Residents, businesses say Middleton construction notices fall short; staff cite understaffing and propose checklist, contract changes

At a meeting of Middleton’s Public Works Committee discussion forum, residents and business representatives told city staff that communication about ongoing street projects has been inconsistent and, in some cases, disrupted access to properties and services. Staff acknowledged the problems, linked some issues to understaffing and the dynamic nature of construction, and outlined possible fixes including weekly contractor updates, targeted mailers, improved signage and contract amendments to require contractor communication.

The committee discussed a memo outlining current outreach—largely web- and email-based—and low‑tech alternatives such as a yearly construction kickoff meeting, postcards to nearby residents, and placing advance signs in project neighborhoods. A representative reading a letter from Ellen Carlson on behalf of WayForward Resources said the Parmenter Street reconstruction left local businesses without timeline information, that contractors were at times dismissive (‘it doesn’t matter to us if people can access your lot’), and that short notices for water shutoffs and last-minute access changes caused operational and safety problems for businesses.

Staff and utility representatives described efforts already under way: the city has a business listserv that was used for large projects, and the water utility said a last-minute, unforeseen task was folded into a single shutdown to avoid a second disruption. Sean, a long‑time city project manager, cautioned that many construction crews are unionized and employees move among contractors, which complicates holding a single contractor accountable for on-site behavior. He and other staff also stressed that the department is handling many concurrent projects and is “flat out understaffed,” making extensive, individualized outreach difficult.

Multiple speakers urged a layered, “Swiss-cheese” communication model: combine email and an easy-to-read project page with physical mailers or door notices for residents and businesses who do not use email, and place clear pedestrian and bike detour signage. Kirsten Faulkner, vice chair of the Pedbike/transit committee, said current notices were “solely car based” and called attention to unsafe pedestrian and bike routing at Century and Allen, noting Madison Metro bus cancellations and urging adherence to the city’s adopted complete streets policy.

Several possible operational fixes were discussed. Staff said they would work with Brent, the city’s communications manager, on weekly or daily updates pulled from contractor schedules. Committee members suggested adding clearer communication requirements to future contractor drafts and creating a project checklist that accounts for contractors, residents, staff and accessibility needs. No formal vote or ordinance was proposed—there was no quorum for official action at the meeting—but staff committed to gather more information and return with implementation options.

The committee opened the floor to public comment, heard a number of resident accounts about late or buried email notices (one notice was described as hidden in a longer message under “street surface program 2025”), and received suggestions to restore or reassign responsibility for deploying towable message boards or signage trailers that staff said were used in the past. With no quorum the meeting was informal and was adjourned after discussion; staff said they would document the ideas and next steps for a future, official meeting.