 |
| Celebrating Spring April gave us plenty of showers to produce an abundance of beautiful May flowers. Thankfully, the rain was nowhere in sight on April 12 during the spring cleaning event in the neighborhood of Misty Valley, Crane’s Nest, and Middleton Ridge. The annual event is organized by residents to spruce up their neighborhood for spring, with volunteers gathering up garbage and dog feces around Graber Pond, the Misty Valley stormwater ponds, the Middleton Ridge Park, and along High Road, Belle Fontaine Boulevard, and other streets. Many thanks to the good neighbors in the picture below for devoting part of a spring Saturday to this important public service. If other District 6 residents are inspired to follow their lead and organize neighborhood cleanups, the city can help out with bags and gloves. Contact me if you have any questions or would like to organize a cleanup.  This month, the city has three sustainability-related celebrations planned. On May 7 at 4 pm,the city will mark the 10th anniversary of the Middleton Recycling Center, located at 4330 Parmenter Street. If you’ve never been there, definitely check out the MRC and its services because we’re really lucky to have such a great resource in Middleton. One week later, on May 14 from from 4 to 5:30 pm, Middleton will host a “Charge Up Dane County” open house on electric vehicles, or EVs, and EV charging. Located on the 4th floor of the Aviary at Middleton Market, the event will help attendees learn about the benefits of driving EVs and will give them an opportunity to share ideas for where Dane County should locate new EV charging stations. Wrapping up the month, the city will hold one of its periodic paper shredding events on May 30. “Shred It, Don’t Dread It” will take place in the parking lot next to the Middleton Public Library from 3 to 5 pm. Looking ahead to June, Middleton once again will be taking part in Bike Week during the first week of June. The week will kick off with a Community Bike Ride on Sunday, June 1, at 3 pm starting at Stone Horse Green. This will be a fun, casual ride, family friendly, so all are welcome. After the ride, one of Madison Metro’s new BRT buses will be at the green so that people can learn about how to use the BRT system, both with and without their bikes. I’m mentioning this now so that you all can mark your calendars for June 1. A full list of events for the week will be posted on the Madison Bike Week website. One other way to celebrate spring (or any season, for that matter) is — in the immortal words of civil rights icon John Lewis (pictured below) — to get into some “good trouble.” If you’re like me and you’re concerned about what’s happening in our country, consider becoming part of the growing group of Middleton residents who gather every Saturday at the corner of Park and University. From from 12 – 1 pm, these residents stand at the corner with signs to peacefully protest the threats to our democracy. While some of the people driving through the intersection are quick to respond with their opposing viewpoints, the vast majority of the passers-by wave, honk, or cheer in solidarity. It’s a great way to let others know they aren’t alone and that resistance is possible. There’s no registration, no official group to join — just show up during the noon hour on a Saturday, if you’re interested. There’s even a sign-making station nearby for anyone who needs it. I plan to be there regularly, so if you do come by, please stop and say hello. I wish everyone the best during the month of May, especially all the people who will be honored or honoring loved ones on Mother’s Day and Memorial Day.  Big Changes Coming for Public Works This spring is ushering in several changes in Middleton’s Public Works Department. Long-time director and city engineer Shawn Stauske will be retiring tomorrow, although starting next week, he’ll spend some time helping his successor Benjamin John with the transition. Ben comes to Middleton from Sun Prairie, where he has been Public Works Operations Director, overseeing a budget of $14.5 million and leading a team of 30 staff. His new position as Middleton Public Works Director actually marks a return to the city for Ben since he was an intern in our Planning Department 10 years ago. Ben’s first day on the job will be May 5. As I reported last month, Erik Sorensen has left the position of City Engineer and Stormwater Utility Manager. Taking Erik’s place is Luke Melotik, who comes to us from the Department of Transportation and, before that, infrastructure-consulting firm AECOM, where he did a lot of work for the City of Verona. Luke is a professional engineer and graduated from UW Green Bay with a degree in environmental engineering technology. One of Luke’s responsibilities is overseeing the city’s Stormwater Utility, which now has two new staff positions thanks to the referendum that residents passed in November last year. Jeff Madigan, a 23-year veteran of Middleton’s streets crew, is now the city’s new Stormwater Utility Foreman. Rich Weihert, former Engineering Technician, is the new Stormwater Utility Technician. I’m eager to see how these two new dedicated stormwater positions will improve Middleton’s ability to manage stormwater to protect property, important habitat, and our water resources. As readers might guess, all these changes could impact the schedule for Public Works projects planned for 2025. Priorities for the year include projects to be funded using money from Tax Increment District, or TID, #3. The reconstruction of Parmenter Street and the construction of a new Cayuga Connector multipurpose path depend on funds from the TID, and September is the deadline for incurring project costs. I hope the design for High Road reconstruction will also take place this year as planned. If the schedule for High Road changes, I’ll let readers know. In other Public Works-related news, District 6 residents who use Pheasant Branch Road no doubt have noticed that parking near the Pheasant Branch Conservancy has reached a new peak. The arrival of spring weather and the hatching of an eaglet have brought large numbers of visitors to the conservancy, many of whom want to check out the viewing scope down the hill from the parking lot by Gaylord Nelson Road. While people have traditionally parked on the east or northbound side of Pheasant Branch Road during busy times, now they’re squeezing into the already-full parking lot and also parking on the west or southbound side of the road. I’ve also seen cars parked between mailboxes on Pheasant Branch and very close to the signaled crosswalk at Gaylord Nelson, which makes it really hard for pedestrians and drivers to see each other. In April, I asked the Public Works Committee to address this growing problem. I hoped the city would post “no parking” signs and also way-finding signs to direct people to safer parking areas like the two large parking lots to the north or to street parking on Whittlesey Road or in Middleton Hills. So far, the outcome of that discussion has been cones placed in the parking lot on the hill to prevent parking where it isn’t allowed and also a notice sent by the city urging people to take various steps to “be respectful” when they park for their visit to the conservancy. I would have phrased that message differently to explain that, as the Public Works Committee discussed, parking with 4 feet of mailboxes or within 15 feet of a crosswalk is illegal. At the meeting, I suggested the Police Department be invited to attend the Friends of Pheasant Branch Conservancy’s Eagle Watch Day on May 16 to help educate visitors about legal and safe parking practices at the conservancy. I hope the Public Works Committee will continue the discussion and that the city will take additional measures to improve parking safety at the conservancy. I welcome feedback from District 6 residents on this topic. Stormwater and Water Resources At our April 1 meeting, Council approved the 2nd and final reading of the changes to Middleton’s stormwater ordinance. In my April newsletter, I covered Council’s extensive discussion of the changes — all of them related to the fees-in-lieu program — that took place at our March 18 meeting when we approved the first reading. In contrast, on April 1, the second reading passed without discussion by a vote of 6 to 1. The Water Resources Management Commission, or WRMC, still has to complete a thorough review and update of the stormwater ordinance, which is on our list of things to do this year. Next Tuesday, I hope my colleagues on the Finance and Personnel Committee will tap me to continue serving on the WRMC in the coming year. In other news related to stormwater, both the Plan Commission and Council approved the final plat for the Pheasant Crossing development last month. On April 15, Council also approved the city-developer agreement for the new subdivision, which will be located between Graber Pond and Pheasant Branch Road. The plat generated some comments from the Friends of Pheasant Branch Conservancy. Representing the Friends, co-president Hans Hilbert provided a public comment at the Council meeting. An article in the April 24 Times Tribune seemed to characterize his comments as “opposition,” but it’s important to note that the Friends have not opposed any of the new housing developments in District 6. Their concerns are related to the impact of increased stormwater runoff on Pheasant Branch Conservancy. More runoff is anticipated not only because of increased development but because climate change is making storms both stronger and more frequent. All developments in Middleton need to comply with our stormwater ordinance, and Pheasant Crossing is no exception. The preliminary stormwater management plan that the WRMC reviewed in November 2024 would comply with the ordinance. The final plat is different than the original one, however, so the final stormwater management plan may change. What will not change is the requirement that the plan meet the standards in our ordinance. One of the concerns expressed by the Friends is that, within Pheasant Crossing, most of the lands that have been zoned “Conservancy” will remain privately owned by the Ziegler family, not by Veridian, the developer. This includes a large natural wetland north of the Whittlesey Road path, which is degraded partly because of past ditching that made the land more suitable for farming. This area is also receiving increased runoff from Redtail Ridge and Misty Valley, and ultimately could be affected by flooding in Graber Pond. If Veridian were to own the wetland and other outlots, as they’re called, the city could negotiate for the dedication of these lands to the public or else require that they be restored and maintained as conservancy lands. But the parcels won’t be owned by Veridian, so that limits the city’s ability to make sure these lands are properly managed. And that, in turn, increases the chances that runoff could have an impact on Pheasant Branch Conservancy. The city is aware of the Friends’ concerns and is looking at ways to mitigate the possible impacts on the conservancy. I live in the neighborhood just south of this area, so the situation is concerning to me, too. I voted for both the plat and the city-developer agreement because I know we need more housing in Middleton and Pheasant Crossing will bring much-needed single-family homes. I also trust that the development will comply with our stormwater ordinance. Going above and beyond isn’t something the city can require, but we can take action ourselves to reduce the potential harm to the conservancy. I’m coordinating with the city staff and the Friends to look for ways to do just that. For a really good walkthrough of this area and the role these wetlands play in the hydrology of the larger “Graber Greenway,” I recommend checking out this article by Ken Wiesner posted on the Friends of Pheasant Branch Conservancy website. Affordable Housing Extension Approved I’m very pleased to report that, at our April 15 meeting, Council approved Resolution 2025-12 extending the life of Tax Increment District #3 for one year and committing to use up to 75% of the final year’s increment to benefit affordable housing. The total tax increment for that final year is expected to be around $11 million, which should give the city a lot of options. The state doesn’t require that the money be spent during a particular timeframe, and we can use the funds to support affordable housing anywhere in the city, not just in the area inside TID #3. As I’ve been reporting all this year, the Workforce Housing Committee (WHC) is teaming up with the Community Development Authority (CDA) to develop an Affordable Housing Action Plan to recommend to Council in early 2026. Our goal is to have the plan ready for Council approval at the same time that the TID will officially be closed and the funding becomes available in a new affordable housing fund. In April, WHC and CDA organized two subcommittees to work on the action plan and related activities. One subcommittee will focus on the strategy and financial aspects of the plan, while the other will focus on education and outreach to the community, businesses, and potential partners. I have been reappointed to the Workforce Housing Committee, so I’ll be serving on the Strategy & Finance Subcommittee. The tentative timeline is for the two subcommittees to meet outside our regular WHC and CDA meetings from May through December to conduct research and draft the action plan. In December, we’ll prepare to present our preliminary draft plan at Council’s Committee of the Whole meeting in January. To assist with our research and publicly share what we’re learning, staff has started a city webpage on Housing Education. Right now the page includes a number of presentations, reports, and data. I particularly recommend the League of Wisconsin Municipalities “More Housing Wisconsin” papers and accompanying presentations for good information on a variety of housing-related topics. Ideas for Community Campus Plan Shared On April 17, the city’s Community Campus Committee met to hear from consultants SEH, EUA, and Findorff about the options for renovating or replacing our aging downtown city facilities — specifically, City Hall, the Senior Center, and Middleton Public Library. Council will be focusing on this topic at our next Committee of the Whole meeting on May 7 starting at 6 pm in City Hall. I attended the CCC meeting so I’d be better prepared for the discussion on the 7th. Here is a brief summary of what I learned, as well as the questions and concerns I have about the campus project. The presentation by the consultants identified six options for consideration. Two involved just building renovation without expansion or new construction. Both of these options would fail to meet current space needs, much less the space we’ll need for future community growth. Options 3-6 would use renovation, expansion, and/or new construction to meet the projected space needs. The amount of new construction increases from Option 3 to 6, with Option 6 entailing all new buildings and demolition of the current library and City Hall (the current Senior Center building would be repurposed or sold). Not surprisingly, as the amount of new construction increases, so does the cost. Looking just at the options that would meet our space needs, the “conceptual estimate” for Option 3 is $87.4 million and the costs increase up to $135.8 million for Option 6. For a project with costs of this magnitude, the city would borrow money by selling municipal bonds. For comparison, we borrow a little over $4 million each year for new capital projects.  There’s a lot to like about the work that the CCC has been doing. I think it’s great that we’re exploring ways to make sure we can continue to meet the need for city services as our community grows. Forward-looking thinking like that is critical for having a functioning city government well into the future. As someone who spends time in all three facilities each week, I completely agree that we need to replace our existing facilities with modern, functional spaces that are big enough to serve current and projected future needs. Despite these positives, I left the meeting wondering about a few things. First, I’m not sure I see the benefit of putting the Library and City Hall or City Hall and the Senior Center into one building. Would they just be next door to one another and not connected internally? Are there examples in other cities where this kind of arrangement is working well? Also, given the expense of the entire project, I wondered whether it would be possible to break the work into chunks. For example, could we renovate and expand the Senior Center and the library, then move City Hall staff into the newly added spaces while an entirely new City Hall is built? The thing that concerns me most is that the consultants appear to have treated sustainability as an add-on, not an integral part of the project. Five years ago, Council approved the sustainability recommendations for the campus, which were prepared by Kelly Hilyard, the city’s extremely knowledgeable sustainability coordinator. These recommendations do not appear to have been included in the options as a “must-have” component but rather presented as a “nice-to-have” optional expense estimated at $5 million. In addition, the cost estimates don’t reflect the lifecycle costs of the buildings, including both construction and the utilities needed to run them. I think it’s a mistake not to factor in the potential future cost savings from, for example, solar panels when we consider our options for this project. After all, Council approved the city’s Sustainable Purchasing Policy and the implementation plan that the Sustainability Committee prepared. How can we require city staff to consider lifecycle costs for their purchases and projects but not expect the same of ourselves when it comes to new buildings that will last for generations? The consultants indicated that the cost estimates reflect buildings designed to a LEED Silver standard. While this might sound good, it’s important to remember that we’re a LEED Gold City. What are we expected to do to maintain that status? What should we expect of ourselves? I think we should strive for at least LEED Gold design, if not Platinum. The post on the city’s website about the recycling center’s anniversary quotes Mayor Kuhn as saying, “Middleton is not just a city that recycles — we are a city that leads and cares about the future.” If we really are a city that leads and cares about the future — and I believe we are — we should demonstrate this by investing only in a civic campus that meets very high standards for sustainability. As for how the city would pay for any of the options, Finance Director Bill Burns gave a very good presentation on the city’s current debt, projections for the future, and the fiscal impacts of the various campus project options. I won’t relate here all the details Bill provided on the city’s current debt service levy, state-required limits on municipal debt, and Middleton’s debt management policy. (Do watch the video if you’re interested.) The key points I took from Bill’s presentation are 1) the city doesn’t borrow nearly as much as we could for capital projects like road construction and other public works, 2) from next year through 2033, the amount we spend to pay off debt is going to decrease significantly as we finish paying for the Middleton Operations Center, the Police Department, and our Fire and EMS facilities; 3) the pending closure of TID #3 will have the result of reducing our debt service even further by adding more taxable property to the city’s total; and 4) perhaps most important to readers, the estimated increase in annual property taxes on the average home in Middleton would peak at between $498 and $767 for the options that meet our space needs. As I mentioned, Council will be hearing directly from the consultants at our Committee of the Whole meeting on May 7. If you’d like to attend, the meeting will start in Council Chambers at 6 pm and also will be live streamed. We are months away from any decisions on which option to pursue and how to finance the work. In addition to Council meetings, I anticipate there will be other opportunities for residents to weigh in on the options and to share any concerns about costs. This project is clearly a big deal for the city, so I’ll be following it closely and will share updates in this newsletter. As always, I welcome your feedback. Thank you! Thank you for reading “E-News on 6.” Feel free to email me or call/text me at 608.630.7500 if you need help with a city matter, want to relay your thoughts on an issue, or have questions about city decisions and my votes. I’m not active on social media, so the best way to reach out to me about anything official is by phone or using my district email. If you find this newsletter helpful, I hope you’ll share it with friends, family, and neighbors who live anywhere in Middleton. Just please make sure to ask them not to unsubscribe you and not to report this email as spam. Thanks! Not receiving this free e-newsletter directly? Sign up here. Important Stuff to Know I produce this newsletter all on my own, at my own initiative, to help District 6 residents stay informed. This is not an official city publication, I don’t speak for the city, and producing this newsletter isn’t one of my official responsibilities as a member of the Common Council. If you’d like to reproduce or create new content from this material, please ask me first and make sure to cite the source. Image credits: – Spring Cleanup: Lisa Janairo – Meeting John Lewis at my daughter’s graduation: Ed Janairo – Community Campus Plan options: Presentation to CCC |