Round Up May 25 – 28

By
Brenda Konkel
-
round up

Salvation Army shelter and alder updates, what city committee meetings can and can’t meet, protests, meeting info and more.

ALDER 5/28/20 ROUND UP

For Alder Blogs:

COVID-19 Information Update 5/28/20

As of this morning, there are 686 people who have tested positive for COVID-19 in Dane County, up 31 from yesterday’s update. Nineteen of these new positives are from the community test site, 6 are from congregate living facilities, and 6 are from other sites (e.g., doctor’s offices, hospitals, clinics).

Alliant Energy Center Community Testing Site Update

  • The testing site is open until 8pm on Thursdays. We will provide an updated number or specimen’s collected tomorrow.
  • The test site has been extended to stay open until June 24.

Sport FAQ

We are getting a lot of questions about sports! In the current order, sport competitions, team sports, and contact sports are not allowed. No-contact practices, drills, catch, and instructional lessons are allowed with 6 feet of physical distancing. Tennis, pickle ball, disc golf, golf or beanbag toss are allowed within Phase 1 since 6 feet of physical distancing is feasible. Read more FAQs about sports in our latest fact sheet

Information for Alders:

Next CCEC and Common Council Meeting is June 2.

In the news today:

ALDER ROUND UP 5/27/20

For Alder Blogs:

COVID-19 Information Update 5/27/20

As of this morning, there are 655 people who have tested positive for COVID-19 in Dane County, up 25 from yesterday’s update. Seven of these new positives are from the community test site, 7 are from congregate living facilities, and 11 are from other sites (e.g., doctor’s offices, hospitals, clinics). See the latest data on our dashboard.

This week, new case numbers have been higher than in past weeks. We have also had more testing. On Monday, we will update the percent of tests that have been positive. This is an important indicator in our Forward Dane metrics. The numbers of tests per day and the number of positive tests per day fluctuate greatly, so sharing percent positivity each day isn’t particularly helpful. Instead, we look at percent positivity over a two week period to get a better sense of trends. As of May 22, our 14-day percent positivity was 1%.

Alliant Energy Center Community Testing Site Update

  • Yesterday (5/26),  791 samples were collected. Today, 460 samples were collected. The total number of people tested at the community test site is 7945.
  • The test site has been extended to stay open until June 24.

Other Updates

Yesterday we issued a memo in response to questions raised about Forward Dane.

Information for Alders:

Next CCEC and Common Council Meeting is June 2.

Gov. Tony Evers today announced the launch of the “Routes to Recovery: Local Government Aid Grants” program, a $200 million effort aimed at helping local leaders address some of their most urgent and unique COVID-19 recovery needs. Administered by the Wisconsin Department of Administration (DOA), Routes to Recovery Grants will be allocated to every Wisconsin county, city, village, town and federally recognized tribe.

The effort is funded by $200 million in federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act dollars and will be administered by the DOA. Of the $200 million, $10 million will be allocated to Wisconsin’s tribal nations, with the remaining funds being distributed to every Wisconsin county, city, village and town.

In the news today:

ALDER ROUND UP 5/26/20

For Alder Blogs:

COVID-19 Information Update 5/26/20

As of this morning, there are 630 people who have tested positive for COVID-19 in Dane County, up 14 from yesterday. From 5/23 – 5/25, there were 33 new cases of COVID-19 in Dane County. Of those, six were related to clusters in facilities. There are a lot of tests that likely have not been processed yet and the test numbers from recent days will increase as they come in. The positive tests that show up in our system are prioritized and processed by our staff more quickly than the negative tests. Additionally, some labs may receive test results but not immediately enter them electronically. Our team uses the date of test result to report tests and cases by day; there may, for example, be a test result dated 5/22 but doesn’t come to us until 5/26. As a result, the past few days of data are subject to change slightly as we receive delayed reports.

Alliant Energy Center Community Testing Site Update

  • On Saturday, the test site collected 353 samples. The total number of people tested at the community test site is 6694.
  • The site is open until 8:00pm tonight, so we will report the number tested there tomorrow.

Phase 1 went into effect this morning at 8:00am.

Information for Alders:

No updates at this time.

In the news today:

SATURDAY: #CancelTheRents/#FreeThemAll CAR CARAVAN!

This Saturday, Party for Socialism and Liberation—Madison is hosting a car caravan in support of the demands to cancel rents and free jailed people during the COVID crisis. Join if you can, and share far and wide if you can’t! Here’s their description:

On Saturday, May 30th, thousands of people around the US will mobilize to demand: A national cancellation of all rents, mortgages for homeowners, small landlords and small businesses for the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Come June 1st, the rent will be due and little has been done to help working people to cover these expenses. The two major political parties have forced a false choice on workers–either stay safe at home and starve or go to work and risk death.

We know there is another option: instead of bailing out bankers, bail out the people! That is why we are calling on the City Government, the State Government, and the Federal Government to cancel rent and mortgages for workers, small business owners, and small landlords.

Since the pandemic hit, PSL Madison has also demanded the immediate release of people in the Dane County Jail, with housing and healthcare ensured by the county. PSL understands that our demands to #CancelTheRents and #FreeThemAll are linked: the same capitalism that forces workers to build up insurmountable rent debt during a crisis is the same capitalism that keeps poor people, especially Black people, locked up on crimes of poverty!

Join us on Saturday at the Wil-Mar Center Parking lot at 12:00 to demand #CancelTheRent and #FreeThemAll!

Joint MPO-CARPC Meeting on Wednesday, June 3rd, at 6:30pm

There will be a joint MPO-CARPC meeting on Wednesday, June 3rd, at 6:30pm CT. The agenda andpackets are on the web at https://www.capitalarearpc.org/meetings/.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this meeting will take place virtually via Zoom. You may participate in the meeting from your computer, tablet, smartphone, or telephone by registering at https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZErfuqurTgoEtKkDfAYF6bqxkS8nZSYL9kK.

Registrants will receive an email with details on how to join the meeting. If you do not have Internet access, call Linda Firestone at (608) 358-6057 to register.

Public comment may also be sent via email to LindaF@CapitalAreaRPC.org at least 24 hours prior to the meeting.

SALVATION ARMY SHELTER UPDATES (SINGLE WOMEN AND FAMILIES)

Women’s Shelter –

  • As you are all aware, we have transitioned our night-only Women’s Shelter to a 24/7 shelter due to COVID-19 and the need for social distancing.  We will continue to operate the Women’s Shelter 24/7 through the end of the year. Starting June 1, 2020, everyone staying in the Women’s Shelter will be moving upstairs into what used to be the family rooms and we will be converting our gym (where the women used to sleep) into more of an activity space. We will continue to serve anyone that identifies as a woman at East Washington and operate the shelter without the 90-day policy.
  • New Check in Process: The Salvation Army and Porchlight are now partnering with a Virtual Volunteer Program to screen for COVID-19. The program uses electronic tablets and nurse volunteers to conduct a COVID-19 screen every day during our nightly shelter check in. All Women’s Shelter guests will need to check in every day at 4:15pm and complete the COVID-19 screen with the nurse volunteers.
  • In order to access day services guests must have slept at The Salvation Army shelter the night before and completed the COVID-19 screen. New Women’s Shelter guests will need to complete a new shelter intake and COVID-19 screen at 4:15pm.

Family Shelter –

  • We are currently providing offsite shelter to 58 families. On June 1, families will no longer be served at our East Washing building and will be sheltered offsite. This is necessary in order to provide proper social distancing and services for the women.
  • If offsite sheltering becomes limited or new rooms are no longer available, we will operate a waitlist for new family call ins. We will track who calls in consistently and maintain an active waitlist.
  • Our team has assisted 14 families to secure permanent housing so far and will continue to remain housing focused and ideally create movement to permanent destinations. We will have 3 full time family shelter case managers that will work with families and we will continue to partner to Focus Counseling to provide additional onsite support.
  • Diversion services will continue for any new family seeking shelter and will provide light touch “waitlist” case management when capacity allows.
  • Family Call in Process: If families need shelter, they should call 608-250-2298 and leave a message before noon. Families need to leave a message with their contact information, name, name of everyone in their family and their ages. A Salvation Army staff member will call them back between 12-1pm to let them know about shelter for the evening. At that time, if we do not have an offsite option the family will be added to the waitlist. Once a family is added to the waitlist they will need to call in once a week to remain active on the waitlist. This means families will NOT need to call in daily for shelter but can always call the shelter line (608-250-2298) or our main line (608-250-2200) if they have questions.

Please let me know if you need any additional information.

Thank you!

Tara Barica, MSW – Assistant Director of Social Services

CITY/COUNTY/SCHOOL BOARD  EDUCATION COMMITTEE WON’T MEET TIL FALL

Dear Education Committee Members-

Below is the status of city committee meetings as of today. I’ve provided a little background and an update to how the City of Madison is reinstating virtual committee meetings. At this point the Education Committee is not on the approved list of meetings to begin virtual meetings.

Brief Background:

The majority of city board, committee and commission meetings were put on hold due to COVID-19 and Safer at Home orders. Several crucial committees continued to meet virtually to continue the work of the City of Madison and keep vital services running. As we move forward with the first phase of reopening, we are looking at expanding virtual committee meetings based on those with critical items to discuss/act on.  Currently, only committees that have been approved by the Mayor and Common Council President can meet virtually. This process is based upon critical items that must be acted upon to continue services or budgetary items.

Current Status:

We are at the beginning of the reopening phase. It is a delicate balance of training on how to host virtual committee meetings via Zoom, system capacity, providing transparency for citizens and addressing critical items in a timely manner. Based upon current guidelines, the Education Committee is not slated to begin virtual meetings in the first round of virtual committee meetings. The City of Madison has begun staff training and is working to prepare for the virtual meeting of more committees based upon need. Meetings scheduled for June will include an expanded list of Committees that need to cover critical items. All other committee meetings will be postponed until further notice.

The status of COVID-19 will continue to shape our protocols. Information is constantly changing. We will share updates as soon as they are available. We hope to be able to reconvene in late summer/early fall but will strive to meet sooner.

We hope you are staying healthy and safe.

Thanks,

Becky

URBAN DESIGN COMMISSION (UDC) ONLY MEETING ONCE A MONTH THROUGH THE END OF THE YEAR?

In an email to the neighborhood about a project on 400 block of E Washington we were told:

So that everyone can schedule accordingly, please be advised that the next UDC meeting is July 1, which corresponds to the July 13 Plan Commission meeting. Due to limitations on the number of virtual meetings that the City’s Information Technology Department can host, the UDC has been limited to one meeting per month through the rest of 2020. We hope to publish an updated UDC/PC meeting schedule reflecting this change very soon.

LOVIN’ ALL THAT JET NOISE?  IF NOT . . .

A friendly little reminder for a Safe Skies Clean Waters member:

If you want to report the noisy jets, here’s the link.  It is also listed under the menu item “ACTION,” on the Safe Skies website [but that is the ninth item down the list. ]
When I am online and hear the jets, I also post the link to the Facebook page.

LOST YOUR HEALTH CARE?  A QUICK REMINDER – 60 DAYS TO ACT!

The sixty day special enrollment window is expiring for many who lost their health insurance coverage at the end of March (when they were laid off/furloughed).  Many don’t understand that the window isn’t open forever and that they need to make a decision really soon.  If documented, they probably will qualify for the ACA/marketplace – but ONLY during their special enrollment window.  [And, remember, if between 100 and 150% of the Federal Poverty Level, you may be able to be covered thru HealthConnect!]
Call 2-1-1 for more details.

UPCOMING DEMOLITION

Upcoming Demolition
Dear sir or madam,

Please be advised that CASEY MEUER will be filing a demolition permit application on August 1, 2020 for Plan Commission review that calls for a DUPLEX located at 404 N Few St Madison, WI 53703 to be demolished. For more information regarding this forthcoming application, you may contact the applicant, CASEY MEUER, 243 BERGAMONT BLVD OREGON, WI 53575 at ccm644@hotmail.com or (608)719-9020.

Applicant’s Comments:
Demolition of existing two car garage to rebuild same with additional dwelling unit (2 bed/2 bath).

Currently zoned TR-C4.

If you have any questions about the Plan Commission demolition permit approval process, please contact the City of Madison Planning Division at (608) 266-4635.

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