Common Council
Tuesday, July 1, 6:30 p.m.
Room 201 of the City-County Building
The Madison Common Council once again takes up the question of whether to fully wrap Madison Metro buses in advertising. Passengers complain that the wraps make it hard to see and people with disabilities have noted that guide dogs don't recognize buses when they're wrapped in a Miller Lite ad.
Ald. Jed Sanborn, however, likes the extra revenue the wrapped buses bring into the city's coffers. He's proposing the city permanently wrap 20 buses, which would bring in $300,000 in 2009 and $400,000 in 2010. Ald. Satya Rhodes-Conway has offered a compromise: allow half-wraps on 40 buses that cover some, but not all, bus windows, and unlimited partial wraps that wouldn't cover any windows. Her proposal would bring in $225,000 a year.
The council will also take up Tom Heikkinen's appointment as the new Water Utility manager and adopt the new neighborhood plans for Regent Street and Greenbush.
Common Council Organizational Committee
Tuesday, July 1, 4:30 pm.
Room 103A of the City-County Building
Let's say you want to contact your alder, but you don't want there to be a public record of it. You have two options: try to get the alder on the phone -- or send a text message.
The city of Madison keeps copies of all e-mail and paper correspondence, but it does not archive text or instant messages. It considers text messaging to be the equivalent of a phone conversation. Sounds like a major loophole in the state's open records law. The committee's discussion should clarify that the city doesn't regard instant messages or texts as public records worth keeping.
Health & Human Needs
Tuesday, July 1, 5 p.m.
Room 309 of the City-County Building
The committee takes up a countywide smoking ban. All the cool kids are banning it.
Economic Development Commission
Wednesday, July 2, 5 p.m.
Room LL-110 of the Madison Municipal Building
The EDC takes a final look at the city of Madison's new economic development plan.
