Several campus-area issues were discussed at the Bassett neighborhood meeting Monday night, including Bassett area cleaning measures.
Bassett District Chair Peter Ostlind and Ald. Mike Verveer, District 4, discussed street sweeping in the Bassett area neighborhood. Mechanical cleanings are planned for several weekends following UW-Madison's graduation commencement, according to Ostlind.
Additionally, Bassett neighborhood will undergo a comprehensive clean-up on May 22 with the help of residents from the area.
However, Ostlind said there should be more regular street sweeping done in the Bassett area, similar to the downtown area.
Verveer said there are issues with how the street sweeping is performed. The machines can only reach the middle of the street and not the curb. He also said the heavy amount of downtown parking prevents the street sweepers from collecting all the trash.
Other complications in street sweeping and downtown parking were also raised by Verveer. Temporary ""No Parking"" signs are placed when sweeping occurs, which can create a substantial problem with parking availability. Additionally, cars parked illegally in the downtown area are ticketed but not towed, according to Verveer, which can also create accessibility problems.
Ostlind said the city is also seeking to prevent litter in lakes Mendota and Monona with cost-efficient strategies. According to Ostlind, by putting filters on the sewers, environmentally harmful materials would be prevented from entering the sewer.
At the meeting, partial reconstruction of Broom Street was also discussed.
Verveer discussed resurfacing and replacing most underground piping as well as adding condos to the Broom Street area. He said there are also plans to install pedestrian lights along Broom Street.
An informational meeting will be held on March 15 to further discuss possible Broom Street changes.
