rake or pull from your lawn or garden. 

Yard waste pickup will get underway a little later in April than we have done in prior years.  The rationale is that it can still be kind of cold early April and folks aren’t too keen on tending to their lawns quite yet.

Everyone will get one yard waste collection opportunity in mid-April, and another one in early May.

We haven’t published a news release about this yet because the start of this service is still a few weeks away.  But if you want to learn your yard waste set out dates to put them on your calendar today, you can.

You just have to follow to very easy (and familiar) steps:

  1. Go to www.cityofmadison.com/YardWaste
  2. Put your address into the form

Next you will see the two spring set out dates for yard waste.  Put your yard waste out for pickup on the date shown.  Collection will occur sometime during the work week following the set out Sunday.

As always there are two collection opportunities in the spring, and then a pause through the summer months as crews are needed on other duties, and then yard waste pickup returns in the fall.

Drop-off Sites Are Different – Just Like Last Year

The Badger Rd drop-off site is permanently closed.  The resident services office at 1501 W Badger Rd will remain the same.  It’s just the drop-off site will no longer be there.

If you get your Municipal Services bill in the mail as opposed to digitally, this probably isn’t a surprise to you because we included this guide in with the bill.

The drop-off site guide explains the hours and locations for the sites this year. 

The same information is available from the drop-off site website: www.cityofmadison.com/DropOffSites.

Drop-off site hours expand on April 3, 2023. 

Check our website to be sure you know when and where to go if you are using the drop-off sites.

The Last Bit

Before we go – yes, food scraps recycling is returning in 2023 to the same farmers’ markets as last year.

Neighborhood News and Updates: May 14, 2021

Libraries to Open May 24th  Expanded services will include in-person library browsing, self-pickup holds and checkout, and access to basic desk services in person:  https://www.madisonpubliclibrary.org/

$50k Award to Greater Madison Music City Team – The Greater Madison Music City (GMMC) Team has received $50,000 from the National Endowment for the Arts for efforts to create an equitable music economy in the region. There is still time for individuals from our music ecosystem to be part of the GMMC project that aims to create and implement a plan to increase music-related jobs, promote tourism, and improve community relations for people of color.

New Large Item Collection System Coming In June – In June 2021, there will be a new large item collection system. Rather than placing large items out to the curb every other week, residents will have to place a work order with the Streets Division. For more information visit: https://www.cityofmadison.com/streets/refuse/WorkOrderFAQ.cfm

Citywide News Updates –  Reminder to visit https://www.cityofmadison.com/news to view citywide news updates and to sign up to receive them by email.

Updates re: Legistar 63902 – Housing Ordinance Amendments

Here’s an update from the city, regarding the Zoning Ordinance amendments related to allowing greater residential densities and adjusting conditional use thresholds, Legistar #63902.

In advance of next Thursday’s Housing Strategy Committee meeting, where these proposed changes will be considered for their recommendation, they’ve posted the Staff Report/Memo to Legistar. The hope is that this can provide a good overview, as well as additional resources for those who may be interested in exploring these proposed changes in more detail.

Importantly, in order to allow more time to better understand the changes, the revised schedule for formal review of the amendments is as follows:

  • 2/25      Housing Strategy Committee
  • 3/22      Plan Commission
  • 3/30      Common Council

Meanwhile, staff will offer a Zoom-based Community Q & A Session on Monday, March 1, from 5:30-7:30. At the session, they’ll play a video presentation to provide an overview, and Zoning Administrator Matt Tucker and Planning Division Director Heather Stouder will be available for questions. Folks do need to register in advance to attend the session at this link:

Housing Ordinance Changes – Overview and Community Q & A

Snow Plowing Updates

https://www.cityofmadison.com/residents/winter/SnowIce/snowPlowUpdates.cfm

Tonight’s snow will disrupt your commutes this evening and Friday. All roads will be snow-covered. Streets Division trucks will be out, but it is far too cold to apply salt.

Once the snow begins to fall, which is expected to begin sometime around dinner time tonight, Streets Division plow trucks will be dispatched to service the main thoroughfares that make up the salt route network of streets. Crews will be working throughout the night.

However, these trucks will not be applying salt. When temperatures get below 20 degrees, salt at the rate it is spread by the Streets Division is no longer effective. Instead of applying salt, crews will switch to applying sand where needed. Sand provides traction, but it does not melt snow and ice.

This means the main thoroughfares will be snow-covered as will residential streets. Roads will be slippery, especially after traffic compacts the snow down. Plows cannot peel up compacted snow from the road surface. Sand can help with traction over these areas, but conditions will be slick.

You must be cautious on the roads and make good choices. Allow for plenty of extra travel time to arrive at your destinations safely. Anticipate your stops and turns so you do not slide. Be slow. Be alert. Be patient.

As these arctic temperatures are expected to linger into next week, snowy and slippery roads will persist until temperatures rebound.

Streets Division staff will continue to monitor the roads and the weather. Additional updates will be provided as conditions change