Monday Morning Round Up 4/14/25

Nominations for the prestigious Reverend James C. Wright Human Rights Award are open until April 30, 2025.

Reverend Wright was a civil rights pioneer in Madison. He worked during the 1960s to bring about the adoption of the City of Madison’s Equal Opportunities Ordinance. Rev. Wright served as a member of the Equal Opportunities Commission prior to his appointment as Executive Director for the Commission. He retired in 1992 after 24 years of dedicated service to the City of Madison.

During his years with the City, Rev. Wright spearheaded the development of the City’s first affirmative action ordinance and developed a complaint resolution process for the Equal Opportunities Commission that provided a “make whole” remedy for victims of discrimination. Under his leadership Madison’s Equal Opportunities Ordinance was recognized as one of the most comprehensive pieces of civil rights legislation in the country.

Find more information about the award, including past recipients and nomination forms here: www.cityofmadison.com/civil-rights/about/awards/reverend-james-c-wright-award

Project Overview

Fire Station 6 will be relocated to a new space constructed as part of the CDA redevelopment of the site at South Park Street and West Badger Road in South Madison. The Fire Station project will build out the interior space of the new building to create a fire station for a double company with individual sleeping rooms, fitness room, training room, living/dining/kitchen, apparatus bay, and related spaces.

Project Schedule

City User Agency: City of Madison Fire Department
Planning and Design: March 2025
1st Advertisement of Bid: TBD available only on Bid Express
Bid Due Date: TBD
Construction Start Date: TBD
Expected Completion Date: TBD

“All information regarding dates/times/locations are informational and should be verified with official bidding documents posted on Bid Express.”

Public Involvement

There are a number of points of contact during this project where the public is encouraged to give feedback as part of public information meetings and public hearings. Dates, times and locations will be indicated below when scheduled.

Addendum 5 has been issued for the Imagination Center at Reindahl Park. Please see all bidding documents and addendums on Bid Express.  A reminder to acknowledge all addendums with your bid documents.

Bids are due tomorrow, Thursday, April 3, 2025.

Quarter 2 2025 Update
Engineering staff continue to work on the design of the locker room space. Construction drawings and specifications are currently being prepared.  We plan to advertise for bids at the end of May 2025.

The City’s Contractor (RG Huston) has completed the sanitary main installation on the 100 Block of E Wilson St (S Pinckney St to King St), and began working on the sanitary laterals Thursday, April 9. There are three sanitary laterals to be replaced on this block, beginning with the lateral closest to King St (labeled Sanitary Lateral 3 in the Wilson PDF below) and working up the block towards Pinckney. It is anticipated that each lateral will take 1-2 days to complete. The lateral work will require a large excavated trench across Wilson St that will impede both pedestrian and vehicle access, therefore access to individual businesses/properties on the 100 Block of E Wilson St may have to come from S Pinckney St or from King St, depending on where the work is occurring, and that access will change day-to-day. The Contractor will help direct folks as needed for local access, however, there may be times where pedestrians/vehicles will need to go around the block to get in/out of E Wilson St from one side or the other. Sidewalk access on the north-side will be returned after working hours as much as possible, however, overnight closures are possible. Sidewalk on the south-side of the 100 Block of E Wilson St continues to be closed due to Findorff’s construction at 109 E Wilson St.

100 Block of E Wilson St Overview

Construction has started on Rutledge Street and should be completed around early August, 2025.

The City of Madison has awarded the contract to Capitol Underground, Inc.

The City Inspector contact has change to Paul Lauby,  plauby@cityofmadison.com, 608-261-9678 and Troy Vant, tvant@cityofmadison.com, 608-266-4914. They will be the best on-site contact throughout construction work.

The N Franklin Ave and Lynn Terr construction project is scheduled to begin the week of April 28, 2025 and should be completed by mid-September 2025.

The City of Madison has awarded the contract to Capitol Underground, Inc.

The City Inspector, James Gottschalk, jgottschalk@cityofmadison.com, 608-261-9115 will be the best on-site contact throughout construction work.

Please review the Construction Facts & Details document.

A reminder that bids are due this Thursday, April 10, 2025.  RFB #14009-0-2025-JW is available only on  VendorNet and  Demand Star.  Please acknowledge all addendums with your bid documents.

The contractor for District 20 sidewalk repairs, LaLonde Contractors, Inc., will begin preliminary work late this week; posting No parking signs as needed, setting out barricades, cones, barrels, and Sidewalk Closed signage, in advance of removal operations that will begin the week of April 14th.  The contractor will begin in Ward 97, south of Schroeder Rd, in the area near Berkshire Rd, Arden Ln, Regis Rd, and Chapel Hill Rd.

District 20 Final Map

A public information meeting is scheduled for 5:30 p.m., April 10, 2025, via Zoom. Registration prior is required.

April 10, 2025 Public Information Meeting Registration (District 10)

District 10 Final Map

The following is a message from the streets division regarding this Sunday’s yard waste pickup:

If you are putting out yard waste for the Sunday, April 13 set out date, the Streets Division needs you to put your yard waste into bags when setting it out for pickup.  You can use compostable paper leaf bags or plastic bags.  Make sure you keep the bags open at the top.  Due to the construction, crews cannot collect loose piles.

The Streets Division will wait to perform the second curbside pickup until after the road is paved in May.  We will update this project page when resident should expect the second pickup chance.

Residents can continue to bring yard waste to a Streets Division drop-off site as well

Hello Golf Madison Parks Family,

I’m excited to share some great news about the upcoming golf season at Yahara Hills. As many of you know, half of the Yahara Hills property was sold to Dane County for the development of a Sustainability Campus. This transition means that Yahara Hills will eventually shift from a 36-hole facility to 18 holes at the end of the 2025 season.

Originally, we anticipated offering only 27 holes for the 2025 season. However, we are pleased to announce that all 36 holes at Yahara Hills will be open this season. This gives everyone the opportunity to enjoy all of their favorite holes on the East Course another season. Thanks to Dane County Department of Waste and Renewables for making this possible!

While play continues, Golf Madison Parks has a construction team actively working on renovations to the course. Work this year will focus primarily on the front nine of the West Course as we prepare for a newly renovated 18-hole course, set to debut at the start of the 2026 season. The reimagined layout will include expanded teeing options—providing longer distances for experienced golfers as well as new forward tees to enhance accessibility for all players. Native area restoration will also be a key part of the project, helping to improve the environmental value and aesthetics of the course.

Tee times for the full East Course will be available starting Friday, April 11.

This is an exciting time for Yahara Hills and Golf Madison Parks. We’re grateful for your continued support and look forward to seeing you on the course for another memorable season.

All the best,

Dave Vetrovec

Golf Director

Thanks to everyone who participated in Madison Madness 2025. Nearly 1,400 people participated and shared their thoughts about community needs and future growth in Madison. Madison Madness helps us understand community priorities by creating choices between positive elements of future growth. However, each element is important and will likely be incorporated into future plans.

As discussed in Madison Madness – Final Results, there is no “winner” in this activity, just like there is not one need for our community. While certain elements were chosen more often, the results show the spectrum of perspectives of Madison residents. Results from all responses are presented along with those for the Southeast Area Plan, Southwest Area Plan, and the remainder of Madison. Open ended comments were summarized by location in our attempt to concisely highlight the primary themes.  However, all open ended comments were included in their entirety for those interested.

Read more about the final results here.

If you have questions, please reach out:

southeastareaplan@cityofmadison.com 

southwestareaplan@cityofmadison.com

The public is invited to a ribbon-cutting on Madison’s east side to celebrate the City’s newest multi-use path, Autumn Ridge.

• When: Wednesday, April 16 at 9:00am
• Where: 4346 Commercial Avenue, Madison (the north side of the bridge)

The Autumn Ridge Path creates a shared-use path connection between Milwaukee Street and Commercial Avenue (north of Highway 30), including a new bridge over Highway 30. The project improves safety and accessibility for non-motorized modes of transportation to cross Highway 30, better connecting neighborhoods on either side of the highway.

View more information about the new path and bridge in the official press release.

The CDA and the Alexander Company will be sharing the refined design concept chosen by the community for S Park Street and W Badger Road which will include new housing opportunities.

Public meetings for this project will be held virtually on Tuesday, April 15 from 6:00 pm to 7:00 pm on Zoom and in-person on Tuesday, April 15 from noon to 1:30 pm at Madison College, 2429 Perry Street, Rm 201. The contents of both meetings will be the same and will include a brief presentation and public input session.

La CDA y la Compañía Alexander compartirán el concepto de diseño refinado elegido por la comunidad para S Park Street y W Badger Road, que incluirá nuevas oportunidades de vivienda.

Las reuniones públicas para este proyecto se llevarán a cabo de manera virtual el martes 15 de abril de 6:00 p.m. a 7:00 p.m. en Zoom y en persona el martes 15 de abril de 12:00 p.m. a 1:30 p.m. en Madison College, 2429 Perry Street # 201. El contenido de las dos reuniones será el mismo e incluirá una breve presentación y una sesión de comentarios del público.

Register for the virtual meeting and see the latest materials / Regístrese para la reunión virtual y para ver los materiales más recientes: https://cityofmadison.zoom.us/meeting/register/Gu1PkoGiQ6agy4JtroynyA

f we lived in an aldermanic district with a contested race, we’d have heard what most across the city heard this past election cycle:  we need more affordable housing.    The City’s report on Fair Housing is full of data on how different groups of people are affected by the rising cost of renting and home ownership.  There is a lot of information to digest here, but it is quite interesting and there are a few surprises.

I encourage you to take a look at the report here: https://madison.legistar.com/View.ashx?M=F&ID=13951701&GUID=1C9F3E51-B345-4640-BBF9-31C64E9931B7

I believe the problem is that increases in wages and salaries lag far behind construction cost increases.  Fair compensation should be as important a goal as affordable housing.  But that’s another can of worms.

The development team at the SA provided a comprehensive description of their planned shelter last week.  They discussed the history of the development, how it has changed since it was first proposed and what they are now planning for the future.

The presentation can be seen here: https://media.cityofmadison.com/mediasite/Showcase/madison-city-channel/Presentation/23e0a16f75d048318d9ed982eef9bcbd1d

The development team go into detail about their mission, types of services, success stories, configurations of the different floors, security.  (You can watch it on 1.5 speed.)  The presentation without narration is attached.

The development proposal is in Urban Design District 8, which runs between the East Mifflin Bike Boulevard, E Main St from Blair to First Streets.  Their proposal will have to meet UDD8 design standards, hence the review at UDC.

The demolition application will require review by the preservation planner, who may refer it to the Landmarks Commission.  That is a separate application from the land use application.

A tentative schedule for the development approval process is:

• 28 April – submit land use application
• 11 June – Urban Design Commission
• 23 June – Plan Commission
• Spring 2026 start construction of Phase 1

If you are interested in meeting with a neighborhood steering committee to discuss this development proposal further with the development team, please get back to me or to our D6 alder, district6@cityofmadison.com

Personally, I have been a proponent of the SA’s mission house redevelopment.  They have been at this location for about 5 decades and they are committed to the difficult work they do.  In the previous development approval process 5 years ago, the neighborhood raised issues concerning the deleterious impact of a few residents and their acquaintances.  The SA heard us and has implemented a “good neighbor policy,” which has helped greatly.  Regardless if there are other concerns or interests you may have, please feel free to get back to me.

Madison is starting to bloom! Happy April!

Find Your Alder

There will be new council members after the April 1st election. Your alderperson is a wonderful contact to have. They can help direct you to City services and help work through City processes.

You can find your alder by clicking here and entering your address.

Preparing for Road Construction

It’s time to start thinking about…Road Construction! Plan a head this year. Check the  Engineering Road Construction Projects page to see if there are projects being planned near your business.

Road construction can be very hard on businesses, please prepare for it. The Office of Business Resources in partnership with City Engineering and the Madison Chamber have put together a Road Construction Survival Guide for the business community. Please read through it to learn about how other businesses have survived road construction season.  Road Construction Survival Guide

Classes and Resources for Your Business

KIVA Greater Madison

Kiva Greater Madison offers 0% interest/no fee loans up to $15,000. Details provided in the link above.

There is an in-person Kiva information session:

Introduction to Kiva Lending

April 17th, 12:00pm-1:30pm

WWBIC 2352 S Park Street, Ste 226

The Office of Business resources is constantly singing the praises of KIVA. Please check out the web-site to see if it is something that can support your business or if you are in the position to lend locally through KIVA.

City of Madison Voluntary Business Registration

Don’t forget to register: The City of Madison Finance Department has created a voluntary business registration that helps the City and local businesses connect.

Registering your local business provides several benefits for you and your business:

1. Free marketing — this directory is used by City of Madison agencies in selecting vendors to purchase from, and may also be accessed by the general public.

2. Responses to formal solicitations by the City will be given preference points if the responder is registered as a Local Business.

Office of Business Resources Guide

The OBR Resource Guide is where you can find out what financial programs the City has for Madison Businesses.

Upcoming Classes For Business Owners:

WWBIC

April 16, 2025

12pm-1:30pm (online)

Forming an LLC in Wisconsin Workshop

Small Business Development Center

April 10, 2025

8:30am-4:30pm (online)

Fearless Performance Management

Wisconsin Latino Chamber of Commerce (LCC)

April 23rd

5:30pm -7:30pm (online)

Payroll Vs Contractor: dos opciones de contratar personal para los negocios.

Madison Black Chamber of Commerce

Ongoing

Incubation and Acceleration Support

Meet OBR Team Member Brian Swanson

Each Newsletter we will highlight a staff person in the Office of Business Resources (OBR). Please get to know Brian Swanson. Brian is the newest member of the OBR Team and serves as the City’s Street Vending Monitor. The OBR is lucky to have Brian on the team….let’s get to know Brian better:

Image credit: Mark Fitzgerald

What made you consider working for OBR?

I was drawn to OBR because of the incredible opportunity to work alongside a team of people who are dedicated to supporting business owners at every stage of their journey. Whether someone is just starting out, growing their business, or facing new challenges, we’re here to provide the resources they need to succeed. Madison thrives when its businesses thrive and being part of an office that helps entrepreneurs create services, jobs, and opportunities for the community is deeply rewarding. To be even a small piece of such a large force for good—helping to uplift others and strengthen the city as a whole—is a dream come true.

What do you like about working with the business community?

My role is unique in that I work with vending activity of all kinds throughout Madison, which has given me a front-row seat to what makes our city thrive. Whether it’s supporting small business owners who sell art and crafts on weekends—allowing them to share their passions and enrich lives with their creations—or working with food cart operators, both new and seasoned, who bring their culture to life through food and feed thousands of students, employees, and visitors every day, I see firsthand how entrepreneurship shapes our community. Food is culture, and Madison is a beautiful melting pot where that culture is shared. I also get to help businesses activate outdoor dining spaces, ensuring our brick-and-mortar restaurants can thrive while creating inviting spaces for residents and visitors to enjoy our stunning summers. I feel truly fortunate to be in this role, and I don’t take that privilege lightly.

What do you wish business owners would do before or while they are opened?

I wish more business owners would fully embrace the idea that we’re all in this together—that while they may offer competing services, they are also part of a larger ecosystem that thrives when we support one another. It’s easy to get caught up in the day-to-day of running a business, but the strongest communities are built by those who look beyond their own walls. Whether it’s collaborating on events, creating shared experiences, or simply showing up for one another, every effort to connect enriches Madison as a whole. The more we support each other—especially in challenging times—the more resilient and vibrant our city becomes.

What was the last project you worked on?

While I don’t believe I can take credit for any recent specific project, I recently completed my first year as Street Vending Monitor alongside Meghan Blake-Horst. In that time, I’ve learned so much and have taken on key day-to-day responsibilities that help free up our team to think bigger and do bigger. Madison has such a unique approach to vending, and I’m excited to be part of shaping its future—making it more inclusive, more accessible, and better able to help people share their passions with the community. There’s still so much to learn and many challenges ahead, but I’m eager to keep growing in this role and contributing to the work we do

METRO RIDER UPDATES

Upcoming Detours  Route E (Stop 1787 Closed) – Saturday, 4/12 until 3:40p Stop 1787 on Pinckney at Main is closed.

All Detours

Employment Opportunities Transit Operator (Full-time or Part-time)

Job Description

Spring Roll Challenge! From 4/1 to 4/30 Want to make a difference this Earth Month AND get rewarded? Join the Spring Roll Challenge hosted by RoundTrip—a public program that promotes eco-friendly, affordable ways to get around Dane County! To participate, create a free RoundTrip account and log any trips you take by walking/rolling, biking, riding the bus, and carpooling throughout April. Once you log at least six green trips each week—and 30 green trips total in April—you’ll be entered into weekly and grand prize drawings for Madison BCycle memberships and gift cards.

Complete Details

Water Main Flushing plans beginning Monday April 14th (all flushing is daytime unless otherwise noted)