August 19, 2021
Administration
Housing Study
The City of Sun Prairie and its partners, The Lakota Group and SB Friedman, are in the process of gathering community feedback on housing using a survey and virtual workshop that focus on three main aspects of housing. Specifically, this includes housing as it relates to current and future demographics, housing preference, and quality of life. It is essential for the City to receive feedback on what housing priorities should be considered moving forward. Both communication tools will be essential in understanding the concerns and desires related to housing for those who work, live, and play in Sun Prairie.
Survey
The survey has been developed to gather input from current residents, potential residents, area employees, and stakeholders as a part of the Sun Prairie Housing for All housing needs assessment. Responses are used by city leaders and project consultants to encourage and guide future housing development. Predicted time for completion is 5-10 minutes and there are options to participate in English or Spanish. Survey Link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/XH9NQYZ
Virtual Workshop
Hosted on Zoom, the workshop will start with an overview of the planning process and move into small breakout sessions to tackle the three different housing topics mentioned earlier. Interactive exercises using Miro (an online platform that will be explained throughout the course of the workshop) will allow participants to engage in a fashion that is similar to an in-person meeting.
Virtual Workshop Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85661682190?pwd=WjNram5WQ2JsQ0h4bmR2Yzc4bmJGUT09
Meeting ID: 856 6168 2190
Passcode: 250159
One tap mobile: (312) 626 – 67
Stay In the Know
The planning team, along with the Community Development Authority, has compiled an existing conditions report that illustrates the current housing situation in Sun Prairie. The report, along with a recording of the most recent CDA meeting, are posted to the project website.
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.
One Month Away!
The Sun Prairie Multicultural Fair is one month away! The Annual Multicultural Fair will be an in-person event this year! All are welcome to come and experience unique cultural food, performances, activities, and more! Take a look at some of the photos from years prior to get a glimpse of what to expect.
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
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.
Engineering
Storm Drain Mural
Do you know where the rain that washes into storm drains goes? The City of Sun Prairie and its partners have found a way to teach the public through art!
The City is participated 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 entailed 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 came to work with a summer school kids program from the Sun Prairie YMCA of Dane County and assisted with the mural painting.
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 in an area that can be coned off for a day to paint.
- 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.
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.
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.
COVID-19 Update
In accordance with the Public Health Madison and Dane County (PHMDC) recent Face Covering Emergency Order, we will require everyone age 2 and older to wear a mask or face covering for all indoor programming and rentals, inside the Family Aquatic Center bathhouse, and when visiting the Parks, Recreation and Forestry office for in person services until the current order expires on September 16, 2021. For the most up to date Dane County COVID-19 information visit publichealthmdc.com and specific Parks, Recreation and Forestry mitigation plan visit rec.cityofsunprairie.com
Fall Fun Guide is now available! Register today for fall programs!
Register at rec.cityofsunprairie.com
Sun Prairie Family Aquatic Center
There are two more days to enjoy the pool, visit us through August 21, 2021!
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!
Fitness Classes
NEW HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) Mondays – 8/30-10/18, 5:45 PM
Zumba Tuesdays – 8/31-10/19, 6:00 PM
Walk the Prairie Wednesdays – 9/1-10/20, 9:00 AM
NEW Pound Wednesdays – 9/1-10/20, 5:45 PM
Zumba Gold Thursdays – 9/2-10/21, 9:00 AM
Zumba Thursdays – 9/2-10/21, 6:00 PM
Youth Archery – Saturdays, 9/4-10/16
Beginner, Ages 8-11 – 10:45 AM
Beginner, Ages 12-17-12:00 PM
Intermediate, Ages 8-17, 1:15 PM
Family, Ages 8+, 9:00 AM
**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
Change of Command Ceremony
Over the weekend, Sun Prairie Police Officer Randy Humphrey (Captain in the U.S. Army) participated in a change of command ceremony for the battery unit he has commanded for the last few years. The department is incredibly proud of Officer Humphrey’s work as a part time soldier and full time officer. Congratulations Captain Humphrey!
Coffee For Champions
The Sun Prairie Police Department will once again be taking part in the upcoming Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics Coffee for Champions Fundraiser to be held at Sun Prairie Dunkin Donuts on Friday, August 20th from 6:00am to 12:00pm. Over the years, we have made this a successful community event and have been able to raise a great deal of money for Special Olympics Wisconsin.
National Night Out
Members of the Sun Prairie Police Department including Officer Adem Hadji, Chief Michael Steffes and Lieutenant Jamie Peterson participated in National Night Out on August 5th at Cannery Square.
The Faith Place Picnic
The Sun Prairie Police Department and The Faith Place Church teamed up for a night of community building and food on Tuesday, August 10, 2021. The police department would like to thank Pastor Hawkins and the rest of the congregation for their hospitality.
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
Sun Prairie Media Center
SPHS FOOTBALL COVERAGE KICKING OFF ON KSUN, 103.5 FM
Sure, late August means that summer is winding down. But look on the bright side: Football!
All games will be broadcast live on KSUN (Spectrum cable channel 983, TDS channels 13 and 1013), streamed on sunprairiemediacenter.com, on the KSUN Roku and Apple TV channels, and on the free-to-download Sun Prairie Media Center app, and aired on 103.5 The Sun Community Radio.
Following live coverage, games will be made available on sunprairiemediacenter.com for on demand viewing.
The season – the first fall season since 2019, of course – promises to be an exciting one, and the Sun Prairie Media Center will be there every step of the way with announcers Mike Powers, Jamison Rabbitt, and Bill Baker calling all of the action.
“We are super excited at the Media Center to once again be able to bring every Cardinals game to our home audience,” said SPMC director Jeff Robbins. “I want to give a special thanks to Mike, Jamison, and Bill, as well as our sponsors for helping us to bring Cardinals football home for the fans. It should be a great year!”
Fans who can’t get enough of Cardinals football are encouraged to go to sunprairiemediacenter.com right now to watch the annual football preview show hosted by Mike, Jamison, and Bill and featuring head coach Brian Kaminski joined by a few Cardinals football players.
The Sun Prairie Media Center would like to thank its sponsors for the 2021 football season: Woodman’s, TDS, Eagan Auto Sales, Culver’s, Pro Active Engineering, Concrete Lifting Technologies, and the Bank of Sun Prairie.
The SPMC is still seeking business sponsors and volunteers to help with the production of sports programming. For anyone interested, please contact Jeff Robbins at jrobbins@cityofsunprairie.com or at 608-235-9383.
For a current schedule of sports programming, please go to https://sunprairiemediacenter.com/ksunprograms. The schedule is subject to change.
KIDS-4 Registration Open – Filling Up Fast!
Here’s your child’s chance to write and produce their own videos 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.
The Media Center understands concerns about COVID-19 during these unusual times. The SPMC is taking safety precautions to ensure the continued health of program participants and staff alike. Crew sizes are small and meet requirements of Public Health Madison and Dane County specifications of how many students can gather together.
Registration for new crewmembers opens on August 1. KIDS-4 Registration is available online at www.kids4.tv/kids-4-signup-info/. The final deadline for registration submission is on September 17. Please keep in mind that registration numbers are limited for this program.
-KIDS-4 Registration Information: https://www.kids4.tv/kids-4-signup-info/
-Contact Sun Prairie Media Center with questions at: 837-4193 or Rachel at rpackard@cityofsunprairie.com
-Program Fee = $125 for Members and $150 for Non-members. Price includes a t-shirt, crew poster and USB drive complete with child’s produced work. Scholarships available for those who qualify.
Please visit kids4.tv for more information.
Sun Prairie Public Library
The library will be closed on Friday, August 27th for Staff In-Service. The drive-thru book drops will remain open.
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 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.
Friday, August 20th 2-4pm
Melissa wants to play Among Us and Jackbox games! Game with Melissa on Zoom on Fridays at 2:00. Registration required for each session and space is limited. Email Melissa at mcarollo at 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.
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.
Urban SUN: Black Voices Book Club
Sunday, August 22nd from 3-4pm
A monthly book club devoted to creating meaningful conversations about race by exploring works of contemporary and historical African-American authors. Discussions are led by Sun Prairie residents, Donna Mackey and Marilyn Ruffin. Get ready to get uncomfortable and get real! This month's book selection is Black Buck, by Mateo Askaripour. Copies will be available at the library's Information Desk for those who register. This title may also be available in ebook or audio format from Overdrive/Libby or Hoopla. The Urban SUN book club will meet via Zoom until further notice. Please register to attend the discussion here, and Zoom details will be emailed to you.
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. For more information on the DEI committee, including the online application form, visit https://www.sunprairiepubliclibrary.org/diversity-equity-and-inclusion-committee.
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.