News, Tea with Satya, Water Utility poll, leaf pick up and more . . .
NEWS
City
A neighborhood is born: Years of intense development have transformed the Capitol East District – Cap Times
Who’s roaring for fighter jets in Madison, and who has to hear them? – Tone Madison
County
Jail construction investigation: Dane County has “no viable cause of action” against contractors – Cap Times
Dane County Boys and Girls Club in line for $1 million donation for new Sun Prairie site – State Journal
Update: Timeline accelerated for Highway M resurfacing between Verona and Oregon – State Journal
Dane County Health Council Commits to Action on Racism, a Public Health Crisis – madison365.com
Schools
Report: Perfect attendance would have ‘very modest’ effect on Madison middle school achievement gap – State Journal
Other/Mixed
Housing, After-school Programs Among Concerns Expressed at South Side Town Hall – Madison365.com
PARENT EDUCATION SESSION
Join Us!
Wed Oct 23, 2019
6:00 pm- 8:00 pm
Lake View Library
2845 N Sherman Ave, Madison, WI
Families come out and hear from the district and participate in understanding more about Individual Education Plans. Also hear from community members about their own experiences and how they have supported their children in the process.
Get information about:
● 5 Essential Steps in IEPs
● Advocating for Your Child
● Helpful Resources for Families
Come hear from:
● John Harper, Executive Director Student Services
● Joanne Grassman, Assistant Director of Student Services for High Schools
● Summer Hillman. Parent in MSSD
● Hector Portillo, Family Engagement Coordinator, WSPEI CESA #2
Bring the whole family! Food will be provided.
To reserve childcare, request transportation and interpretation, please contact Janice Chestnut at 608-663-5977, jchestnut@madison.k12.wi.us
This Parent Leadership Academy session is a partnership between Family Youth & Community Engagement , Student Services and the Madison Public Library
TEA WITH SATYA
EVERY DROP MADISON POLL CLOSES SOON
Click here to take the poll
—
We’ve had a great response to the EVERY DROP MADISON poll so far, but there are still a few days left to give your input on the next phase of water conservation and sustainability in Madison.
The EVERY DROP MADISON initiative seeks community input on new conservation incentives and programs that will bring a new era of water stewardship and source water protection to our city.
Recognizing that conservation is water supply, Madison Water Utility and its customers are committed to using water efficiently. After surpassing a 2008 goal (one year early!) to reduce residential per-capita water use by twenty percent by 2020, MWU is updating its Water Conservation and Sustainability Plan to further improve efficiency.
To inform this process, Madison Water Utility wants to engage with our customers to better understand which incentives would be most effective in increasing water use efficiency still further. MWU is working with the WaterNow Alliance, in partnership with the online polling platform POLCO, to maximize public engagement. Madison Water Utility is a 2019 recipient of a WaterNow Project Accelerator grant.
To take the 5 question poll, you must have an account with POLCO. Creating an account allows us to send all results directly to you when the poll closes at the end of September. It is possible that we may have two or three follow-up questions in October or November.
Madison Water Utility’s current sustainability initiatives
For more information about water use in Madison (including a rare look inside out aquifer), take a look at Madison Water Utility’s Sustainability page.
FALL LEAVES/YARD WASTE COLLECTION TO BEGIN ON MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 30
The City of Madison Streets Division will begin curbside leaf and yard waste collection for the fall on Monday, September 30, 2019.
What is “Leaves and Yard Waste”?
Yard waste includes:
- Leaves, weeds, garden trimmings, and other leafy plant debris.
- Twigs less than 18″ long.
- Pumpkins, crab apples, pine cones, etc.
When to Place Leaves and Yard Waste to the Curb
Residents have two options to learn when they should place yard waste to the curb for pick up.
Option 1: View the Map
Go to the Streets Division’s yard waste website, www.cityofmadison.com/yardwaste, and click the “ Pickup Schedule” button.
The button links to an interactive map of Madison that shows crews are working, and which neighborhoods should place yard waste out for pickup.
Once on the map page, enter your address into the top left corner. This will zoom the map into your immediate area.
If your neighborhood is shaded green for “Pickup Pending,” you should get yard waste out for collection because crews will be around soon to pick up what is out.
The online map is updated at the end of each workday. Residents who use the map should check it regularly to learn when to place material out for collection.
Option 2: Call the Hotline
A recorded hotline is available to hear collection time estimates to determine when to place yard waste to the curb. The recording also details leaf and yard waste collection rules. The number is 608-267-2088. The hotline is updated weekly.
How to Place Yard Waste for Collection
Do not place leaves and yard waste in the street. Pile leaves and yard waste on the terrace or at the road edge.
Keep piles four feet from obstructions, such as utility poles and fire hydrants.
Do not mix brush and yard waste together. These are separate collection operations and they are processed differently. Yard waste piles mixed with brush will not be collected.
Yard waste and leaves can be piled loose on the terrace or road edge. Residents can place a tarp over the leaf piles to prevent them from blowing into the street.
Residents can also use in compostable paper lawn bags, or plastic bags, to prevent leaves and yard waste from blowing into the street. Compostable paper bags are easier for crews to collect, so if you elect to bag leaves please choose the large paper bags that are available at most major retailers. While plastic bags will work, but crews may need to slit the bags open to dump out the leaves. And they need to leave the plastic bags behind at the curb since there is not room in their trucks for empty bags. All bags should be left open at the top so crews can identify their contents.
Collection Opportunities
The Streets Division has a goal to provide each residence at least three collection opportunities in the fall, depending on what weather conditions allow.
When collection begins on Monday, September 30, crews will continue to cycle through the city again and again until winter weather requires crews to move to snow and ice control operations.
In order for residents not to miss their collection opportunities, it is important that they monitor the Collection Schedule map or call the collection hotline to be sure material is curbside in time for pickup.
Keep Streets Leaf-free
Leaves and yard waste contain phosphorus. When it rains, water flows through leaf piles in streets creating a phosphorus rich “leaf tea” that travels through storm drains to our lakes . The excess phosphorus leads to toxic algae blooms, low oxygen levels, and green murky water in our lakes – none of which are good for animals living in the water or those who use our lakes for recreation.
Plus, leaf and yard waste piles can wash into the storm drains and clog them, which can lead to street ponding.
Drop-off Sites
In addition to using the curbside collection service, Madison residents can bring their leaves and yard waste to any of the three yard waste drop-off sites.
The sites are open seven days a week from 8:30am to 4:30pm and until 8:00pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Those hours will remain in effect until Sunday, December 8, 2019.
The yard waste sites are located at 1501 W. Badger Rd on the southwest side, 4602 Sycamore Ave on the east side, and 402 South Point Rd. on the far west side. The drop-off sites are for Madison residents only, and proof of residency is required in order to use the site.
Additional Information
There are multiple opportunities to learn more about proper yard waste management.
Residents can consult this brief guide PDF about other ways to protect our lakes by keeping the streets leaf-free.
The Ripple Effects website has detailed information about leaf management and other important storm water issues. On the Ripple Effects website, you can sign up to receive text or email alerts on when the street gutter should be raked in advance of a rainstorm to prevent a releasing nutrients into the storm water system .
Residents can also go to the Streets Division yard waste website, www.cityofmadison.com/yardwaste. Collection rules, the pickup schedule map, and a short video about the yard waste collection process can all be found there.
Residents can contact the Streets Division office that services their neighborhood to answer questions they may have about yard waste collection and the drop-off sites. Residents east of S. Park Street, and that includes the isthmus, can call the east side Streets Division at 608-246-4532 and residents west of S. Park Street can call the west side Streets Division at 608-266-4681.
Additional information regarding leaf and yard waste collection, the drop-off sites, and other solid waste services can be found on the Streets Division website, www.cityofmadison.com/streets.
Contacts
- Bryan Johnson608-267-2626streets@cityofmadison.com
