My Monona December Edition

December 21, 2022

Bloom Development Update

The Monona City Council approved the Rezoning, Certified Survey Map and General Development Plans for the Bloom development along Monona Drive at their December 5 meeting. Encompassing the block bound by Springhaven Avenue to the north and W. Dean Avenue to the south, the project plans include 83 apartment units and 10 townhomes. In addition, the project will include ground floor commercial space along Monona Drive, with BMO Harris Bank a confirmed anchor and plans to add a restaurant/café as well as a business incubator space. The project will include a number of sustainability elements, and seeks SITES certification. Final plans will be considered by the City’s Plan Commission and City Council in early 2023.

Winter Solstice Event

Wednesday, Dec. 21, 2022 marks the Winter Solstice, the astronomical first day of winter and the shortest day of the year. On this day, the sun takes its lowest and shortest path across the sky with the fewest hours of sunlight. Sunset is 4:25 PM.

The San Damiano shoreline offers the picture-perfect place to capture this setting sun. The solstice has been celebrated since ancient times by cultures around the planet. Join the City of Monona and the Friends of San Damiano, as we co-host a Winter Solstice celebration with a bonfire, hot chocolate, and tours of the Frank Allis house from 6:00 to 8:00 PM.

If there is snow on the ground, snowshoeing will be available. Colder weather is anticipated, so dress warmly. You are welcome to bring lawn chairs to sit near the fire.

There is no cost however, donations to the FOSD are appreciated!

Parking is limited, if driving, you may drop passengers off then park on Winnequah Rd. or local streets. Handicapped and elderly parking will be available along the driveway.

2023 Operating Budget Approved

On November 21, the City Council approved the 2023 operating budget. Monona’s 2023 tax rate will decrease 3.02% from $6.57 in 2022 to $6.36 per $1,000 of property value.

The amount of increase or decrease in residents’ city share of property taxes is dependent on whether the assessed value of their property increased, decreased, or remained the same in 2022. The city’s portion of property tax bills is about 34% for 2023.

More details about the budget were included with your recent property tax bill. Click here for an explanation of how Monona’s assessor determines the value of your property.

Madison Metro Proposal

Madison Metro’s proposal to provide bus service to Monona, replacing the Monona Lift and Express, is still under consideration. At their December 14 meeting, the Transit Commission discussed a draft survey which will be made available in January or February, to solicit additional input regarding the proposal.

Click here for more information about the proposal as well as to submit comments.

Christmas Tree Pick-Up

Put a note on your calendar that Christmas trees will be collected in Monona during the week of January 16. Residents should place their trees on the curb by 7 am on Monday the 16th so they’re not missed as the crew will only go through the city once. The

trees are run through a woodchipper, so be sure to remove all ornaments, lights

and plastic tree bags beforehand. And finally, please make sure that your

tree is not buried in snow so it's visible to the collection crews.

Public Safety Building Update

In February, 2022 the city contracted with FGM Architects for a feasibility study of a proposal to build a new public safety facility in the parking lot behind city hall. In September, FGM submitted their final report which determined that building a facility on the site was possible. At their September 19, 2022 meeting the City Council unanimously approved moving forward with the project and preparing language for an advisory referendum.

After exploring the possibility of going to an advisory referendum regarding the building in April 2023, the Mayor, in consultation with the Council, recently decided to wait until April, 2024 for a variety of reasons. Chief among them was the lack of time available to prepare for a referendum when the question had to be determined by January, 2023. In addition, the city plans to put forth an operating referendum question at the same time and needs time to determine the specifics of that question as well.

During 2023, the city plans to do an in-depth evaluation of proposed building costs as well as some value engineering of the proposed design in order to lessen the eventual cost. The Mayor and city staff will also work to determine what needs to be included in an operating referendum.

Finally, with the help of a consultant, city staff will design a communication plan to ensure that residents are well-informed about both referendum questions.

Spring Election

Candidates interested in running for local office in the April 4, 2023 election are currently circulating nomination papers which are due by 5 pm on January 3. The position of Mayor will be on the ballot along with three city council positions, those currently held by Doug Wood, Kathy Thomas, and Nancy Moore. In addition, two school board seats will also be on the ballot – those currently held by Elizabeth Cook and Susan Fox. Interested residents can pick up a packet of materials for the city office at Monona City Hall and at the school district offices on Monona Drive for the school board.

Red Cross Annual Blood Drive - December 23

The Red Cross will hold their annual blood drive at the Alliant Center on December 23, from 7am – 1 pm. More information can be found here.

Bungalowen added to National Register of Historic Places

*Photo courtesy of the Wisconsin Historical Society

The Ray S. and Theo P. Owen House at 5805 Winnequah Road, also known as the Bungalowen, was added to the National Register of Historic Places on October 25, 2022. The Bungalowen was built as a wood-shingled summer cottage in 1911 by Ray Owen, a UW-Madison engineering professor. It was designed by the architects James and Edward Law and exemplifies the craftsmen-style bungalows of the period. In 1932, the Owens built a new house, designed by Theron Mandeville Woolson, connected to the smaller cottage. The exterior of the new addition featured horizontal wood paneling, wood shingles, and a large brick chimney. The house’s interior was filled with rustic details, including stained shiplap walls, exposed treated beams, oak floors, and a native limestone fireplace designed by Philip Volk.

The Bungalowen’s nomination to the register was funded by Certified Local Government grant funding, as requested by the City’s Landmarks Commission. Learn more about the Bungalowen by visiting the Wisconsin Historical Society. The National Register of Historic Places is the official list of preservation-worthy historic properties in America. It is administered nationally by the National Park Service, and by the Wisconsin Historical Society within Wisconsin.

Loud in the Library

Monona Public Library Fundraiser

The 7th Annual Loud in the Library fundraising event will be held at the library, 1000

Nichols Road, Monona, on January 28 from 7-11 pm. Loud in the Library:C’Mon Down!

will feature a Price is Right theme with live music presented by the Monona Based band

Slow Burn, savory and sweet treats, a cash bar featuring beer & wine and an evening of fun to support the Monona Public Library.

Other activities include classic Price is Right games, a 50/50 raffle, James the Magician, and a photo booth. Fabulous bucket raffles and a final showcase showdown will cap off the evening. It is going to be a great event celebrating our fantastic library and supporting future projects!

Over the years this event has funded various building improvement projects. The most

recent project sponsored by Loud in the Library was painting the pillars in the parking

lot. They brighten the space and celebrate the entrance to our beautiful building.

We are thrilled to thank our presenting Sponsor- Monona Bank We are looking for

more great Monona businesses to sponsor this event, for more information on

sponsorship contact the library.

Tickets are $30 per person in advance. They may be purchased now at the library or

online.

Shop with a Cop

Shop With a Cop is a program where select children from the Monona Grove School District get the opportunity to go holiday shopping for their entire family with officers from Monona PD. The entire event is fundraised through donations by community members or businesses… and this year there were a total of seven families who participated and each family got a shopping budget of $350!

Each child is paired up with an officer(s) and gets taken to Walmart, here in Monona, and gets to select gifts for the family. Once the gifts are selected and purchased they get to wrap their gifts at Walmart with help from officers and Walmart Staff before they are taken back home. This event did not have a set date and was completed throughout the course of December whenever it worked with the officer and child’s family.

Monona Public Works is Salt Wise

Monona’s Public Works snow and ice maintenance crews have participated annually in Salt Wise training hosted by Madison Metropolitan Sewerage District, which was put on by Wisconsin Salt Wise.

Residents may not know that the City’s Public Works crews do not perform ice and snow maintenance along Monona Drive and Broadway Avenue as these are County highways, and snow and ice maintenance is County responsibility along these routes. The City’s crews apply salt at higher trafficked intersections and on steep slopes. Salt is typically not applied to long straight runs of streets per City guidelines. During larger snow events the City can and will declare a snow emergency that restricts street parking. Please visit the City’s website for more information on snow emergencies and parking restrictions.

When weather conditions are right for brine application, the City will apply it as a preventative measure, especially at busy intersections and on steep slopes. Typically, conditions that allow for useful brine application are 25-34 degrees and applying it before a precip event occurs. If temps begin to fall below 25 degrees most solutions of salt brine can become ice. Brine application does not occur when there are larger precip events, typically anything over 2+ inches. The City does pre-wet its rock salt using a brine solution to activate it, which makes it work faster and more effectively, allowing crews to salt less. For more information on the City’s snow and ice maintenance please visit click here.

Mailboxes can incur damage during snow removal, especially if the event brings heavy wet snow. If your mailbox is damaged during a snow event due to the City’s snow removal operations, please contact the City’s Public Works Department. For more information, please take a look at the City’s guidelines for Mailbox Placement and Damage Policy.

If you are looking for more information on being Salt Wise it can be found on the Wisconsin Salt Wise website. They also provide a list of WI Salt Wise Applicators, which are contractors who have been certified through training and testing by WI Salt Wise.