Media Digest July 25th 2017

Development

Developers oppose the increase in fees that could be imposed on new buildings that need to be connected to sewer lines. Plans are in the works for a huge new development on the west side. Kwik Trip is expanding into Madison after buying PDQ stores. A development team is eyeing a location on King St. for a boutique hotel. A pair of Madison property owners is renovating old houses into new apartment units.

Government

The city council will soon decide on proposed moped parking restrictions. Madison School District is looking for ways to fund their backlog of maintenance needs; a number of construction projects are already underway. A committee has delayed a vote on how best to study the structure of Madison’s city government. After objections from vendors, Madison will change the food cart review process. City officials have dropped their bid to rename a city-county building after President Obama.

Community

Violence in downtown Madison is worse than ever despite police efforts to curtail it. City council member Barbara Harrington-McKinney is starting an initiative to help residents reclaim their neighborhoods in the wake of a spike in gun violence. Madison’s YWCA welcomed its first African-American female executive officer. Madison nonprofits are repurposing discarded excess medical supplies. A Madison man is biking for 24 hours straight in order to draw attention to the plight of refugees and immigrants.