Micah LaDousa, Fitchburg District 4 Alder Newsletter

September 25, 2025

Welcome back!

Fall is budget season at council, and we will be working on reviewing the Mayor's proposed budget, crafting and making decisions on proposed amendments, and passing a budget for 2026. The Mayor's budget will be posted to the City website on Friday, September 19th, and I'd encourage everyone to take a look and let me know if you have any questions, comments, or feedback.

Your Input Needed

Neighborhood Plan Updates

Public hearings for both the Greenfield and South Stoner Prairie neighborhood plans will happen at the next Plan Commission and Common Council meetings, both in the Frances Huntley-Cooper Council Chambers. I'll be in attendance at Plan tomorrow so feel free to introduce yourself and ask any questions. More information is below:

Plan Commission: Tuesday, 9/16, 6:30pm
Common Council: Tuesday, 9/23, 6:30pm

Links to both Plans:

Greenfield Plan
South Stoner Prairie Plan

District 4 Information/Listening Session

The City will be holding an information and listening session for District 4, following successful sessions in the other three districts earlier this year. You’ll hear directly from police, fire, city staff, your two alders (including me), and Mayor Arata-Fratta as we share a “state of the city” update and answer your questions. I’d love to see you there!

Date: Thursday, September 25
Time: 6-8pm
Location: Blackhawk Church, 5935 Astor Drive

Council Happenings

Zoning Changes: The Council recently approved a set of minor zoning updates. These are not sweeping changes — they’re designed to make the rules clearer, update outdated language, and make the process easier for both residents and staff. Key points:

Accessory Dwelling Units (ADU): These would now be allowed in all zoning districts. An ADU is a smaller, independent home located on the same lot as a primary house. It can take the form of a basement or attic apartment, a unit above a garage, or a small backyard cottage. They’re often used to give aging parents a place to stay close by, or to provide more flexible living space for families.

Medium Density: Allows for smaller single-family and duplex units, giving families and first-time homebuyers more options.

High Density: Creates a new district that provides flexibility for larger apartment and mixed-use buildings (housing & business), while streamlining some approval processes so staff can work more efficiently.

Business Zoning: Updated to allow some residential units within business areas, encouraging more mixed-use neighborhoods.

Zoning can be technical and hard to sum up in a short format, but the main takeaway is that these are practical updates, not major changes to how people use their property. If you’d like to learn more, please reach out.

New Police Facility and Reorganization

The council has passed, and the city has already broken ground on a new police facility. Having toured the existing space in City Hall, I can say this new building is both necessary and overdue for a rapidly growing city. While this is a major investment, I am happy to share that the construction bid came in almost $10 million under budget, a rare and welcome outcome in today’s climate of rising costs. Work will continue throughout 2026.

The Council also approved a reorganization of the police department. Included in the plans are:

Two new command staff positions (Evening Lieutenant and Sergeant of Detectives)
Removal of three officer positions
Expanding the social worker role from half-time to full-time
Transferring dispatch operations to Dane County (4 positions)
2 new support/administrative positions

In light of the 2024 referendum that did not pass, the police department worked extremely hard alongside HR, Finance, and other city staff to come up with a plan that improves efficiency and addresses immediate needs. While residents may not have agreed on the referendum itself, there is broad community support for strong police (and fire) services. This reorganization is a short-term step forward, and I remain committed to working together on the long-term staffing challenges that our growth demands.

Fish Hatchery Road Repairs

Repairs to the concrete at Fish Hatchery Road from Lacy to Cheryl will be taking place from 9/15 through 10/16. Roads will remain open, but there will be periodic lane closures. As a frequent user of these intersections via car, bike, and foot, I share the excitement many have to get these areas fixed.

FACTv Appearance

I was happy to appear recently for an introduction on the city's FACTv channel, where Jeremy Crosby interviewed me about my history, why I wanted to run for office, and my suspect bocce ball skills. Please view that here.

HUB Tour

I recently toured the HUB facility, now under construction on Traceway Drive. When completed, this will feature a community center building, bicycle pump track, and playground. This promises to be a new focal point for North Fitchburg, and I am excited to see it open later this year.

Of particular note, I absolutely LOVE this playground. It showcases how play spaces can be original, creative, and fun. There is so much opportunity in design, from natural play structures to areas that spark imagination to the thing I hear most about lately, zip lines. I plan to encourage the city to think outside the box in the future when it comes to play structure design.

Coming Soon

Repeating from the last newsletter, here are some important dates in the budget process:

September 19: Budget posted to city website
October 14: Public hearing at Common Council
October 16: Amendments due to Finance Director
November 11: Public hearing, votes on amendments, and final budget approval.

The full schedule can be viewed here.

Below are some important sources I encourage you to access.

Youtube: Subscribe to the FACTv Youtube Channel. I highly recommend the Council Recaps, City Administrator Updates, and Talking Fitchburg videos. These are concise updates that give you the information you need.

NotifyMe: This is the city's text/email notification platform. I want to call out the library and senior center who have some great newsletters. Subscribe here.

Facebook: Start by following the City of Fitchburg, and then follow me. We can talk about additional pages in the future.