More than 120 Madison residents showed up to brainstorm ideas and help shape the future of their community during the Madison Community Event on February 6th, 2023. Thoughts and ideas stemmed from the results of the Madison Community Survey which garnered over 300 responses. UMVRDC staff, along with the City of Madison and the Madison Comprehensive Plan Taskforce, facilitated the meeting.
The meeting was started off by City Manager, Val Halverson, identifying accomplishments since the last community meeting in 2017. Some of these included the creation of the Madison Arts Council, public bathrooms, Little Eagles childcare and much more. During small group activities, attendees discussed Madison’s assets and how they can be promoted as well as challenges and how they can be overcome. Common assets identified were the school, healthcare system, and small town atmosphere. Common challenges identified were housing, childcare funding, and welcoming diversity. During this activity, there was excellent discussion among neighbors and great ideas that were born. Next, attendees were given a “blank check” and were asked to write down what project/idea/thing they would like to see happen in Madison if money was not an issue. These “checks,” as well as the many comments and conversations, were collected and will be reviewed and considered when the City and UMVRDC staff move forward in updating the Madison Comprehensive Plan.
Community Survey ResultsSmall Group Activity Results
