Trying to keep up with the round up this week!
YEAH, NO SURPRISES HERE . . .
Scott McDonell running for County Executive. Everyone expected it, but maybe not his message. Check it out. Other coverage:
Badger Herald, Channel 3, Isthmus, Cap Times, Capitol Report? and State Journal.
TENANT SERVICES IMPORTANT TO STUDENTS?
It didn’t make the list . . . I guess not. Especially since they still haven’t issued an RFP for such services even tho the money is in the budget for this year. Seems ironic.
CITY BUDGET TIME
The first night of budget presentations was last night . . . here’s some of the coverage: Badger Herald, and . . . uh . . hello?
SUPPORT FOR UNION CORNERS PURCHASE AND THE MALLARDS
Board of Estimates highlights from yesterday, pre-budget. More on Union Corners. Which is funny it got this much coverage when they hardly discussed it at all.
4K GETS FUNDING BOOST
What happens when this money goes away?
MULCH OR COMPOST YOUR LEAVES
Could save the city $2M.
“SNEAK PEAK” OF WILLY ST COOP
How will they serve Middleton?
THIS WAS ON THE BUSINESS PAGES?
Don’t blame the poor . . . of course not, the truly poor can’t buy houses. So who should we blame the housing crisis on?
NICE JOB PRESBYTERIANS!
Good for you!
HOUSEHOLD ORGANICS SURVEY
Still Time To Participate in Household Organics Collection Survey
Madison residents still have time to register their opinion and provide valuable information to the Streets Division as it begins planning a possible household organics diversion program. One thousand residents received a mail survey and the rest of Madison can take the survey on line.
“We want to thank everyone who has taken our survey so far,” Madison recycling coordinator George Dreckmann said. “The information we have received is very important and will help us as we look at possible ways to divert organic waste from the landfill.”
So far almost 400 people have returned the mail survey. Even though it is past the deadline that was announced when the survey went out, residents can still return the survey and make their views know. In addition, there is an online survey that can be filled out by going to www.cityofmadison.com/streets.
“The surveys are one part of the program planning process,” Dreckmann said. “We are also doing a waste characterization study and the Mayor has put funding for a collection pilot in his 2011 Operating Budget proposal.”
The Streets Division is considering ways to divert more material from the landfill for composting and generating renewable energy. Items which could be included in the household organics program include food waste, pet waste, diapers, paper napkins, paper plates and cups, paper towels, and pizza boxes.
MADISON CULTURAL PLAN
Dear Historians and preservation advocates and professionals-
As many of you know, the City of Madison has launched an exciting cultural planning process. As a member of the Steering Committee for that plan, I am writing to invite you to a focus group designed to bring leaders of Madison’s key public arts and cultural resources together.
I look forward to a rousing discussion about the state of historic literacy in Madison, Madison’s historic preservation structure and policy, and opportunities for strengthening the role of history in our community’s cultural life.
Your thoughts will help shape the content of the plan, and will help guide the Steering Committee in making thoughtful recommendations for arts and cultural development in Madison.
Please join me and the city’s cultural planning consultant Mary Berryman Agard for this important conversation.
Title: Focus on History
Time: 5:30-7:30 PM
Date: Monday, October 18Location: Gates of Heaven
James Madison Park
302 E. Gorham Street, MadisonRSVP by replying to the consultant at MaryBerrymanAgard@mac.com
by Monday, October 11, 2010I’m enclosing a background document containing the vision statement for this cultural planning process and a brief description of the overall plan.
Thanks for being a part of this important process. I look forward to an important exchange.
Sincerely,
Jason Tish, Member
Madison Cultural Plan Steering Committee
PUBLIC HEARING ON VERONA RD./WEST BELTLINE
Verona Road/West Beltline Reconstruction Public Hearing is Wed. OCT. 13
Over the past many months we’ve tried to keep you abreast of informational meetings about the planned reconstruction of Verona Road and the West Beltline. Our Dunn’s Marsh Neighborhood will be hit with a double whammy because these highways form 2 of the 5 boundaries of the neighborhood. The highways are either visible or audible (noisy) almost everywhere in the neighborhood, and because of heavy traffic that prompted past improvements, there is only one route across each one from the neighborhood.
Now is the final and official chance to express opinions about the project. The full project is described – along with its effects – in the Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact Statement (SDEIS) for the project. The SDEIS can be found online at http://www.dot.wisconsin.gov/projects/d1/verona/environment.htm#sdeis [Copy and paste the preceding link into your browser window.] Look at a hardcopy at many locations including nearby library branches and at Faouzi’s Restaurant at 4245 West Beltline Frontage Road in the neighborhood.
This hefty 2-volume document is daunting, but if you are pressed for time, try the Executive Summary which is on pages ES-1 to ES-20 in the front of the first volume.
Everyone and anyone is invited to attend and speak at the public hearing or to submit written comments. Don’t pass up this opportunity. The squeaky wheel gets the grease.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2010
TIMES & PLACES:
12:00 NOON – 3:00 PM at Boys & Girls Club, 4619 Jenewein Rd
6:00 PM – 9:00 PM at Cherokee Middle School Gym, 4301 Cherokee Dr.WRITTEN & E-MAIL COMMENTS: accepted until Wednesday, November 3
Send your e-mail comments to “Barta, Larry – DOT”
Send your hardcopy comments to:
Larry Barta, WisDOT Project Manager
Wisconsin Department of Transportation – Southwest Region
2101 Wright Street
Madison, Wisconsin 53704-2583Feeling shy? Come anyway. You will be in good company, and friends from the neighborhood will be there to help you sign up to speak and can even accompany you to the microphone if you wish.
Need a ride? Reply to this e-mail or call 271-5192, and the Dunn’s Marsh Neighborhood Association will see to it that you get one.
More about this project…
“The planned changes will profoundly affect the Dunn’s Marsh Neighborhood,” said JoAnne Kelley, a neighbor who lives on Crawford Drive who has been active in learning about it and arranging ways to inform the neighborhood. On October 7, Dunn’s Marsh Neighborhood Association President Jeff Glazer and the Allied-Dunn’s Marsh Neighborhood Association President sent a letter and position paper to Madison’s Mayor Dave listing 16 comments and requests made by the 2 neighborhood associations. It is attached. The detailed rationale for each position item is available as a document by replying to this notice and asking for it.
The DOT plans include the changes listed below.
* adding 2 lanes to both Verona Road and the Beltline
* removing housing that is in the way of the expanded highways and their frontage roads (10 residential buildings representing 31 households)
* removing businesses: 5-6 buildings representing 8-9 businesses and perhaps 3 more buildings & businesses
* raising the elevation of both highways
* rerouting the frontage roads, one of which will circle Walgreen’s, another which may dip down onto Britta Parkway
* extending the frontage road from Allied Drive to Carling Drive
* closing the current crossing of Verona Road that goes to Home Depot
* making a so-called jug-handle circular route to allow our neighborhood drivers to cross under Verona Road and get onto Verona Road heading south. Traffic from our neighborhood going north to Beltline or Midvale will just turn right onto Verona Road as it does now.
* punching a second route under Verona Road a bit further south toward Verona
* putting up a noise wall to protect homes on the other (north) side of the Beltline (This won’t protect our neighborhood.)
* maybe putting up a short wall in the vicinity of the Highlander Motel along the Beltline
* removing and then replacing the pedestrian/bike bridge across the Beltline at Whenona Drive (The new bridge may empty onto the frontage road.)
* creating a new holding pond for stormwater in the woods on the west side of Dunn’s Marsh.
* adding bike lanes and sidewalks
* much moreLearn more…
* For a short version DOT’s point of view, look at the flyer mailed to residents a couple of weeks or so ago. View it at http://www.dot.wisconsin.gov/projects/d1/verona/docs/nl-sept2010.pdf
* Go to the Verona Road Justice Coalition site: http://groups.google.com/group/verona-road-justice-coalition
