Madison Media Digest: Public Money, Non-profits and Community

Here’s what we were reading while wondering whether those pushing civil service changes have ever seen Good Will Hunting.

Public Money

The City Council’s finance committee amended Mayor Paul Soglin’s proposed city budget to add funds for employee pay and social services, slightly raising its price tag. Madison will invest $3M in affordable housing. Madison Metro Transit lost out on a federal grant that would have paid for a new bus storage facility, which would have allowed it to add vehicles and expand service. A new arena at the Alliant Energy Center would be the centerpiece of a proposed $500M redevelopment. Dane County Executive Joe Parisi opposes the plan. The State Journal supports the renovation but balked at $100M in public financing the proposal calls for. Dane County allocated funds for a criminal justice analyst position in order to study racial disparities. 

Non-profits

Domestic Abuse Intervention Services, in conjunction with a group of partners, unveiled a texting help line for victims of domestic abuse. Months after a dental clinic serving individuals with special needs closed, a replacement is nowhere in sight. The Madison Times profiled Mentoring Positives, a nonprofit that serves at-risk youth. Goodwill of Madison has grown its ability to serve the public over the last 45 years. Madison ReStore is being overwhelmed by unusable donations delivered after hours.

Community

Jonathan Gramling thinks the city has reached a moment for moving forward on racial disparity. The Madison School Board adopted a plan aimed at improving services for students who come from homes where English is not spoken.  Madison Area Technical College is still considering selling its downtown campus as part of a plan to expand operations on the South Side. The Cap Times profiled the East Johnson Street neighborhood. Should UW-Madison be doing more to help students vote? East Side residents are concerned about a Department of Administration demolition project and feel they are not getting answers. Chris Rickert thinks this is just a convenient opportunity to beat up on unpopular state government. Detroiter Lauren Winfrey is a new journalist at WMTV (Ch. 15). The Devil’s Advocates radio show brings local political debate to Madison radio. Mosaics are starting to appear around Madison as part of road projects. A developer updated retail plans for a proposed development in Grandview Commons on the Far East Side.