June, 2024
2024 Sun Prairie Juneteenth Celebration
The Sun Prairie Juneteenth Planning Committee is excited to announce that the annual Juneteenth Celebration will be held on Wednesday, June 19 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Wetmore Park. This event is centered on celebrating the emancipation of the last enslaved Black and African American people in Galveston, Texas on June 19, 1865. This celebration will include a variety of family-friendly activities, performances, cultural vendors, and a free community meal.
The day's lineup will provide a variety of engaging performances, such as poetry readings by Northside Elementary POETICS, a group of students who will share original pieces reflecting themes of freedom, identity, and resilience. Another standout highlight is a Gospel Afrobeat dance performance, offering a rhythmic fusion of traditional and modern African-derived movements. In addition to these confirmed performances, the planning committee is actively exploring and adding additional ones to the event lineup to ensure a variety of enriching experience for all. For attendees interested in activities, there will be an array of family-friendly games, guaranteeing something enjoyable for everyone.
For individuals and organizations interested in reserving space as a vendor or exhibitor, please contact Teran Peterson at tpeterson@cityofsunprairie.com.
The planning team continues to seek sponsorship for this event. Businesses and organizations interested in becoming sponsors are encouraged to reach out to Latoya Holiday at latoya.holiday@gmail.com.
For regular updates on the event, please visit https://fb.me/e/1M4lUHc6w
Sun Prairie & The Dane County Regional Housing Strategy
The Dane County Regional Housing Strategy (RHS) is a comprehensive plan aimed at addressing housing challenges and promoting equitable housing opportunities in Dane County.
This strategy involves a collaboration between local government agencies, housing authorities, nonprofit organizations, and community stakeholders to assess housing needs, identify barriers to affordable housing, and develop strategies to increase the availability of affordable housing options for residents of the region.
The RHS includes a regional housing study, and an inventory and assessment of programs, resources and land use tools currently used to develop and preserve affordable/workforce housing.
The City of Sun Prairie has been actively involved in the development of this strategy and exploring ways to impact the multifaceted issues causing a shortage of affordable housing. Learn more about the City's involvement by clicking the graphic below to hear from Becky Binz, Equitable Housing & Development Planner.
To access the Dane County RHS, please click here.
Earth Month Impact Report
Earth Day, observed globally on April 22, serves as a poignant reminder to safeguard and conserve the environment. To recognize this time, the City expanded Earth Day into Earth Month that lasted from March until the end of April. This extended series included a creative lineup of activities and events for the community, connecting to the theme of ‘Make Haste to Reduce Waste’.
Dr. Rose Daily, Sustainability Coordinator, led the planning and implementation for a variety of activities and events to engage the community in the importance of stewarding the environment.
To learn more about Earth Month in Sun Prairie and access the impact report, please click here.
Vision Zero Action Plan
A Vision Zero Action Plan is a comprehensive strategy aimed at eliminating traffic-related fatalities and severe injuries, with the ultimate vision of creating safer roadways for all users. The concept originated in Sweden in the 1990s and has since been adopted by cities and regions around the world.
A Vision Zero Action Plan involves:
- Data Analysis: Studying crash data to pinpoint high-risk areas and common causes, and understand trends in injuries and fatalities.
- Engineering: Introducing road design changes, traffic calming measures, and better infrastructure for pedestrians and cyclists to minimize crashes.
- Education: Launching public awareness campaigns and educational programs to promote safer behavior among road users.
- Enforcement: Stepping up enforcement of traffic laws, targeting behaviors that lead to crashes.
- Evaluation and Monitoring: Regularly assessing the effectiveness of interventions and making adjustments to progress towards zero traffic-related deaths and severe injuries.
Join the City in creating a safer transportation network in Sun Prairie! The City is currently developing a Vision Zero Action Plan to eliminate traffic fatalities.
To learn more about this plan, click the graphic below for the interview with Tom Veith, Engineering Director.
Take the survey to share your experiences with roadway safety issues and the changes you'd like to see. Your feedback will shape an inclusive and effective plan that reflects Sun Prairie's needs and values.
Drop-Off Recycling Opportunities
In an effort to continue Earth Month's theme of 'Make Haste to Reduce Waste', the City of Sun Prairie is excited to unveil new drop-of recycling opportunities!
The following commonly used items that are not recyclable curbside can be dropped off at City Hall for recycling:
- Oral care products (toothbrushes, toothpaste tubes, dental floss containers)
- Used socks
- Makeup products (compacts, mascara tubes, eyeliner pencils, lipstick tubes, bottles)
- Writing utensils (pens, pencils, sharpies, markers)
- Shaving razors
Community members are encouraged to begin collecting these items at home to bring them into City Hall for recycling. Collection bins are setup on the 1st floor of City Hall in the front entrance vestibule.
The Sun Prairie Area School District is joining the City in this waste reduction initiative and has set up drop-off sites in some of the local schools.
Administration
Common Council Fills Vacant Seat
At the Tuesday, May 7 Common Council meeting, David Virgell was selected to fill the vacant seat to represent District 4, Wards 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, and 27 in the City of Sun Prairie.
The appointment will be for the time period from the appointment until the next scheduled spring election. The individual appointed is expected to seek candidacy for the elected office being held in a spring election on April 1, 2025. The successful candidate elected will complete the term ending April 15, 2025.
Once recordings from the Committee of the Whole and Common Council meetings are uploaded, this post will be updated with links to those videos.
We greatly appreciate all who submitted an application to fill the vacant seat!
Community Development
Downtown Sun Prairie’s Streets of Sun Prairie Event Schedule
Downtown Sun Prairie is excited to announce their schedule for this year’s Streets of Sun Prairie. The Streets of Sun Prairie is a family-friendly event series on Thursday evenings in Downtown Sun Prairie.
- Thursday, June 13, 5-7pm – Dine in the Dream Park
- Thursday, June 20, 5-7pm – Community Art Making Project (CAMP): Piano Parade
- Thursday, July 25, 5-9pm – Night Market
- Thursday, August 8, 5-7pm – Classic Cars
Follow Downtown Sun Prairie on Facebook and Instagram for event information and updates.
Parks, Recreation and Forestry
Concerts in the Park Series
The Parks, Recreation & Forestry Department’s annual Concerts in the Park summer series kicks off this month! Concerts in the Park is presented by the Bank of Sun Prairie.
Concerts in the Park is every other Tuesday evening at Wetmore Park. Attendees can enjoy food trucks, beer from Working Draft Beer Company and of course, live music!
New this year: Sun Prairie Community Band Pop Ups on July 15, 6:30-7:30pm at Sheehan Park and August 5, 6:30-7:30pm at Wyndham Hills Park. Pack a blanket or lawn chairs and a picnic to enjoy while they perform!
Thank you to our supporting sponsors: Josh Erickson - American Family Insurance Agent, Sun Prairie Moves, Forever Home Real Estate, Andy Eyers – State Farm Insurance Agent, Sun Prairie Utilities and the Sun Prairie Library Foundation.
Follow Sun Prairie Parks, Recreation & Forestry Department on Facebook and Instagram for more information and event updates.
Pop Up Beer Gardens
Join us each month for a Pop Up Beer Garden with Karben4 Brewing! Each month, we will host a beer garden in a different park from 5-8pm. Enjoy local brews, yard games, food trucks and music.
Follow Sun Prairie Parks, Recreation & Forestry Department on Facebook and Instagram for more information and event updates.
Public Safety
Grilling Ordinance
Summer is now here and we are seeing an increase in the number of grills being fired up. We would like to take a minute to remind everyone that grills are not allowed on porches/patios/balconies where one living unit is above another or is above a commercial space (even for storage). If you live in an apartment, grilling most likely is not allowed in your outdoor space. Most apartment buildings do allow you to use an electric grill in place of another grilling device. The full ordinance can be found here.
Public Works
YARD WASTE COLLECTION
Yard waste collection is scheduled for Monday, June 3. Please remember to separate your yard waste and leaves from brush. Brush includes woody material from trees, shrubs, or bushes, while yard waste encompasses leaves, weeds, garden trimmings, and plant debris.
Here are the collection dates for 2024:
Brush Collection Weeks:
-Monday, June 3
-Monday, July 1
-Monday, August 5
-Tuesday, September 3
-Monday, October 7
-Monday, October 28
Yard Waste Collection Weeks:
-Monday, November 4
-Monday, November 25
Please note that once a neighborhood has been collected, crews will not return until the next scheduled collection. If your items have not been picked up within one week, please call Public Works at 608-837-3050 to report a missed collection.
For information, please click here.
Sun Prairie Media Center
Spots Still Open in Media Center’s 2024 Summer Workshops!
You’re in luck . . . there is still room in the Sun Prairie Media Center summer workshops! Some workshops have filled, but there are plenty of great opportunities left to get your kids involved in the Media Center this summer.
If you know of someone aged 9-14 who loves to make videos, movies, or even podcasts and wants help taking their creativity to the next level, then you need to sign them up for these workshops.
Online registration is open now and will close on June 14. But hurry – these classes are filling fast! More information and online registration is available at kids4.tv.
These workshops are designed for budding journalists, filmmakers, actors, and social media influencers who want a fun and creative way to express themselves. Participants will be introduced to media production in a fun, hands-on learning environment that is conveniently located – the Media Center is in the same building as the public library.
Discounted rates for SPMC members are available. More information on memberships is available at sunprairiemediacenter.com/memberships. Scholarships are also available.
See you at the Media Center this summer!
Sun Prairie Utilities
Day of Play at the Explore Children’s Museum
Sun Prairie Utilities (SPU) is partnering with We Energies to sponsor a Day of Play at the Explore Children’s Museum in Sun Prairie!
The Day of Play allows the museum to offer free admission to visitors on the third Thursday of the month, along with extended evening hours.
The museum has a wide range of permanent and rotating exhibits that should spark curiosity for all ages. Children can also participate in guided play, where they direct the play in a setting crafted with educational goals in mind.
Our Day of Play is scheduled for Thursday, June 20, 2024. We hope to see you there!
A Regional Approach to the Housing Crisis
It’s official! A Road Map to Solving the Dane County Housing Crisis: 2024-2028 Strategic Action Plan is now available at rhs.danecounty.gov.
Over 80 stakeholders including 17 Dane County municipalities, elected officials, developers, builders, residents, housing agencies and others went through a year-long strategic planning process to assess current housing efforts, and identify key priorities we could work on together to address the housing crisis in Dane County. This effort resulted in a five-year strategic action plan.
Several key takeaways from the plan:
- The affordability crisis: the shortage of available housing to meet demand has led to increased stress for workers, families, seniors, and young individuals. (Sun Prairie: 35% of renters and 21% of owners spend > 30% of income on housing).
- Challenges faced by historically marginalized groups: Discriminatory housing policies have perpetuated barriers to accessing high-quality housing for historically marginalized groups, contributing to substantial disparities in homeownership rates.
- Balancing affordable housing and land conservation goals: The Capital Area Regional Planning Commission’s Regional Framework supports continued preservation of farmland and concentration of new development within existing centers. Striking a delicate balance between supporting affordable housing and preserving land for conservation is crucial to addressing our housing challenges.
To meet forecasted population and employment growth, Dane County needs to add 7,000 new housing units per year from now through 2040. (Sun Prairie’s target production is 518 units per year (current 5-year average is 414 units/year)
Housing is a regional issue that can’t be solved by one community, business, or organization alone. It will take all of us working together to solve this crisis.
Sun Prairie Public Library Announces Groundbreaking Ceremony
The Sun Prairie Public Library (SPPL) is thrilled to announce the official Groundbreaking Ceremony for the Remodel and Addition Project, slated for Tuesday, June 11 at 8:30 a.m. The event will take place on library grounds at 1350 Linnerud Drive.
At the beginning of the event, attendees will have the opportunity to hear from community leaders and stakeholders as the SPPL enters its “Next Chapter”. The speakers will include Library Director Svetha Hetzler, Library Board President Rex Owens, and SPPL Foundation Executive Director Theresa Stevens. Afterwards, a reception with refreshments will be provided. At 3 p.m., children and families will be invited to engage in various activities, including games, enjoying snow cones, crafting, dancing to music, participating in 'Touch a Truck', and other indoor and outdoor activities at the library. They will also have the opportunity to register for the Summer Reading Program. Following this, at 4:30 p.m., there will be a special kid and family-friendly Groundbreaking event, where children are encouraged to bring their own plastic shovels.
“The Sun Prairie Public Library continues to grow with the community and this project will provide the spaces necessary for evolving collections, programs, and services not only for today but for the next generation,” said Svetha Hetzler, Sun Prairie Public Library Director. “Library staff, Board of Trustees, and stakeholders have been working on this expansion project since 2018 and it is very exciting to bring this very tangible stage to the community.”
Working alongside the SPPL is the Sun Prairie Public Library Foundation. A $3.5 million dollar fundraising effort is underway to support the expansion and renovation of the library. The Foundation offers various opportunities for making a gift, supporting sustainability initiatives, youth programming, education, literacy, music and live performances, local history, and even the saltwater aquarium. Gifts of any size contribute to supporting this ambitious project.
“Modern libraries are so much more than a collection of books, and this project demonstrates a commitment to serving the growing and evolving needs of our community,” said Theresa Stevens, Sun Prairie Public Library Foundation Executive Director.
Specific questions about this project can be directed to Svetha Hetzler, Library Director, via email at shetzler@sunlib.org or by phone at 608-825-0900. To stay up to date on the SPPL Expansion, please visit: https://www.sunprairiepubliclibrary.org/library_expansion
For more information on how to contribute to the Capital Campaign, please visit the SPPL Foundation’s donation page at https://www.sunlibfoundation.org/donate-now
Juneteenth in Sun Prairie
The purpose of this event is to commemorate the emancipation of the last enslaved Black and African American people in Galveston, Texas on June 19, 1865.
We hope to see you there and joining the celebration that will include a community meal, live performances, family-friendly games & activities, and much more!
This event have been planned in partnership by Sun Prairie Community Schools, City of Sun Prairie, Boys and Girls Club of Sun Prairie, the @African American Parent Network, and Sun Prairie Schools.
For regular updates, follow the event page at https://fb.me/e/1M4lUHc6w
Pridefest Celebration
Pride Fest strives to provide a safe and inclusive place where kids feel surrounded by support and love.
Sun Prairie is for everyone.
For more information about the event, please visit the event page here.
StrawberryFest
StrawberryFest is a cherished community event filled with fresh strawberries and great entertainment! Be sure to mark your calendars for Saturday, June 15 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 301 Blankenheim Lane, Sun Prairie, WI. For more information, please visit https://www.colonialclub.org/strawberryfest
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