Yesterday was jam packed with meetings, but once again, plans to try to cover more than one thing were foiled by technology. I tried to TiVo both plan commission and Board of Estimates, but that didn’t work out as they were both at the same time and although the city channel said you could watch it live and the plan commission would be at aired 10:30, neither happened . . . This is what I could pull together this morning while answering the administrative phones at TRC.
PLAN COMMISSION – THAT LARGER THAN PROMISED GROCERY STORE
I watched the end of this discussion and was a little surprised plan commission had as many issues as they did. I didn’t see the developer presentation or the testimony of neighbors, and only caught a little of the discussion. I hope they talked about how as of 2010 plans have to be consistent with the comprehensive plan, allegedly, no exceptions. I’m not clear how they are now handling issues that arise. In the past, we just amended, or promised to amend, the comprehensive plan. I understand now, we’re no longer allowed to do that. So, I don’t quite understand how this now works. Also, interesting that Mark Olinger didn’t recuse him self with a conflict of interest.
SCHOOL BOARD DOWN TO $5.6M
More cuts. They took the $30M to $18M by using the state money and authority from referendum, cut another $6M and then another $4M and had some accounting adjustments and somehow have gotten the final gap down to $5.6M. They have two more meetings to go. And a deadline of May 4th to notify people of layoffs and changes in personnel.
UNSEEN MADISON
Photo challenge.
PLAN B
Denied! Kinda. They can smoke outside, just no drinks. I’m not surprised given the noise issues they are already dealing with.
PROTECTION MONEY
An interesting take on the Downtown Safety Initiative. I’d go a step further, a year or two ago this money was used to help Big Brother put up cameras downtown . . . no wonder no one wanted to “donate”.
THE POOL
Still not sure what I think of having a pool when our lakes suck, but it seems popular. Haven’t been there myself – not my thing.
Register for Goodman Pool swim lessons, join the Goodman Pool Sharks Swim Team and purchase your season Pool Pass for the 2010 Season. Registration has begun for lessons and sessions are filling up! New this year – expanded Adult swim programs. Try something new this summer!
http://www.cityofmadison.com/parks/pool/Check out the NEW Splash-tacular birthday and Splash Bash Party Packages. Goodman Pool is the perfect place to celebrate birthdays, family reunions, company picnics. Don’t wait to book your special party at the pool!
http://www.cityofmadison.com/parks/pool/poolParty.cfm
COMPOST BINS AND RAIN BARRELS
From George Dreckmann
The annual home compost bin and rain barrel sale will take place this Saturday at the Alliant Energy Center’s Olin Av parking lot from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m.
Earth Machine compost bins will be on sale for $45 tax included. This year we will accept Visa, Master Card, and Discover in addition to cash and checks. The Earth Machine is a $90 retail value.
This is a one day only sale, rain or shine. We cannot sell bins early and we cannot make arrangements for later pick up. You must attend the sale event to purchase a compost bin. There is no limit to the number of bins that can be purchased so you can have a friend or neighbor pick one up for you if you are unable to attend. You will find more details at http://www.cityofmadison.com/streets/HomeCompostBinSale.cfm
Sustain Dane will be selling their popular Rain Reserve rain barrels at the event as well. You must preorder the rain barrels. For more information on the rain barrel sale go to www.rainfordane.org
We could still use a few volunteers to work from 8 to 10 a.m. and from 10 to Noon. You can contact me if you are interested.Hope to see you there.
George
MY FAVORITE MEETING OF THE YEAR
Ok, maybe an exaggeration, but this is where you find out what is really going on. And this is where the real decisions are made about building roads. By the time it gets to budget, its all over.
The Common Council included language in a 2008 budget amendment requiring that a presentation on the City’s Transportation Improvement Plan be made to the Common Council prior to submission of the plan to the Metropolitan Planning Organization (now the Madison Area Transportation Planning Board).
A Council presentation by City Engineering staff on the 2011-2016 Transportation Improvement Plan (TIP) that will be presented to the Madison Area Transportation Planning Board has been scheduled for:
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
5:00 p.m.
Room 201, City-County Building
It used to be that the Council didn’t get this information. Hopefully, the pay close attention.
MADISON MAY DAY MARCH
Sat. May 1st
Noon
Brittingham Park, MadisonAll welcome to join UTI and allies on International Workers Day. Joining the national day of action for Immigration Reform, march for FAIR Immigration Reform and improving working and living conditions for worker’s families:
* Immigration Reform NOW! Stop the Raids, Driver Licenses for ALL!
* No to the cuts to our education, the money for the War to the Public Education
* Not another tax on working families, tax the rich.After the march there will be a “PEÑA” (Sing along in spanish) Music, food and information for the entire community!
More information, want to volunteer or be part of the event? call 608/345-9544 or alex@uniondetrabajadores.org.
Need more info, Want to help or volunteer? Contact UTI! 866-476-0884 or info@uniondetrabajadores.org.
To learn more about UTI projects: Youth, Latin Parents Rights, Black Latino Unity Project, our helpline, the campaign against deportations in Madison, immigration reform, etc.visit our new web site www.uniondetrabajadores.org
NORTHSIDE FARMERS MARKET
6th year!
The Northside Farmers Market 2010 season starts in May..…
One of the Northside’s favorite places to gather, the Northside Farmers Market, opens for the 2010 season on Sunday at 8:30 am. Think of it as our own community crossroads, a place where neighbors can gather — to shop for fresh local foods, to enjoy offerings from interesting cultural groups and artists, and to just say ‘Hi’ to friendly faces that you might not have seen since last season. This is the sixth season for the Northside Farmers Market and our maturity shows, we’ve doubled the number of vendors at the market with more on our waiting list. That many vendors means many choices for shoppers!
Enjoy hot pancakes, bacon, eggs and free coffee. Sunday mornings at the Northside Farmers Market 8:30 am to 12:30 pm. On opening day, May 2nd, we will enjoy freshly prepared Mexican food as a way to celebrate Cinco de Mayo. Kids at the market will take swings at the treasure-filled piñata at 11 am. If you would like to become a part of the corp of volunteers, make yourself known at the information table or contact nfmmanager@yahoo.com or at our website www.northsidefarmersmarket.org. The Northside Farmers Market happens every Sunday morning from 8:30am – 12:30pm from May to October at the Northside TownCenter, on the corner of Sherman Avenue and Northport Drive, across from Warner Park.
LEARN ABOUT MADISON ARCHITECTS
Conover & Porter
Madison’s Premier 19th Century Architects
An illustrated talk by Architectural Historian Gary Tipler.
Thursday, May 27, 7 p.m.
Holy Redeemer School, 120 W. Johnson, just north of State StreetFollowing an accomplished career in science, mathematics and engineering, Allan Darst Conover taught engineering and building construction at the University of Wisconsin in the 1880s. He became interested in architecture with the construction of Science Hall in 1884, with which he helped architect Henry Koch of Milwaukee. The following year, Conover started practicing architecture while he continued teaching, when he took on Lew Porter, a talented former student as a partner in an architecture firm. Together the firm designed scores of city, county, state and federal buildings, schools, banks, commercial buildings, churches and residences through 1899, when they dissolved their partnership. Their firm was a training ground for Frank Lloyd Wright, Louis Claude and Alvin Small, among others, who became architects of some importance.
Conover & Porter’s office was based in Madison, though they had offices in Ashland in 1887-1889, and for a short time in Baraboo during the early 1890s.
The program will be profusely illustrated with projected images of photos and postcards of buildings designed by the firm. Additions and contributions of stories and photos are welcomed.
The event is free and open to the public. The talk will be held in the third floor auditorium. This historic building does not have an elevator. However, there is parking available on site or across Johnson St. in the city ramp. The program is sponsored by Capitol Neighborhoods, Inc. For more information contact either:
Ledell Zellers (ledell.zellers@gmail.com or 231-1526) or Julie Wurl-Koth (knittingjulie@gmail.com).
TRANSPORTATION SURVEY
Eh, why not. Who knows where the results might end up getting used.
A Survey for Assessing Regional Transportation Needs
Dear Local Travelers,
We are a group of University of Wisconsin-Madison graduate students who wish to assess the transportation needs in the Greater Madison Area. Under the direction of Dr. Jessica Guo, Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering professor, we kindly request you to participate in this survey. Your responses to this survey will assist us to communicate residents’ needs to local transportation decision makers as they work toward improving our transportation systems. The survey is anonymous and no personal identifying information is collected. The responses from all participants will be summarized by geographic and socioeconomic categories before being made public.
Please click on the link below to participate in this survey, which takes no more than 15 minutes to complete.
http://uwmadison.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_1AdMfDmuNTJ9IO0&SVID=Prod
If you need assistance in filling out the survey, please don’t hesitate to contact us at 608-890-3027.
When you call, please leave us a message with your name, phone number and a good time for us to call you back. We will then go through the survey questions with you over the phone and fill out the survey on your behalf. If you have any other questions regarding the survey, you can also contact us by email at travelneedssurvey@mailplus.wisc.edu.
Please complete the survey by April 30th, 2010.
Your participation in this survey is much appreciated and will be a valuable way to influence the transportation investment decisions being made in our region.
Sincerely,
Kaushik Bekkem
Shang-Ching (Sean) Kuei
Mamata Shrestha
Tony Smick
Edwin Toledo-Duran
