Thursday (9/17/20) and Friday (9/18/20) Round Up

By
Brenda Konkel
-
daily round up

Was a really busy end of the week, but here’s what I have!

THURSDAY 9/17/20

LOCAL GOVERNMENT NEWS

This information can also be found on the homepage, updated multiple times a day.

City of Madison

Dane County

Madison Area Schools

K-12

Higher Ed

And more . . .

PUBLIC HEALTH DATA NOTES

Today we released this week’s data snapshot PDF . If you’re new to the data snapshot, we publish a weekly summary of the status for each of our metrics (you can find past issues on our data and metrics page). We have a few notes for this week’s issue:

Our average number of cases per day hit 170, which is nearly double last week’s average of 94.

Cases per day ranged from 27 to 487 with an average of 170 cases per day. Last week’s average number of cases per day was 94. In this 14-day period there were 2,380 total cases:

  • Of all 2,380 cases, 1,298 (55%) were tested by University Health Services, 712 (30%) were tested at community testing sites, and 370 (16%) were tested at other sites, such as health care settings.
  • Of all 2,380 cases, 1,385 (58%) were associated with college-aged housing clusters (either live in a dorm or UW student organization housing, live in an apartment complex with 10 or more cases, or live in or are a member of a fraternity or sorority).
  • Of 2,202 people fully interviewed so far, 1,460 (66%) identified the likely source of infection as close contact with another lab-confirmed COVID-19 case.
  • Of 2,202 people fully interviewed so far, 133 (6%) were associated with a cluster (excluding college-aged housing clusters): 50 from UW sports teams, 22 from health care facilities, 13 from childcare facilities, 12 from workplaces, 8 from congregate facilities, 8 from UW facilities such as dining halls, 7 from restaurants and bars, 5 from weddings, 4 from churches, and 3 from other clusters.
    • Of the 13 cases from childcare facilities, 7 were children and 6 were adults.
    • Of the 12 workplace cases, 2 were from more public-facing workplaces and 10 were less public-facing.

UW-Madison students and staff make up 76% of Dane County cases.

During this 14-day period, 1,808 UW students and 10 staff (1,818 total) tested positive, making up 76% of our total cases, up from 65% last week.

Of the 1,808 UW student cases in this 14-day period:

  • 1,298 (71%) were tested by UHS, 399 (22%) were tested at the Alliant Energy Center, and 121 (7%) were tested at other sites.
  • 1,764 (97%) were between the ages of 18-22.
  • 558 (31%) were linked to dorms, 318 (17%) were linked to fraternities and sororities, and 521 (29%) were linked to apartment complexes on or near campus that have at least 10 or more cases. Note that these are not mutually exclusive: a student could, for example, live in a dorm but also be a member of a fraternity.

As we reported last week, three key strategies are in effect to help slow the spread of the virus. On September 4, we issued quarantine notices to over 400 UW fraternity and sorority members due to outbreaks within their chapter houses. On September 7, UW directed undergraduate students to restrict movement for 14 days , and on September 9, UW shifted to two weeks of remote instruction and placed two residence halls under quarantine. Strategies to restrict movement and reduce contact over fourteen days have been effective in slowing the spread of disease in other communities, but keep in mind we will not see the effects of this intervention immediately given the incubation period of the virus.

The percent positivity metric turned yellow, at 5.2%.

Percent positivity for this period was 5.2%, up from 3% last week. Dane County had increased testing so we expected more cases, but the increase in cases outpaced the increase in testing. This means we know the increase in cases isn’t solely from more testing. An increase in percent positivity can indicate more widespread infection, so more testing is needed to capture all cases to ensure that we can provide them with isolation instructions and notify and quarantine their close contacts.

The target for grades 3-5 was not met this week.

The K-12 school metrics are detailed on our website PDF . The Wisconsin Supreme Court issued an injunctionPDF  that allows K-12 schools in Dane County to fully open for in-person instruction. We are disappointed in this decision and strongly urge all schools to continue voluntary phasing-in of classes for in-person instruction for grades 3-12 per Public Health Madison & Dane County. Our blog post from this week outlines why phased reopening is important.

We will continue to update data weekly and advise schools on their reopening plans. We strongly urge school leadership to continue providing instruction for grades 3-12 virtually.

During this 14-day period, 3% of all cases (78 total) were children ages 0-17.

Grade levels Target for Possibly Recommending Resuming In-Person Pupil Instruction Status
K-2 A 14-day average of 54 or fewer cases per day, sustained for four weeks Met on August 18, may open per Public Health metrics PDF 
3-5 A 14-day average of 39 or fewer cases per day, sustained for four weeks Not met
6-12 A 14-day average of 19 or fewer cases per day, sustained for four weeks Not met

The lab timeliness and contact tracing metric is red but seems more influenced by lab timeliness.

Lab timeliness (how quickly labs are reported to us) and contact tracing (how quickly we can reach out to cases) are combined into one metric because lab timeliness directly affects contact tracing. During this period 52% of cases were contacted by public health within 48 hours of being tested, compared to 55% from our last snapshot. From September 1 to September 14, it took an average of 1.3 days to receive a lab result, which only gives our contact tracers a few hours to reach a person who tested positive in order to meet the 48-hour goal of this metric. The percent of lab results returned in 24 hours has decreased over the last several weeks. This may indicate that increased volume of tests to process are impacting lab timeliness.

For the 13th week in a row, Dane County is classified as “high activity level” on the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) COVID-19 Activity Level Tracker.

Our Forward Dane metric for cases (see the first section of this blog) accounts for burden but not trajectory. The DHS metric combines the burden of cases over a two-week period (number of cases per 100,000 residents) and the trajectory, which measures the percent change in cases from the previous week to the current week and whether that change is statistically significant.

As of the DHS update on 9/16/20, Dane County has a high burden of 458 cases per 100,000 residents, and a growing trajectory in the number of cases from the most recent 7-day period compared to the prior 7-day period. This puts us at a high activity level. We want to reduce our activity level in order to better control the spread of COVID-19 in our community.

Select data dashboard metrics are now available for download.

Each week on Thursdays we will upload a new Excel file with select metrics from the data dashboard XLSX. You can also find this file at the top of our Data & Metrics page.

This content is free for use with credit to the City of Madison – Public Health Madison & Dane County and a link back to the original post.

MADISON GETS ONE PROJECT FOR DANE COUNTY AFFORDABLE HOUSING FUNDS

Dane County to Award $4.45 Million to Create Over 300 New Affordable Housing Units

Today, Dane County Executive Joe Parisi announced the county will award $4.45 million to help bring five affordable housing projects to reality. The projects will receive dollars from the Dane County Affordable Housing Development Fund, pending approval from the Dane County Board. This funding will be used to create more than 323 affordable housing units in Madison, McFarland, Cambridge, Fitchburg, and Verona. Dane County’s Affordable Housing Development Fund was originally created in the 2015 budget and establishes a source of funding to assist in the creation of affordable housing in Dane County.

“In the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, now more than ever, it’s critically important we focus on partnerships like these to create more affordable housing in our community,” said Dane County Executive Joe Parisi. “We know housing affordability is one of the greatest challenges every community will face as this pandemic continues. The county’s support for these projects is an important step in our ongoing work to make affordable housing more accessible.”

Since it’s creation, Dane County has awarded over $15.8 million to affordable housing projects. 51% of those funds have gone to projects inside Madison, and 49% have gone to projects outside Madison. 1,550 units have been created in total, with 1,374 (87.5%) of those units being affordable.

The projects being funded by Dane County this year include:

  • $608,341 to MSP for the 51-unit Taylor Point Apartments at 4845 Taylor Road and 4900 Larson Beach Road, McFarland.  The proposed project includes 51 units comprised of 23 one-bedroom, 18 two-bedroom, and 10 three-bedroom units. 48 units will be affordable: 11 to households at 30%, 3 at 40%, 17 at 50%, and 17 at 60% of the County Median Income (CMI). 3 units will be offered at market-rate rents.

    According to WHEDA records, once complete, this will be the first Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC)affordable housing development project in McFarland since 1995.

  • $154,858 to Common Wealth Development, Inc. for an 11-unit project at 5802 Raymond Road, Madison. The project is a mix of studio, one, two, and three-bedroom units (10 affordable at 50% – 60% of CMI, and 1 unit affordable at 80% CMI). This project will also offer office space to facilitate the co-location of existing community-based supportive services serving the neighborhood.
  • $1,250,000 to Northpointe for a 126 affordable unit project, The Limerick, located in the Nine Springs Neighborhood in Fitchburg. All units will be affordable. The project will include 50 one-bedroom, 50 two-bedroom, and 26 three-bedrooms units. 7 units will be affordable at 30%, 69 units affordable at 50%, and 50 units affordable at 70-80% CMI. 100 units will be targeted to seniors, and 26 units will be targeted to families.
  • $1,1500,000 to Northpointe for The Klassik, a 79-unit projectlocated at 410 W Verona Road, Verona. 64 units will be affordable units, including 37 one-bedroom, 14 two-bedroom, and 13 three-bedroom units. 16 units will be affordable at 30%, 32 units at 50%, and 16 at 60% CMI.

    According to WHEDA records, once complete, this will be the first LIHTC affordable housing development project in Verona since 2002.

  • $1,286,801 to Gorman & Co. for the 75-unit Cambridge Artists Loft project located at Katie Court and Kenseth Way, Cambridge.  All 75 units will be affordable to households making 30 to 80% CMI (15 units at 30%, 30 units at 50%, 16 units at 60%, and 14 units at 80%).  The project includes 20 one-bedroom, 41 two-bedroom, & 14 three-bedroom units.

    According to WHEDA records, once complete, this will be the first LIHTC affordable housing development project in Cambridge.

Dane County used a request for proposals (RFP) process to review eligible projects. The RFP encouraged developers to consider the use of renewable energy in their projects. Four of the projects receiving an award have included plans for the development and installation of a Photovoltaic System (PV) in their projects. A resolution to approve these allocations of Dane County’s Affordable Housing Development Fund will be introduced to the County Board this evening.

STATE PFAS MAXIMUM CONTAMINANT LEVELS MEETING

The next Stakeholder meeting for the promulgation of PFAS Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCLs) in ch. NR 809 is scheduled for Wednesday 9/23/2020 from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm. This meeting will be held via Zoom and can be accessed at the following link:

Online link: Zoom [exit DNR]

Call-in information (for participation without a computer): 312-626-6799, meeting ID: 930 3873 2401

Six Stakeholders have signed up to present at this meeting. The agenda is available on the stakeholders tab at the following link:

https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/topic/DrinkingWater/nr809.html

UW-MADISON ARBORETUM OPPORTUNITIES

UW Madison Arboretum is hiring for a new land care technician: https://jobs.hr.wisc.edu/en-us/job/505519/natural-resource-specialist; it will be posted until October 16th at 11:55 PM.

Also, we are hosting a Free Fall Lecture Series called  LAND, CULTURE, IDENTITY: ROOTS OF RESILIENCE

Speakers will illustrate how an individual’s land ethic is often intertwined with their identity and imparts a measure of resilience. See individual lecture descriptions below.

All virtual lecture times are Tuesday evening from 7–8:30 p.m. and are FREE. Registration is required: https://forms.gle/s15eyFDUwVsruBan6

October 6
Decolonization and Indigenization of Agriculture: The Foundation of Building a Resilient Regenerative System. Reginaldo Haslett-Marroquin is the owner-founder of Regeneration Farms LLC, and founder and president of the Regenerative Agriculture Alliance. Th​is talk will focus on regenerative poultry as a foundation of laying out the strategic, methodological application of a decolonizing and indigenization process for an industry sector. Free. Register by October 2.

Tuesday, October 13
Preserving the Wisdom of the Land and Traditional Food Systems through Education.Elena Terry is the founder and executive chef of Wild Bearies, and the food and culinary program coordinator for the Native American Food Sovereignty Alliance. She is a member of the Hočąk (Ho-Chunk) Nation. Free. Register by October 9.

Tuesday, October 20
Honor the Guardians, Respect the Land. Pao Vue, PhD, is a wetland biologist, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service. Hmong traditional beliefs speak of supernatural forest guardians watching over the land and wild animals. This presentation will delve into these beliefs and discuss how they have shaped how Hmong interact with the land and natural geographical features. Free. Register by October 16.

Tuesday, October 27
Virtual Lecture: The African American Land Ethic. Lillian “Ebonie” Alexander is the executive director of the Black Family Land Trust. The BFLT defines the African American Land Ethic as blending the concepts of phenomenology, Leopold’s land ethic, and cultural competence to describe African Americans’ historical relationship with the land and how that relationship dictates the value placed on land ownership in the United States, particularly in the rural south. Free. Register by October 23.

FRIDAY 8/18/20

LOCAL GOVERNMENT NEWS

This information can also be found on the homepage, updated multiple times a day.

City of Madison

Projects

Dane County

Madison Area Schools

Higher Ed

And more . . .

LOCAL NEWS COMMENTARY

It’s not safe for homeless people trying to find a little space to call home until they can figure things out.  Alder Samba Baldeh is calling for them to be kicked out of parks and Temporary Permitted Encampments and there is a risk that things will get stolen or worse, your tent will get burned down.  That can’t make you feel safe.  We need better solutions – NOW.

PLANT MARQUETTE TREES

Plant Marquette Trees!

The Green Spaces & Trees Committee of the Marquette Neighborhood Association is offering for sale 20 young shade and ornamental trees for Marquette neighbors at moderate prices. Trees beautify their setting, cleanse and cool the air, screen light and views, and provide wildlife habitat.

Funds will be used to plant other shade trees in the neighborhood at Common Wealth Development properties, the schools and elsewhere, in partnership with the Urban Tree Alliance.

Guidance on where and how to plant will be provided.

There are the basic considerations for location of each potential site for a tree:

  • The site receives a lot of sun and Is far from other trees to avoid root and light competition.
  • It must be located at least several feet from a property line and the public sidewalk.  Utility line locations must be determined.
  • There is a priority for locating trees within the neighborhood, and some priority for locations within view from the street.
  • A guarantee of maintenance is required of the buyer.

Buyers meeting the considerations above may be eligible for discounts by up to a third of the price.

An annual membership in the Marquette Neighborhood Association is included at purchases of $30 or more.

The Trees

3  White Pines, Pinus strobus

2  Tupelo, Nyssa sylvatica

2  Illinois Pecans, Carya illinoinensis

2  Sycamore, Planus occidentalis

1  Ironwood, Ostrya virginiana

2  Shingle Oak,  Quercus imbricaria

5  Bur Oak, Quercus macrocarpa

3  Chinquapin Oak, Quercus muehlenbergii

Learn more about these and other trees in a search at the Morton Arboretum’s site:

https://www.mortonarb.org/trees-plants/tree-and-plant-selection

Sizes: Trees are in 5 gallon pots, ranging in height from under 4 to 5 feet and more.

Prices: $30 (pines, ironwood) and $45 (oaks, and all others).

Sale dates: This fall. First come, first serve until they’re gone.

Payment:  PayPal (link below) or by check. If paying by check, please note ‘Trees’, include your email address in the subject line and mail to: MNA, P.O. Box 3223, Madison, WI 53704. https://marquette-neighborhood.org/plant-marquette-trees/

To find out more about pricing and considerations for your locations, or to make a donation to the tree planting effort, please contact:

Gary Tipler, garytip8778@gmail.com, MNA Green Spaces & Trees Committee.

FREEDOM INC STATEMENT AND CALL TO ACTION ON ICE ABUSES

Statement on ICE Abuses Against Immigrant Women

This week, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) was accused of performing wide-scale, nonconsensual hysterectomies on immigrant women being detained at the Irwin County Detention Center – just one of many privately-owned prisons that profit from the incarceration of Black and brown people. Doctors working for ICE relied on language barriers and the enforced complicity of the prison to strip these women of their reproductive organs, leaving them scared and confused about what they’d endured. The women currently held hostage by this system have had their agency and bodily autonomy forcibly stripped from them. Make no mistake: there is no consent under imprisonment. Every medical procedure, operation, or intervention that happens while they are imprisoned is a violation of their humanity.

The United States has a deep history of medical abuse of Black people, and this incident in Georgia shows us that these crimes against humanity are not limited to this country’s Black citizens. Black immigrants from Cameroon, Mexico, Ghana, Haiti, Jamaica, Ethiopia, Brazil, and other countries are suffering at the hands of carceral xenophobia in these ICE prisons. While Black people only make up 7.2% of the undocumented population in the U.S., they represent 20.3% of people facing deportation because of criminal charges. When considering the danger of deportation in already over-policed Black communities, immigration becomes a decidedly Black issue.

Prisons and police have always been mechanisms of punishment, dehumanization, and violence. They are used to control and subjugate people, and ICE is no different than the police that terrorize our communities. Carceral immigration law is how this country’s racist and heteropatriarchal carceral system is able to extend its traumatic effects beyond our own citizens. Incarceration of asylum seekers is carceral violence. Constant targeting of Black and brown people through a xenophobic police force is carceral violence. Preying upon the fear and confusion of detained women to commit acts of genocide against them is carceral violence.

We condemn the actions by ICE in Georgia in the same breath that we condemn the building of more prisons in our communities at home. We failed to block a million dollar investment in a new prison in Madison, but we cannot let our efforts to stop this project falter. Every dollar invested in this racist system of harm and trauma is a dollar spent disrupting the sanctity of Black and brown life. We will continue to fight against Madison’s investment in harming us while supporting Black people everywhere rallying against the traumatic machinery of incarceration. The Dane County Board of Supervisors must stop the new jail from being built and support Resolution 145. US Senators and Representatives must divest from policing and invest in a new vision of public safety by supporting the Breathe Act.

Love & Power,

Freedom, Inc.

Click Here to Download the Full Statement
  • – – – – – – –

A CALL TO ACTION for local response to ICE abuses:

Demand your Dane County Board Supervisor and County Exec Joe Parisi stop the new $148 jail from being built and support Resolution 145. Send them an email demanding they support Resolution 145.

Click this link for instructions and a template: http://bit.ly/res145

Demand your elected officials divest from policing and invest in a new vision of public safety by supporting the Breathe Act.

Do Actions 1-4 in this link (or just Action 4 if time is limited): https://breatheact.org/action/

___________

What does Resolution 145 do?

Resolution 145 halts all activity related to the design and construction of a new $148 million dollar jail facility.  It also points the County toward a number of reforms that have been recommended in the past that could lower the number of people in the criminal justice system and the jail.  The intention is to divert funding from law enforcement and the jail and instead fund human service programming to help people with problems including drug addiction, alcoholism, and mental health problems.

The BREATHE Act offers a radical reimagining of public safety, community care, and how we spend money as a society. Learn more here: https://breatheact.org/learn-more/

UPCOMING DEMOLITIONS

Please be advised that PATRICK CORCORAN will be filing a demolition permit application on October 7, 2020 for Plan Commission review that calls for a Multi-Family Home located at 619 N Lake St Madison, WI 53703 to be demolished. For more information regarding this forthcoming application, you may contact the applicant, PATRICK CORCORAN, PATRICK PROPERTIES, 2417 UNIVERSITY AVENUE MADISON, WI 53726 at patrickproperties@tds.net or (608)663-1778.

Please be advised that PATRICK CORCORAN will be filing a demolition permit application on October 7, 2020 for Plan Commission review that calls for a Multi-Family Home located at 621 N Lake St Madison, WI 53703 to be demolished. For more information regarding this forthcoming application, you may contact the applicant, PATRICK CORCORAN, PATRICK PROPERTIES, 2417 UNIVERSITY AVENUE MADISON, WI 53726 at patrickproperties@tds.net or (608)663-1778.

MARCH FOR MEDICAID

The Wisconsin Poor People’s Campaign is joining the Non-Violent Medicaid Army for a week of action to center the poor and dispossessed in the fight for healthcare as a human right!

WE GET SICK, THEY GET RICH

MADISON MARCH FOR MEDICAID

Sunday, October 4th

State Capitol Building

3pm

We are facing a crisis within a crisis. Since healthcare is treated as something to make money from and not a fundamental right for everyone, we drown in hospital bills as we get more sick while a few get richer. And with the pandemic, over 5 million people lost their healthcare coverage. These are layered upon a deeper and permanent crisis that has already been afflicting our communities – with 140 million poor or near poor in the U.S. who have to choose between going hungry or going to the doctor, between paying rent or school loans.

Join us to make the connections between healthcare and the fight for housing, living wages, education, freedom of migration, and freedom from criminalization and incarceration! We’ll meet at the Capitol building to call on politicians who put private profit ahead of Wisconsinites’ well-being, and march to the Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce office to name out the corporations benefiting from our despair.

We demand an end to state violence in all its forms, including the near 200,000 people — disproportionately poor and people of color — who have died from COVID19 at the hands of a government more committed to bailing out corporations than keeping people safe, and the 700 people who were dying every day from poverty before the pandemic started.

It’s time to call out the system that profits off of our pain, sickness and death.  Please join us on Sunday, October 4th at 3:00 PM as we March for Medicaid

In preparation for our march with the Non-Violent Medicaid Army, we will be having a Zoom planning meeting this Monday, 09-21-20, at 6:30 PM.  You are encouraged to attend this Zoom as well.  Additional information on the Zoom will be available soon.  We hope you can make it to both events.

LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTES FALL VOTER GUIDE

Fall Voter Guide Available on VOTE411.org

To provide Wisconsin voters with essential information about the upcoming election on November 3, the League of Women Voters of Wisconsin has published its Fall Voter Guide on VOTE411.org. We are excited to announce that this year, VOTE411 provides voters information in English and in Spanish. Voters visiting the site can type in their address and see information about the candidates that will be on their ballot and compare their answers to the League’s questions side by side.

What’s on the ballot?

  • U.S. President and Vice President
  • U.S. House of Representatives
  • State Senate
  • State Assembly
  • And other local races. More information for local races can be found here.

With limited opportunities to learn about the candidates in person, online voter guides like LWVWI’s are especially important for voters making their plans to vote during the pandemic.

We encourage all voters to make their plan to vote and consider voting absentee in the November 3 Election. VOTE411 an excellent resource to help voters make a voting plan so they are prepared to cast their vote confidently, whether they choose to vote absentee prior to the election or in-person on election day.

LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS – POEPLE’S MAPS COMMISSION FORMED

People’s Maps Commission Formed

LWV Greater Chippewa Valley Co-President Annemarie McClellan and Melisa Prentice of LWV Sheboygan County named Commission members

The People’s Map Commission, promised by Governor Evers in his 2020 State of the State Address, was recently formed and includes among its nine voting members, LWV Greater Chippewa Valley Co-President Annemarie McClellan, representing the 3rd Congressional District, and LWV Sheboygan Countymember Melissa Prentice, representing the 6th Congressional District.  Other Commission members are Elizabeth Tobias of Racine, Ruben Anthony, Jr. of Middleton, Christopher Ford of Whitefish Bay, Benjamin Rangel of Milwaukee, Susan Ranft of Wauwatosa, Jason Bisonette of Hayward, and Anthony Phillips of Appleton. The nine commission members were selected from a pool of 270 eligible applicants. Click here to read the Governor’s press release announcing panel.

The Commission will host virtual hearings in each of the state’s congressional districts and use the input from residents who testify at the hearings to draw and submit maps based on 2020 Census data to the Legislature to vote on in 2021. Click here to read the Governor’s Executive Order #66, which created the Commission. Below are the hearing dates:

  • Thursday, October 1, 2020, 8th Congressional District
  • Thursday, October 29, 2020, 5th Congressional District
  • Thursday, November 19, 2020, 3rd Congressional District
  • Wednesday, December 9, 2020, 4th Congressional District
  • January hearing date TBD, 7th Congressional District
  • February hearing date TBD, 1st Congressional District
  • March hearing date TBD, 6th Congressional District
  • April hearing date TBD, 2nd Congressional District

The Wisconsin Fair Maps Coalition and LWVWI’s Fair Maps Working Group will be working to ensure that speakers are identified to present testimony at each of the hearings and are trained to do so. To date, fifty-four of Wisconsin’s 72 counties encompassing more than 80 percent of Wisconsin’s population have passed resolutions or referenda supporting nonpartisan redistricting. According to a Marquette University Law School Poll, more than 70 percent of Wisconsinites prefer a nonpartisan commission conduct redistricting.

ED KUHARSKI ASKS . . .

A really good question . .  .  please explain.

Dear Sir/Madam, Attached is a photo of a non-social-distanced and largely unmasked crowd lined up to enter a bar on the 500 block of State Street.

 I am at a loss as our city faces an increased threat of community spread of the coronavirus to understand how such blatant public displays of defiance of the Public Health Madison/Dane County’s lawful orders, that the MPD fails to exercise its authority to disperse such unlawful assemblies. This poses a health and safety threat to the entire community, not just the reckless participants.

Bars are places of assembly. Under the PHMDC they should be limited to 10 occupants, as is true for example, of our church’s assembly spaces.

Your page on the city website displays this statement of commitment to the community in the face of the pandemic:

“MPD is committed to providing public safety and serving the community during this uncertain time. Our front-line personnel remain in the field to provide our core services.”

I would like an explanation of how these reckless activities are being tolerated by the MPD. Surely with your extensive surveillance cameras you are aware of this and other similar unlawful assemblies.

Regards, Ed Kuharski

Edward Kuharski, Architect, AIA, LEED AP

GREEN DESIGN STUDIO

405 Sidney Street

Madison, WI   53703

BIKE MADISON UPDATES

Cycle September ContinuesFeatured Event – Pedal for Good Trail Clean Up Help Madison Parks and the City Traffic Engineering Division by cleaning up a trail or park. Before you head out for a bike ride, grab a few supplies, plot your course and stop at park or trail and pick up trash along the way. Use the online interactive maps to find a trail or park near you.

Place your filled trash bags at the edge of the park, near a paved path or in the trash can, if available. Be sure to follow up with an email to parksvolunteer@cityofmadison.com to alert us of the location and work completed. We request all volunteers complete and submit the Volunteer Release Form. Send any photos along as well. We love photos to share! Thank you in advance for keeping trails and parks clean! More InformationOther Events

CONSTRUCTION, ETC 

  • Seminole Hwy at McKee Rd – Paving beings Saturday at 6am and will last into Sunday afternoon. Northbound Seminole Hwy will not allow through traffic.
  • The Capital City Trail is temporarily closed between Nob Hill Rd and South Towne Dr to upgrade a sanitary sewer line. Work is anticipated to last through September. The project also includes relocating an existing manhole cover off the trail to provide a better surface. The detour follows Nob Hill Dr to Industrial Dr to South Towne Blvd. More Information
  • Phase 3 of Dane County’s Capital City Trail restoration project starts Sept 21 and will be completed in November. This will close the trail between Seminole Hwy and the Dunn’s Marsh Bicycle Roundabout. The detour will use the Cannonball Path utilizing the connector path along Seminole Hwy. More Information
  • N Ingersoll St from E Washington to Curtis Ct will be closed until Oct 1. Pedestrian access will be maintained along E Washington Ave and on the east side of N Ingersoll. Please yield to pedestrians. More Information
  • East Washington Ave will have one lane closed again this weekend in an attempt to curb speeding and dangerous driving. The lane closure will not impact the bike lane. More Information 
  • E Gorham St from N Butler to N Livingston – Sanitary sewer work has started and the bike lane is detoured to E Mifflin St. More Information
  • E Wilson St – Emergency repairs have closed one lane from Blair St and King St. Use caution.
  • Cottage Grove Rd from the Interstate to Sprecher Rd –  Traffic lanes have shifted o the new pavement on the south side of the street which includes a bike lane for outbound direction only. Final paving is expected to occur the week of Sept 21 and a flagger will be present to control traffic.  Project Information
  • Greentree-Chapel Hill Path – The path remains closed but Schroeder Rd has reopened. Please follow the marked bicycle detour.  Project Information
  • Badger State Trail and Seminole Hwy at McKee Rd – The Badger State Trail in Fitchburg is closed to finalize construction of the bridge which is expected to be complete in late September. Seminole Hwy is open but with only one travel lane in each direction with no bike lane. The City of Fitchburg asks bicyclists on Seminole Hwy to follow the marked bicycle detour. More Information and Detour Map
  • Gregory St – Repaving is scheduled for Sept 14 and 15 with final project completion in Oct. Project Information
  • Toepfer, Holly, Euclid, St Clair – Work has started and the road is closed except for resident access.
  • Fish Hatchery Rd Reconstruction – Work is happening in the section in the City of Fitchburg. Detour at the Cannonball Path north of the beltline if traveling south from Madison. Project Information
  • West Towne Path extension and underpass of Gammon Rd – Avoid travel on Gammon Rd near the Beltline and West Towne Mall if possible. Access to the mall is being maintained in this area but it will be easier to use Mineral Point Rd entrances. Project Information
  • UW Arboretum Curtis Pond Rehabilitation – Work is going on near the west entrance to the arboretum across from the Curtis Pond. New stop signs have been installed and trucks will be using the road. Please follow any signage or workers. Watch for gravel in the road.

EVENTS

  • Food Truck Friday – Through Oct 30 there will be food trucks at Willow Island from 4-8pm. Expect higher traffic on the paths in the area during this time.
  • Democracy in the Park– This event on Sat, Sept 26 and Sat, Oct 3 is happening in parks throughout Madison and will impact paths in the area. Please yield to pedestrians on the paths and take this opportunity to bike to your local park to get your questions about voting answered, register to vote or drop off your absentee ballot.
  • Dane County Farmer’s Market – The market has moved to Willow Island at the Alliant Energy Center and will be open Wednesdays and Saturdays. Expect higher than normal traffic on the paths in the area on these days. More Information

DOWNTOWN PARKING ENFORCEMENT PARTIALLY RESUMES

Enforcement of all posted Clean Streets/Clean Lakes (CSCL) parking restrictions will resume on October 5, 2020.

Clean Streets/Clean Lakes prohibits parking for one side of a street for a four hour window of time. The parking restriction allows for street sweeping, snow plowing, and other maintenance work. This is a year-round restriction in most areas of Madison.

Visit Coronavirus (COVID-19) Parking Service Updates to stay up-to-date on all parking and service changes.

Other Parking Updates & Reminders

  • The following non-metered parking restrictions will continue to remain temporarily suspended citywide until further notice, and will not be enforced:
    • Residential Permit Only areas
    • 1-hour and 2-hour time limits in non-metered areas
  • All on-street meters are enforced Monday-Saturday, 8am -6pm.
  • Helpful information about Winter general parking rules around the city, including options for text or email alerts can be found at:Winter Parking

Customizable alerts include:

Declared Snow Emergency alerts

Daily Alternate Side Parking reminders

Snow Plow updates

  • There is still a temporary $5 daily maximum fee in all City-owned public-parking garages; the first hour of parking on Saturdays is free.
  • The Transportation Office remains closed to the public. Walk in service is not currently available. We appreciate your patience while we prepare to safely re-open.

Visit the department website at: City Of Madison Parking Division for more information.

Learn more about the City of Madison‘s response to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic online at: City of Madison Health and Safety Coronavirus (COVID-19)

As a reminder, it is safest to remain home, but if you are required to leave your home, it is recommended to wear a cloth face cover as an additional tool to prevent spreading of the virus.
Please help keep our community healthy and safe by following Public Health Madison & Dane County recommendations and guidance.

Contacts

MADISON METRO UPDATES

Public Hearing Scheduled
Give Feedback on August Service Increase

Virtual Meeting
Wednesday, October 14 at 6 p.m.
Metro Transit and the City of Madison Transportation Commission will hold a public hearing at 6 p.m. on October 14 to review and discuss service updatesput into place on August 23.

Comment on Current Service

At the public hearing, Metro staff will explain how the financial effects of Covid-19 and current staffing levels have affected the amount and types of service that have been restored since the beginning of the pandemic.

Network Redesign Plan

In addition, Metro staff will introduce the beginning of network redesign plan that will take place in 2021. As part of this plan, a consultant has been hired to complete a comprehensive review of all Metro Transit service. This will be used to reconfigure Metro’s service to accommodate a planned bus rapid transit system as well as make the entire system faster and easier to use.

Give Feedback

Passengers are encouraged to attend the virtual public hearing or provide feedback prior to the hearing date. Consideration will be given to views and comments expressed at the public hearing as well as to all written comments received.

Written comments can also be sent to: Metro Transit Proposed Changes, 1245 E. Washington Ave., Suite 201, Madison WI 53703.

If you need an interpreter, translator, materials in alternate formats or other accommodations to access this service, activity or program, please contact Metro Transit at (608) 266-4904 at least three business days prior to the meeting.
Complete Info

#MaskUpMadison


Protect yourself and the people around you. Wear a mask.

All Metro riders are required to wear a face covering while riding. It is also recommended that riders use face coverings at transfer points and bus stops.

All Metro and City of Madison employees are required to wear face coverings when they can’t practice social distancing and stay more than 6 feet from others.
Complete Info

Upcoming Detours

Route 78
Saturday, September 19 until 12 p.m.
Due to construction, Route 78 cannot serve Century Ave. between Park and Branch streets Saturday morning. Board on Northbrook or open stops on Centruy. Construction is expected to end around 12 p.m. noon.

Routes 70 & 72
Detour Postponed until September 28
Due to construction near the roundabout on Parmenter and Discovery, Routes 70 and 72 heading into Middleton. Buses will be unable to serve some stops on Donna, Park, Park Lawn, Franklin and Parmenter (south of the roundabout).
See all Detours

KITES NOT FIGHTER JETS

All Day – Sat, Oct 3 (rain date October 10)

Kite fly across Madison and beyond.

Reclaim our public spaces for peaceful enjoyment.
  1. Decorate your kite.
  2. Fly your kite at any park or other open space.
  3. Send us a picture of your kite and you having fun that day, to be put on social media and website.
 
There will be a contest for the best kite! Kites will be judged on creativity and impact of message.
 
Be sure to take precautions: don’t fly in street, near power lines and be sure to distance and wear mask as needed.
We want to cut military spending, cut the F-35 jets. Start the cuts at home, that’s the way to do it responsibly! Fund human need — not rich man’s greed. Let the politicians know what your priorities are. [scroll down this page for talking points and contact info] What do you want to fund? We’d rather fund our communities, our schools, our infrastructure, our healthcare. The military is already far too big and used to kill too often, with
wars based on lies.

WATER MAIN FLUSHING

Water Main Flushing plans beginning Monday, September 21st (all flushing is daytime unless otherwise noted)

East (Area 11) — S Fair Oaks Ave to E Washington Ave south of Commercial Ave; North of E Washington Ave from North St to First St
West (Area 27) — South of Regent St between Park St and Randall Ave.
West (Area 12) — Arbor Hills Neighborhood south of the Beltline; THEN south of the Beltline between Whitney Way and Verona Rd
West (Area 26) — West of Pleasant View Rd between Mid Town Rd and Valley View Rd
————
Questions: Shayne Santi, 261-9128
Flushing Information Line: 261-9178
DETAILS:
Area 11 (East):4-6 runs per day
Run ID  Run Description
11401 Dempsy Rd south of Cottage Grove Rd and Pinchot Ave
11402 Gary St
11403 Clair St – Pinchot – Elinor St
11405 Drexel Ave – Lake Edge Blvd to Bowman Ave
11407 Maher Ave – Lake Edge Blvd to Morningside Ave
11408 Bowman Ave
11409 E Lakeview Ave – Morningside Ave to Major Ave
11410 Morningside Ave – Bowman Ave to Rahel St
11411 Camden Rd – Morningside Ave to Allis Ave
11412 Maher Ave – Morningside to Allis Ave
11413 Major Ave – Maher to Morningside
11414 Turner Ave – Major to Allis
11415
11416 Buckeye Rd – Spaanm to Stoughton Rd
11417 Buckeye Rd – Camden Rd to
11418
11419 Major Ave and Blossom Ln
11419.2
11420 Stoughton Rd north of Major Ave
11051 Oak St – (Milwaukee St to Hauk St)
11052 Hauk St
11053 Hermina St (Oak St to W End Of Hermina)
11054 Union St (Marquette to2650 Union)
11054.2 North St – E Washington to Hoard
11055 E Washington Ave (Union to Oak)
11056.1 E Washington (Milwaukee St to Fifth St)
11056.22 E Main St from E Washington Ave
11056.23 Second St and Main St from East Washington
11056.24 Fourth St from E Washington Ave
11056.25 E Main St – 2nd St to 1st St
11056.3 E Washington Ave (Milwaukee St to Fifth St)
11056.4 E Washington Ave (Fifth St to First St)
11057.1 Fifth St – E Wash to Hoard
11057.2 Hoard St – Fifth to Sixth
11058 Mifflin – Fifth (North to E Washington)
11059 E Dayton St – Fifth St to Seventh St
11059.1 E Dayton St – North St to N Seventh St
11060 E Johnson St (North to Second)
11061 Seventh St – E Johnson St (E Washington to Sixth)
11062 Sixth St (E Washington to Upham)
11063 Upham St (Fifth to Seventh)
11064 Fourth St (E Johnson to E Main)
11065 Third St (E Washington to Pennsylvania)
11066 Mifflin St (Fourth to First)
11067 Dayton St (Fourth to First)
11068 Second St (Mifflin to E Johnson)
11069 Second St – E Washington (Mifflin to SW of Third)
11070 Carey Ct – Second St to Third St
11071 First St – E Johnson (E Washington to Second)
Area 27 (West):3-5 runs per day
Run ID  Run Description
27049 Emerald St (S Mills St – S Park St)
27049.2 Emerald St (S Mills – S Orchard)
27050 Drake St (S Mills- West Shore Dr)
27050.1 Drake St – West Shore to Park
27050.2 Drake St (S Mills St – S Randall Av)
27051 S. Orchard St (Drake to South of Erin)
27052 Wingra St
27053 Eberhardt Ct – Hoven Ct – Wingra St
27054 S Charter St (Mound St – Vilas Av, across)
27056 Regent St (S Randall St – Monroe St)
27058.1 Monroe-Randall to Stockton Ct
27058.2 Monroe St-Stockton to Edgewood Ave
27059 Madison St (Regent St – Harrison St)
27060 Jefferson St (Regent St – Harrison St)
27060.2 Harrison St (Vilas Ave-Jefferson St)
27061 Adam st ( Grant St-Oakland Ave)
27062.1 Oakland Av – Monroe St to Adams Av
27062.2 N Breese Ter – Regent to Summit
27063.1 Chandler St-Garfield St ( Randall Ave to Jefferson St)
27063.2 Garfield St (Monroe to Jefferson St)
27064 Grant St (Monroe to Drake)
27064.1 Drake St (Randall to Garfield)
27064.2 Adam St (Edgewood Ave-Grant St)
27065 Campbell St (Mound St – Vilas Av)
27066 Campbell St-Drake St
Area 12 (West):4-6 runs per day
Run ID  Run Description
10186.2 Post
10187 Post
10188 Churchill
10189 Greenway and Luann
10190 Traceway
10191 Luann and Coho
10192 N. Coho
10193 Traceway
10194 Pike
10195 Turbot and Pike
10196 Turbot and Sunfish
10197 Pike/Coho Connector
10198 S. Coho
12832 Gilbert Rd (Schroeder S to Hammersly Rd)
12833 Whitney Wy (directly N of Gilbert W to end)
12834 Gilbert Ct (entire length)
12835 Gilbert – Whitney – Woodland /Westbury
12836 Whitney – Hempstead (Woodland to E end Hempstead)
12837 Whitney Way (Woodland to Piping Rock)
12838 Whitney Wy – Hempstead Rd – Hempstead Pl
12839 Hempstead Rd (Hempstead Pl to Brookwood)
12840 Minton – Hempstead (Piping Rk to Brookwood)
12841 Whitney Way (Hempstead to Dorsett)
12842 Hammersley (Whitney Wy to Rae)
12843 Rae – Lynndale (Hammersley to E end Lynndale)
12844 Hammersley (Whitney Wy to 1st hyd E of Gilbert)
12845 Gilbert Rd – Hammersley
12846 Gilbert Rd (Hammersley to Tolman Ter)
12847 Whitcomb – Courtland Cir
12848 Loruth Ter (Whitcomb to Whitcomb)
12849 Hammersley – Whitcomb Dr –  Whitcomb Cir
12850 Loruth Ter, Whitcomb Dr, Courtland Cir
12851 Whitcomb Dr – Whitcomb Cir (Loruth to end Whitcomb Cir)
Area 26 (West):5-8 runs per day
Run ID  Run Description
26224 Red Tail Dr (Hill Creek to Eaglewood)
26225 Greenside Cir
26226 Redan Dr (Red Tail to Lawn Brook)
26227.1 Hill Creek Dr
26227.2 Grassy Hollow Dr
26228 Sugar Maple Ln and Lost Pine Trl
26228.2 Cherry Blossom Dr
26228.3 Wild Prairie Trl
26228.4 Cherry Blossom Rd south of Lost Pine Trl
26229 Soaring Sky Run
26230 Gander Cir
26231 Talons Way
26232 Feather Edge Dr
26233 Feather Edge – Sugar Maple connector (1)
26234 Feather Edge – Sugar Maple connector (2)
26235 Feather Edge – Sugar Maple connector (3)
26236 Stonebriar Dr
26237 Redan Dr –  (Red Tail to Weatherstone)
26238 Lone Oak Ln (Eaglewood to Weatherstone)
26238.2 Weatherstone Rd
26239 Eaglewood Dr
26240 Pine Hollow Pl
26241 Ancient Oak Ln (Lone Oak to Reflection)
26242 Lone Oak – Ancient Oak connector-Reflection Dr
26242.2 Rung Way
26242.3 Shining Rock Trl
26243.1 Winter Frost Pl – Lost Pine Trl
26243.2 Moonlight Trl
26243.4 Cedarberry Cir
26243.5 Pine Hill Dr – Lost Pine Trl
26243.6 Tall Pines Way
26243.7 Old Orchard Trl
26244 Ancient Oak Ln (Lone Oak to E end)
26245 Overlook Run (Ancient Oak to Valley View)
26246 Silkwood Trl (Lone Oak to Sundance Dr)
26247 Sundance Dr
26248 Color Peak Rd (West)
26249 Color Peak Rd (East)
26250 Snowberry Ln
26251 Hollybush Ln

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