August 5, 2021
Administration
Get Connected With Us!
We want connect with you so you know what's going on! Check out some of the ways you can get involved and stay in the know of what's going on in your city.
Housing Needs Assessment
The City of Sun Prairie has embarked on a housing needs assessment, working with The Lakota Group, a Chicago-based urban planning and design firm, alongside SB Friedman Development Advisors, a Market and Housing Consulting firm.
The Community Development Authority (CDA) as well as a housing advisory committee will facilitate the Sun Prairie Housing for All assessment. This housing study will provide City staff, elected officials, key stakeholders, and the community a better understanding of the housing market, housing challenges, and current and future unmet needs. The result of this process will focus on strategies that will provide a pathway to address housing challenges and ensure the City of Sun Prairie is taking advantage of opportunities to support housing development at a range of price points and across different housing options. This study will consider ways to manage change and balance community needs, while embracing Sun Prairie’s history and heritage.
As Sun Prairie’s diversity continues to grow, it is necessary to learn about what types of housing best suit the unique needs of different communities. “Addressing the housing needs can only be achieved by listening to all voices in the community and integrating their input,” said Mayor Esser. “We want to serve all community members who currently reside here and those who will one day call Sun Prairie their home.” Intentional engagement will be key in successfully conducting this assessment.
This planning process builds on Sun Prairie’s community pride and celebrates the history and traditions of the City. Since May, the planning team has engaged a number of stakeholders through focus group discussions as well as touring the neighborhoods and engaging with community members on the ground. The team has compiled an existing conditions report that illustrates the current housing situation in Sun Prairie, which has been uploaded to the project website, along with a recording of the most recent CDA meeting.
Different ways to follow the planning process include visiting the project website www.SunPrairieHousingforAll.com and signing up for regular email updates as well as checking the City’s Facebook page for updates posted there. An online survey and community workshops are scheduled to occur between July and August to continue in engagement with the Sun Prairie community in this planning effort.
Our Sponsors Rock!
Thank you to ALL of our sponsors! We did it! Thanks to your generosity, we have hit our sponsorship goal for this year's Multicultural Fair.
Our sponsors include:
-QBE
-Milwaukee Tools | Imperial Blades
-City of Sun Prairie Youth and Families Commission
-Sun Prairie Area School District
Event Details
Don't forget to save the date! The annual event will resume in-person.
The fair honors and celebrates the different cultures in Sun Prairie by bringing the community together for an experience of unique foods, performances, activities, and more.
The first annual event took place in 2019 out of the city’s desire to increase community programming that would bring Sun Prairie’s different identities together in celebration.
The City of Sun Prairie collaborated with community members, leaders, and other partnering agencies for planning and development of the event. It is estimated that about 1,000 individuals attended the 2019 fair throughout the day.
Planning for the 2021 event will continue for the next couple of months. The planning committee is still welcoming vendors, exhibitors, and performers. Interested individuals and organizations can contact Sandy Xiong at sxiong@cityofsunprairie.com
Event specifics include:
Date: Saturday, September 18
Time: 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Location: Sheehan Park (925-1375 Linnerud Drive)
Check out the event Facebook page for regular updates!
Streets of Sun Prairie events! 
The Sun Prairie Business Improvement District is pleased to announce this summer’s Streets of Sun Prairie line-up of Thursday night events taking place in Downtown Sun Prairie:
- August 12, 5:00-8:00PM: Classic Cars and Bluegrass Music on Market Street and Cannery Square, 1 Cannery Square and the corner of Market Street and Main Street
- Road Apples Car Club will be on hand to show off a variety of classic cars. Come on down to chat with the owners about their passion for these amazing automobiles! Please visit https://www.road-apples.org/ for more information.
- Kodey Feiner of the Soggy Prairie band, and Marta Hansen of The Piano Gal Shop, will entertain with bluegrass music!
- Funny Faces Family Entertainment will be on-hand with balloon sculpting.
- Stop by the Explore Children’s Museum pop-up table to say hi!
The Streets of Sun Prairie event series is sponsored in part by the Bank of Sun Prairie.
The Streets of Sun Prairie event series is designed to offer a variety of entertainment and engaging activities throughout Downtown Sun Prairie that hopefully appeals to a wide range of people. We hope that residents and visitors explore Downtown Sun Prairie before and after all of the events.
Follow us on Facebook at Downtown Sun Prairie for more event details! www.facebook.com/downtownsunprairie
Downtown Sun Prairie… we’re having fun down here!
Engineering
Do you know where the rain that washes into storm drains goes? The City of Sun Prairie and its partners are working on educating the public through art in order to tell that story.
The City is participating in the Storm Drain Mural Program, which is led by the Madison Area Stormwater Partnerships (MAMSWaP), Dane County, and Dane Arts Mural Arts (DAMA), to inform the public about the dangers and lasting effects of stormwater pollution into Dane County lakes, rivers and streams.
The priority of the program is to educate future generations about simple actions they can take to protect precious water resources and have them teach others. The art project entails painting a mural around the storm sewer inlets in the parking lot behind Eddie’s Ale House (238 E Main St.). An artist from DAMA will be working with a summer school kids program from the Sun Prairie YMCA of Dane County to assist with the mural painting. They are currently scheduled to paint the mural on Friday, August 13th. If weather prevents the activity from taking place, the rain date is scheduled for Tuesday, August 17th. The image attached is a draft of what the mural will look like.
There are specific requirements that must be met before a painting can begin:
- The storm drain must be surrounded by concrete.
- It must be located near an area with lots of foot or bike traffic to allow for maximum visibility while also considering safety
for viewer and existing traffic paint.
It must be located in an area that can be coned off for a day to paint.
Murals are painted using traffic paint and have a life expectancy of 1-2 years. Recently, the storm drain mural at Westside Elementary School was repainted after its original painting in 2018.
"We think that this is a great educational opportunity to inform the public about issues regarding stormwater pollution," said Tom Vieth, Engineering Director. "In addition to the education, we're excited to involve helping hands from youth and have them engaged in this work".
For more information on the Storm Drain Mural Program, please visit https://ripple-effects.com/storm-drain-murals
Parks, Recreation and Forestry
Recreation Department
SPPRF office is now open: Monday – Friday 8:00am-4:30pm and available by phone at (608) 837-3449 Monday-Friday 8:00am-4:30pm, by email at rec@cityofsunprairie.com, or by appointment as needed.
Reserve your park facility for your private event today! Reservations are available for shelters, gazebos athletic fields and courts and accepted up to one year in advance. Reserve now for your 2022 graduation parties and family reunions. Reservations for 2021 accepted for event dates through September 25, 2021. For a full list of available rentals and to submit a request online visit: Facility Rental Information - Sun Prairie Parks, Recreation & Forestry (cityofsunprairie.com).
Sun Prairie Historical Museum is now Open!
Wednesday – Saturday, 11am-4pm
115 East Main St, Sun Prairie
Fall Fun Guide coming soon!
Available to view online at rec.cityofsunprairie.com starting August 10.
Registration begins August 17, 2021.
Sun Prairie Family Aquatic Center
Open through August 21, 2021!
Parks Update
Playground replacements will be coming soon to Birkenbine and Grandview parks. Demo will tentatively start on 8/23, with completion in early October. For updates check our Facebook page.
WPRA Discount Tickets On Sale through September 3!
Tickets must be purchased in person and payment with cash or card only. 2.5% service fee, or a minimum of $1.95 applied to all credit card transactions. Office hours are Tuesday-Friday 9:00AM-2:00PM or by appointment call 608-837-3449.
Tuesday Night Tunes!
Come and enjoy Tuesday Night Tunes at Wetmore Park (555 North Street).
Free Movies in the Park!
Rec on the Go – Recommended for Ages 5-14
August, Road Trip! – Basic Kit $7
August, Road Trip!– Deluxe Kit $17
We are hitting the road in August for a fun trip around the world. Activities will include crafts, recipes and a passport you can stamp as you travel through our kits.
Non-residents must use curbside pick-up. Pick up and delivery will be available the week of August 23rd. Participants will be emailed when kits are ready so make sure your email address is up to date.
Bedtime Buddies – Ages 2-4
August, I Love You Baby Shark Kit
Bedtime Buddies is designed for toddlers and preschoolers. Each kit will include a stuffed animal kit, book and snack. Each month there will be a different book and matching stuffed animal. Non-residents must pickup - No delivery available. Please make sure your email address is up to date as that is the way you will be contacted about pickup/delivery.
**For more information or to register for these and other Recreation programs please visit the Recreation Department page at rec.cityofsunprairie.com Registration closes online one week prior to the start of class, to register after this date call 608-837-3449.
Public Safety
Citizen's Academy Announcement
The Sun Prairie Police Department is excited to offer Sun Prairie residents and those who work in Sun Prairie the opportunity to participate in the 2021 Citizen's Police Academy. Participants must be 18 years of age and must pass a background check.
This community-based policing program allows our citizens to learn more about what it is like to be a police officer while also allowing police officers to understand citizens' perspectives on law enforcement better.
Citizen Academy participants will spend time in a classroom learning more about police operations, including investigations, crime prevention, criminal trends, and the policing philosophy in Sun Prairie. Participants will also participate in hands-on learning such as building searches, vehicle operations, traffic stop simulation, and firearms training.
Classes will be held on Thursdays starting September 23 and will culminate with a graduation banquet on Thursday, November 11. The class time is from 6pm to 9pm. There will be one additional class on a Saturday morning, with that date still to be determined. Participants do not have to commit to attending all classes.
Please contact Lieutenant Ray Thomson at 608-834-1863 or rthomson@cityofsunprairie.com if you have questions or are interested in applying.
Coffee With A Cop!
You can stop and have coffee with a cop! This will be held at different locations throughout Sun Prairie. Community members interested in this opportunity to connect with officers can go to the Sun Prairie Police Department Facebook account and then follow the event page for updates.
- The mission of Coffee With A Cop is to break down barriers between police officers and the citizens they serve by removing agendas and allowing opportunities to ask questions, voice concerns, and get to know officers in your neighborhood. The next sessions will be:
- Monday, August 30 from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. at Beans n Cream Coffeehouse| 345 Cannery Square, Sun Prairie, WI 53590.
Changes in date and time may occur due to police-related circumstances. You can stay connected by following updates posted from Facebook and Twitter on the Sun Prairie Police Department's webpage. Just click here!
Public Works
Pedestrian Safety Task Force Hub Site
The Pedestrian Safety Task Force has been busy meeting and planning on how to improve pedestrian safety in the community and make it a #SafeSunPraire. It is important to find ways to inform the public and en gage them in the work being accomplished. Click the link in this post to be directed to the Pedestrian Safety Task Force Hub Site.
The Hub Site serves as an overview tool featuring information regarding the task force, Vision Zero, data, hazard reporting tools, and more. Additionally, users on the site can engage with features such as:
-Safety Concern Reporting Methods
-Interactive Storymap
-Transportation Data Maps
-Vision Zero Pledge
-Data on pedestrian fatalities and serious crash injuries
-Upcoming events
-Methods of communication
-and More!
Users can visit the site using a desktop or mobile device.
To review the site: https://vision-zero-sunprairie.hub.arcgis.com/
To report a pedestrian safety concern: https://vision-zero-sunprairie.hub.arcgis.com/.../explore
Task Force Town Hall
The Pedestrian Safety Task Force consists of city departments and staff members committed to enhancing pedestrian safety in our community. The task force is led by the City's Director of Public Works/City Engineer and has representatives from Engineering, Public Works, Sun Prairie Utilities, Neighborhood Navigators, Police Department, Fire Department, and Building Inspection. We want your questions and concerns to be heard because your voice is critical. Please submit your questions in the response box under the following topics that will be discussed at the Town Hall meeting.
Survey Link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/LVHLXVZ?fbclid=IwAR06ucNrguLmRZnUCIVoJMobPDEq5MjVyI1C3ZP0PmT4T8TED7_lVrzKC5c
The Town Hall will be held in the Council Chambers at City Hall. At this time, the public is not permitted to attend meetings in person due to safety concerns. Individuals may attend virtually via Zoom by registering at: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_rCERibV-TMey8c7BDnegjg..
Responding to this questionnaire will not divulge your identity. Thank you for taking the time to make the City of Sun Prairie a safer place for all.
Sun Prairie Media Center
Multicultural Fair Radio Reboot
Did you miss our latest edition of the Multicultural Fair Radio Reboot on 103.5 FM The Sun Community Radio? You can re-listen to our interview with Tara Wilhelmi. Tara is a Certified Peer Specialist and leads EOTO Culturally Rooted, a local grassroots community recovery and wellness organization.
Listeners can tune in to the interview with Tara, conducted by Sara Milewski via the Sun Prairie Media Center app as well as online at: https://radio.securenetsystems.net/cwa/WLSP.
2021-2022 KIDS-4 Registration Now Open!
Hey parents . . . here’s your child’s chance to write and produce their own videos and podcasts by joining the one-of-a-kind KIDS-4 program! KIDS-4 is an after-school media production program run by the Sun Prairie Media Center designed for SPASD students in 4th through 8th grade.
In KIDS-4, students are trained in many areas necessary to create their own television and video productions including cameras, lighting, sound, directing, producing, writing, editing, and animation. While students work with adult staff, their creativity is unfiltered and their work is entirely their own. By creating their own media messages, students become smarter and more critical consumers of others' media messages.
Students enrolled in KIDS-4 work after school once a week in ‘crews’ and their work airs on KIDS-4, a 24-hour public access station available on Charter, TDS, Roku and Apple TV devices, as well as streaming on kids4.tv and on the free Sun Prairie Media Center app. Some projects will also air on 103.5 The Sun Community Radio.
Registration for new crewmembers is now open. Registration is available online at kids4.tv. For those seeking more information about the program and the Media Center as a whole, KIDS-4 will host an open house on August 16 from 4-6 PM. The final deadline for registration submission is on September 17. Hurry, as registration numbers are very limited for this program!
Please visit kids4.tv for more information. Questions? Call 837-4193 or e-mail rpackard@cityofsunprairie.com..
2021-2022 Cardinal Sports Coming to KSUN, 103.5 FM!
The Sun Prairie Media Center is excited to announce that once again it will be offering LIVE coverage of all Sun Prairie Cardinals football and boys’ and girls’ basketball games for the 2021-2022 season! Plus we will be offering live coverage of select boys’ soccer games with others to be recorded and broadcast/posted later.
We’re extending the opportunity to support this local LIVE coverage with affordable tax-deductible sports sponsorship packages. This is a great way to show Sun Prairie that you support local high school athletics while gaining inexpensive and positive recognition for your business!
The games with your underwriting message will be broadcast LIVE across multiple platforms. Home games will be broadcast on KSUN (Charter cable channel 983 and TDS cable channels 13/1013) and 103.5 The Sun Community Radio and streamed at sunprairiemediacenter.com and are available on Roku and Apple TV devices. All away games will be available on 103.5 The Sun Community Radio, which is also streamed at sunprairiemediacenter.com. Many away games (the exact ones currently being determined) will also air on KSUN. All games will also be available to watch and/or listen to on the free Sun Prairie Media Center app.
“Cardinal sports are undoubtedly some of our most popular programs,” said SPMC director Jeff Robbins. “We are so grateful to have some of the best announcers around, including Mike Powers, Dan Corcoran, Bill Baker, Mike Mathison, and Jamison Rabbitt. And it’s great to be working with the SPASD, who are a great partner and are dedicated to helping us provide coverage to as many events as possible.”
Most games will be seen on KSUN and heard on 103.5 FM The Sun Community Radio.
Both are available to watch and listen to online at sunprairiemediacenter.com as well as on the free SPMC mobile app. KSUN is also available on Charter and TDS systems as well as on Roku and Apple TV. Of course, 103.5 FM is available on . . . 103.5 FM on your radio dial.
For a current schedule of sports programming, please go to https://sunprairiemediacenter.com/ksunprograms. The schedule is subject to change.
The SPMC is seeking business sponsors and volunteers to help with the production of sports programming. The business sponsor packages are very inexpensive and volunteers of any level will be trained. For anyone interested, please contact Jeff Robbins at jrobbins@cityofsunprairie.com or at 608-235-9383.
Sun Prairie Public Library
Service Update
Starting Monday, August 9th the Renk Room will reopen for access to magazines and newspapers. There will be added seating, and the time limit for computers will be extended to two hours. Time limits for in-person services will no longer be in place.
Children’s & Teen Services
Level Up this summer with the Summer Reading Program! Earn digital badges as well as cool prizes like a pass to the Milwaukee Public Museum, a Pizza Hut personal pan pizza, a farm pass, a prize book, the all-new 2021 Library Champion sign and more! Also, you'll get something special just for signing up! The Summer Reading Program is for ALL ages -- whether you are being read to, just learning to read, or reading advanced teen materials...we have a program for you! The program runs until August 22, through Beanstack!
Friday, August 6th and 20th 12:30-1:30pm
Sammy wants to play Among Us and maybe some Jackbox games! Game with Sammy on Zoom on select Fridays at 12:30 PM. Registration required for each session and space is limited. This program is for those who are 7-12 years old.
Monday, August 9th 10:30-11am (Rain date: Tuesday, August 10th)
A lineworker will read "If I were a Lineworker" and then kids will get to see the bucket truck!
Where: Outside by the statue, closer to Linnerud than the parking lot.
Thursday, August 12th 2-4pm
Join Melissa on Zoom for Creativity Club! Supplies will be provided ahead of time, via window pick-up. Registration is required for each date. Email Melissa at mcarollo@sunlib.org to register. This program is for teens in 6th - 12th grade.
Adult Services
The Adult Summer Reading Program theme this summer is Read With Friends, and we also encourage you to join us for our first ever Big Summer Read, “We Ride Upon Sticks” by Madison author Quan Barry. Registration is available now on Beanstack, through August 31st.
Quan Barry: We Ride Upon Sticks
Tuesday, August 17th 6:30-7:30pm
Quan Barry, the author of this year's Big Summer Read, We Ride Upon Sticks, will discuss the book and her life as a renowned writer. Born in Saigon and raised on Boston's north shore, Quan Barry is an award-winning novelist and poet. Her work has appeared in numerous publications, including The Kenyon Review, Ms. and The New Yorker. She is also a professor of English at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. A Q&A will conclude the program. This program will be held via Zoom. To receive the Zoom log in information, please register here.
Big Summer Read Book Discussion
Thursday, August 19th 6:30-7:30pm
Join us for a book club style discussion of our 'Big Summer Read,' We Ride Upon Sticks by award-winning author and poet, Quan Barry! Limited copies of the book will be available for checkout at the Adult Information Desk and you can check Hoopla and Overdrive for e-book and audio formats. This program will be held via Zoom. To receive the Zoom log in information, please register here.
Dream Bus Bookmobile
The Dream Bus is a library on wheels! Sign-up for a library card, return materials, and get free books, movies, wi-fi and more! Staff will have masks available. For more information on the Dream Bus visit https://www.sunprairiepubliclibrary.org/dream-bus
Mondays, 4-6 p.m.
C.H. Bird Elementary School
1st and 3rd Saturdays, May-August, 9-11 a.m.
Sun Prairie Farmers Market
Dream Bus - Dream Park Special Visit
Saturday, August 7th 11:15am-1:15pm
Pack a picnic and join the Dream Bus on Saturday, August 7th from 11:15 a.m.-1:15 p.m. at the Dream Park. Plus, visit the SPPL Story Walk and grab a treat too!
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Advisory Committee
The Sun Prairie Public Library Board is seeking three individuals to serve on the newly established Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Advisory Committee to the Library Board. The application closes at 5 p.m. on August 27, 2021.
The purpose of the DEI Committee is to advise the Library Board in all areas of their work, using the lens of diversity, equity, and inclusion to ensure that the needs, interests, and goals of all residents are included. The Library Board includes additional committees that regularly review the library’s policies, strategic plan, and facility needs as part of their advocacy work.
For more information on the DEI committee, including the online application form, visit https://www.sunprairiepubliclibrary.org/diversity-equity-and-inclusion-committee.