How will you participate in your local government this week? After the election it seems I was barraged with people saying they want to get involved locally to deal with Trump and asking what they should do. It’s a hard question to answer, since there is so much going on. Here’s some things you might be interested in this week . . . and of course, people are out circulating nomination papers to run for office right now . . . so there’s always campaigns to be involved in! (Madison City Council, School Board, Fitchburg and other municipalities)
When I say get involved by going to community meetings, here’s what we need.
– People to show up and watch. When local elected officials don’t think people are watching – and let’s be truthful, we’re pretty much not – then there becomes more pressure to do what their colleagues and staff want than what is good for the public. The pressure in the room, can change the dynamic.
– Even if you don’t understand everything that is going on, and you rarely can, tell people about it. Report it on facebook, type up just two paragraphs and I’ll post them here, tell your neighbors and friends about what you say. With the demise of local media, very little local government gets covered any more, they just don’t have the staff to do it.
– Make your opinions known. Register for or against an issue you know about, speak for your 3 minutes to the committee, email the elected officials. For every one person who does this, the elected officials know there are many more who do not.
Here’s some issues you might be interested in this week.
JAIL ISSUES (Solitary Confinement)
1. County – 5:15 PM Public Protection & Judiciary Committee Room 354 of the City-County Building 210 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
– – The Dane County Sheriff’s Office will be presenting information on the status of solitary confinement in the Dane County Jail. All interested individuals are invited to attend for an update on the situation. Members of the public can make comments or ask questions after the presentation. If you wish to speak, please fill out a hearing slip. Questions in advance of the meeting should go to Chair Paul Rusk at rusk@countyofdane.com
– – SOLITARY CONFINEMENT IN THE DANE COUNTY JAIL
POLICE/SHERIFF (Panhandling, Use of Force, 10 Year Narcotics Task Force Agreement and that “not a tank” Bearcat for the Sheriff’s office)
1. City – Tuesday, 12/13/2016 – 5:00 PM Public Safety Review Committee Madison Police Department 211 South Carroll Street, Room Central Community Room, Rm GR22
– Alder Rummel to clarify how the Common Council Organizational Committee (CCOC) on Police and Community Relations and the Public Safety Review Committee (PSRC) can work and not be duplicative in functions.
– SUBSTITUTE Repeal and recreate Section 12.325 of the Madison General Ordinances to limit persons entering or staying on highways.
– Declaring the City of Madison’s intent to investigate day jobs as an alternative for panhandlers and those in need.
– Authorizing the Mayor, City Clerk and Chief of Police to sign a contract with Dane County and the University of Wisconsin, extending for ten (10) years the agreement which authorizes the Dane County Narcotics Task Force.
– Public Safety and Strategic Plan (Where do we go from here)
2. City – Tuesday, 12/13/2016 – 6:30 PM Common Council Organizational Committee Subcommittee on Police & Community Relations Goodman Community Center 149 Waubesa St, Room Evjue
– Presentation: Use of Force Proposals – State Rep. Chris Taylor
3. County – Thursday, 12/15/2016 7:00 PM County Board City-County Building, Room 201
– AUTHORIZING AN AGREEMENT TO ACCEPT GRANT FUNDING FOR THE PURCHASE OF AN ARMORED RESCUE VEHICLE
HOMELESSNESS & HOUSING (Bike path by OM Tiny House Village, Panhandling Ordinance, Day Resource Center approval, Homeless Youth and Briarpatch Day Center, City’s Housing Report, and Downtown’s latest attempts to chase homeless out of the downtown.)
1. City – Monday, December 12, 2016 – 5:30 PM Plan Commission City-County Building 210 Martin Luther King Jr Blvd, Room 201
– Determining a Public Purpose and Necessity and adopting a Relocation Order for the acquisition of land interests required for the construction and maintenance of a portion of the Demetral Park Path, a new shared-use (bicycle and pedestrian) path from E. Johnson Street at Pennsylvania Avenue to connect to the existing path in Demetral Park. Located in part of the NE ¼ of the SW ¼ of Section 6, T7N, R10E. (12th AD) i.e. Bike Path behind Occupy Madison Tiny House Village.
– Consideration of a conditional use to convert an existing office building into a daytime shelter at 615 E. Washington Avenue
2. City – 5:00 PM Public Safety Review Committee Madison Police Department 211 South Carroll Street, Room Central Community Room, Rm GR22
– SUBSTITUTE Repeal and recreate Section 12.325 of the Madison General Ordinances to limit persons entering or staying on highways. (panhandling ordinance)
– Declaring the City of Madison’s intent to investigate day jobs as an alternative for panhandlers and those in need.
3. County – Wednesday, 12/14/2016 – 5:30 PM Health & Human Needs Committee CCB 321
– Day Resource Center Update
4. City/school board – Wednesday, 12/14/2016 – 5:00 PM Education Committee City-County Building 210 Martin Luther King Jr Blvd, Room 103A
– Homeless Youth in Madison: Current Status, and Briarpatch Shelter Program
5. City – Thursday, December 15, 2016 – 4:00 PM Housing Strategy Committee City-County Building 210 Martin Luther King Jr Blvd, Room 118 (Please enter through hallway double glass doors.)
– Planning Division staff update on Comprehensive Plan – Imagine Madison<
– Requesting the Planning Division Director, in conjunction with the Community Development Authority Redevelopment Division Housing Initiatives Specialist and the Zoning Administrator, review and assess the city’s housing development policies using the White House Housing Development Toolkit and identify potential policy modifications.
– 2016 Housing Report – Consolidated and Updated.
6. City – Thursday, December 15, 2016 – 5:30 PM Downtown Coordinating Committee City-County Building 210 Martin Luther King Jr Blvd, Room 108
– Downtown BID Programming Discussion
ENVIRONMENT, LAKES, PARKS AND FOOD ISSUES (Food Waste, County Parks and Open Space Plan, Lakes priority setting)
1. County – Tuesday, 12/13/2016 – 8:15 AM UW Extension Committee 5201 Fen Oak Dr. Madison WI 53718
– FOOD WASTE PREVENTION AND RECOVERY
2. County – Wednesday, 12/14/2016 – 5:30 PM Park Commission Lyman Anderson Agriculture Center 5201 Fen Oak Drive – Room A/B Madison WI 53718
– Park and Open Space Plan Update
3. County -Saturday, 12/17/2016 – 8:45 AM Lakes & Watershed Commission UW-Madison Arboretum Visitor Center 1207 Seminole Highway Madison WI 53711
– 2017 Priority Setting, Work Planning and Organizational Structure
EQUITY AND INCLUSION (Ban the box, county equity contracts, Overture)
1. County -Thursday, 12/15/2016 -5:30 PM Executive Committee City-County Building room 357
– AWARDING A CONTRACT FOR THE PROGRAM EVALUATION OF CONTRACTING AND PROCUREMENT EQUITY IN DANE COUNTY GOVERNMENT
– REQUIRING THE OFFICE OF EQUITY AND INCLUSION TO PROVIDE AN ANNUAL REPORT OF BOARD & COMMISSION DEMOGRAPHICS
2. City – Tuesday, 12/13/2016 – 5:00 PM Affirmative Action Commission City-County Building 210 Martin Luther King Jr Blvd, Room 108
– Data on the effect of ban the box
3. City – Tuesday, 12/13/2016 – 5:30 PM Madison Arts Commission Madison Central Library 201 W Mifflin St, Room First Floor Conference Rm
– Overture discussion
4. 5:00 PM Transit and Parking Commission City-County Building 210 Martin Luther King Jr Blvd, Room 201
– Metro: Examine the feasibility increasing the number of full wrap ads on buses
HUMAN SERVICES (Family Care)
1. County – Thursday, 12/15/2016 – 5:30 PM Human Services Board City County Building 201 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. Madison, WI 53704 Room 201
– Family Care Update
LOCAL GOVERNMENT – HOW IT WORKS (or not)
1. County – Thursday, 12/15/2016 – 5:30 PM Executive Committee – Review of Boards and Commissions Subcommittee City-County Building room 106B Conference Room
– No agenda (irony intended)
DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENT (801 E Wash, 819 E Wash, 1 N Webster, 1000 E Wash, 121 N. Butler)
1. City – Monday, December 12, 2016 – 5:30 PM Plan Commission City-County Building 210 Martin Luther King Jr Blvd, Room 201
– Consideration of a conditional use in the TE (Traditional Employment) zoning district to allow construction of an up to eight-story commercial/ office building containing 152,925 square feet of floor area, including a 40,000 square-foot theater/ concert hall on land generally addressed as 801 E. Washington Avenue in Urban Design Dist. 8, with auto parking to be provided off-site.
– Consideration of a conditional use in the TE (Traditional Employment) zoning district to allow construction of an eight-story, 158,000 square-foot office building on land generally addressed as 819 E. Washington Avenue in Urban Design Dist. 8, with auto parking to be provided off-site.
2. City – Wednesday, 12/14/2016 – 4:30 PM Urban Design Commission City-County Building 210 Martin Luther King Jr Blvd, Room 351
– 1 North Webster Street – Comprehensive Design Review for “The AC Hotel Madison”
– 1000 East Washington Avenue
– 121 North Butler Street – Restoration of Two Existing Buildings, Demolition of Two Buildings and Three Garage Structures, and Development of a New 4-Story Apartment Building with Underground Parking.
TRANSPORTATION ISSUES (Biking, Bus, Roads, Pedestrian Safety, etc.)
1. City/County – Tuesday, December 13, 2016 – 11:00 AM Madison Area Transportation Planning Board Regional Transportation Plan (RTP) 2050 Advisory Committee City-County Bldg 210 Martin Luther King Jr Blvd, Room 103A
– Review Preliminary Draft Recommendations for the Regional Transportation Plan (RTP) 2050
– Brief Review of Draft Scope of Work Outline for the Next Phase of Study of Bus Rapid Transit
– Brief Report on Online Public Engagement Tools for the RTP
2. City/County – Wednesday, December 14, 2016 – 2:00 PM Madison Area Transportation Planning Board Technical Coordinating Committee Fitchburg Community Center 5510 Lacy Rd, Room Prairie View Fitchburg, WI 53711
– Review Preliminary Draft Recommendations for the Regional Transportation Plan (RTP) 2050
– Review Draft Scope of Work Outline for the Next Phase of Study of Bus Rapid Transit
3. City – Wednesday 12/14/2016 4:30 PM Board of Public Works City-County Building 210 Martin Luther King Jr Blvd, Room 108
– Determining a Public Purpose and Necessity and adopting a Relocation Order for the acquisition of land interests required for the construction and maintenance of a portion of the Demetral Park Path, a new shared-use (bicycle and pedestrian) path from E. Johnson Street at Pennsylvania Avenue to connect to the existing path in Demetral Park. Located in part of the NE ¼ of the SW ¼ of Section 6, T7N, R10E. (12th AD) – Bike Path behind Occupy Madison Tiny House Village.
2. 5:00 PM Transit and Parking Commission City-County Building 210 Martin Luther King Jr Blvd, Room 201
– JOINT MEETING WITH LONG RANGE TRANSPORTATION PLANNING COMMITTEE FOR AGENDA ITEMS A.THROUGH D.
– REVIEW AND DISCUSSION OF DRAFT UW CAMPUS MASTER PLAN (TRANSPORTATION ELEMENTS)
– Planning Division staff update on Comprehensive Plan – Imagine Madison
– Parking: Resolution No. TPC 16-13, regarding proposed Parking Utility Special Event Rate, effective January 15, 2017
– Metro: Examine the feasibility increasing the number of full wrap ads on buses
SCHOOLS (Budget, Community Schools, Homelessness)
1. MMSD – Monday, December 12 – 5:00 p.m. Operations Work Group Meeting Doyle Administration Bldg. 545 W. Dayton Street Madison, WI 53703 Room 103
– 2017/18 MMSD Budget Development
2. MMSD/City/County – Wednesday, December 14 – 5:00 p.m. City of Madison Education Committee Meeting – City-County Building 210 Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd. Madison, WI 53703 Room 103A
– Homeless Youth in Madison: current status and Briarpatch Shelter Program
– Community Schools update
– Check-in regarding new activities or updates that impact City/County/MMSD
– Planning topics/agendas for remainder of 2016/17 academic year
