A whole bunch of community and government meetings that you might want to participate in . . . haven’t done a round up in a while like this, but there’s a build up of things in my inbox that will likely be of interest.
SEPTEMBER 19
FREE FAIR HOUSING TRAINING
The Fair Housing Center of Greater Madison is offering a free fair housing training seminar for owners and managers of rental property:
Thursday, September 19, 2013, 6:00-8:00pm
Madison Public Library – Alicia Ashman Branch, 733 N. High Point Rd., MadisonWhile the seminar is free, we ask that you register so we’ll be sure to have enough of our training materials available. To register, or for more information, call the Fair Housing Center at 257-0853.
The seminar will include information about the protected classes and prohibited practices delineated by local, state and federal fair housing laws; reasonable accommodations and modifications for tenants with disabilities; advertising rental units in compliance with fair housing laws; non-discriminatory negotiation with prospective tenants, and much more.
In addition to fair housing training seminars for members of the rental housing industry, the Fair Housing Center of Greater Madison conducts fair housing education for social service agencies, neighborhood groups, community organizations, and the general public. Please call 257-0853 if you’d like to learn more, and feel free to share this message with others who may be interested!
The Fair Housing Training Seminar for Owners and Managers is supported by the City of Madison Community Development Block Grant Program.
SEPTEMBER 21 & 22
LIBRARY GRAND OPENING
On Grand Opening Day – September 21 – Mayor Soglin will join library and Foundation dignitaries for a ribbon cutting ceremony at 9 am followed by a full day (9 am – 5 pm) of family friendly activities including music, food carts, free coffee samples, face painting and chalk art on the blocked off street between the library and Overture Center for the Arts. The fun continues inside with character appearances in the children’s room, a family-friendly hard hat tour, giveaways, building tours, technology and art demonstrations, history programming, and drop-in activities highlighting the library’s vision of being a place for all to learn, share and create.
The library will be open special hours on Saturday evening to host internationally best-selling author Jojo Moyes for a Wisconsin Book Festival event at 7 pm (reception 6-7 pm). Registration is free but limited due to demand; please register online at http://host.evanced.info/madison/evanced/eventsignup.asp?ID
The celebration will continue Sunday afternoon, September 22, with highlights including a hard hat tour for children and families (complete with hard hats!), an art tour with gallery director Trent Miller, more hands-on activities, and a presentation of the library’s history by historian and retired Municipal Reference Service librarian, Ann Waidelich.
Information available online at http://www.madisonpubliclibrary.org/central/grand-opening. Please consider printing one of our posters (designed by City employee Nicole Hill!) for display in your department’s break room, common area, or public waiting room to help us spread the word about this stunning new community resource.
Central Library is located at 201 W. Mifflin Street in downtown Madison. Open hours will be Monday-Thursday 9-9, Friday 9-6, Saturday 9-5 and Sunday 1-5 (Sept-May).
SEPTEMBER 25
fEED KITCHEN ORIENTATION
New User Information Sessions
Join us to learn how to start using the FEED KitchensFEED Kitchens – User Information Sessions
Construction is nearing completion on the new FEED Business Incubator and shared commercial Kitchens located in the Northgate Shopping Center (at Aberg & Sherman) in Madison. Our target date to open for kitchen users is November 4, 2013.
FEED is now hosting Information Sessions for interested business owners and food producers to learn more about the facility, available services & equipment, and how to apply.
RSVP today to learn about this new addition to the Madison Region’s food scene!
What: FEED Kitchens User Information Session
Who: Food Entrepreneurs, Farmers, Home Gardeners, Food Producers
Where: Warner Park Community Recreation Center, 1625 Northport Drive, Madison
When: Choose ONE of these two times:
– Wednesday, September 25, 2013; 6:00-7:30pm
– Saturday, October 12, 2013; 10:00-11:30am
Cost: Free
RSVP: Space is limited, so please register soon!Email Karen Bassler at director@northsideplanningcouncil.org
Or, Call 608-661-0600 ext. 2
SEPTEMBER 26
PUBLIC FORUM TO DISCUSS PROPOSED 2014 RHYTHM & BOOMS FIREWORKS EVENT
September 26, 5:30 p.m., at the Madison Water Utility, 119 East Olin Avenue
The City of Madison’s Committee on the Environment, on behalf of the Mayor Paul Soglin, and the Common Council, invite the public to discuss the proposed move of Rhythm and Booms Fireworks from Warner Park to Lake Monona along John Nolen Drive.
Plans involve setting off fireworks from barges in Lake Monona and having spectators enjoy the show from along John Nolen Drive. Madison Festivals, Inc. is organizing the event which will include food and beverage carts as well as entertainment. Organizers are working with City, County and State agencies in planning the event and will additionally be responsible for clean up.
The public forum is set for Thursday, September 26, 5:30 p.m., at the Madison Water Utility building, located at 119 East Olin Avenue.
Madison Festivals, Inc. is working to obtain sponsors and board members and will decide at a later date if they are able to run the event without City of Madison funding. The group will continue to work with government agencies to obtain needed permits. Rhythm and Booms will be held June 28, 2014.
http://www.cityofmadison.com/news/view.cfm?news_id=4037
AIRBNB
Madison Alders to Gather Public Input on Tourist Rooming Houses Legislation
RESCHEDULED Listening Session Date: Thursday, September 26, 2013
Alders Marsha Rummel, Sue Ellingson, Matt Phair, Shiva Bidar-Sielaff, Ledell Zellers and Mark Clear will hold a listening session to gather input on proposed legislation that would legalize “tourist rooming houses” in the city under certain conditions on Thursday, September 26, at 7:00 p.m. in Room 260 of the Madison Municipal Building, 215 Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard.
The alders have been working with city staff for several months to develop a framework which would permit homeowners to rent overnight rooms or their entire house to visitors.
Such rentals are rapidly growing in popularity due to Web sites like AirBnB and VRBO, but their current legality in the city is unclear. Under the proposed legislation, tourist rooming house operators would need a conditional use permit, health permit, would need to pay room tax, and be separated from another rooming house or bed & breakfast by at least 500 feet. (Health permits and room tax payments are already required by state statute.)
The alders want to give neighbors a say in the process and to hear about the opportunities for income and authentic experiences, as well as concerns about neighborhood safety and density of such rentals before moving forward with the legislation.
