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- April 20, 2023
April 20, 2023
Administration: The City of Sun Prairie has been going through an Equity Audit to examine our organization and the services being offered to the community regarding equitable service delivery. You can take the survey here!
Building Inspection: Do you have any open permits on your home? We can help you! Check out our section.
City Clerk: Check out our section for the Election Day recap!
Community Development: The City of Sun Prairie will be recognizing May as Affordable Housing Month by offering community members a variety of events aimed at increasing their understanding and involvement in housing.
Community Spotlight: Save the date for Saturday, June 17 from 2 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. for the community Juneteenth celebration!
Parks, Recreation and Forestry: Summer Rec Guide and registration is now open for residents!
Public Services: The second yard waste collection of spring is being moved to May 30th through June 9th.
Sun Prairie Historical Museum: The Museum is back to summer hours! The Museum is open to the public Wednesdays-Saturdays 11:00am-4:00pm and by appointment.
Sun Prairie Public Library: April 23rd-29th is National Library Week, and this year we have several activities and events planned to celebrate our wonderful library and several opportunities to get involved with fundraising for the expansion project!
Administration
Equity in City Services
Building Inspection
Do you have any open permits on your home?
Check in 3 easy steps.
1. Go to https://sunprairiewi.viewpointcloud.com/search
2. Enter address under Locations.
3. See any records that are Active (open)
If you have an Active record(s) please call or email the City of Sun Prairie Building Inspection to schedule a home visit. buildinginspection@cityofsunprairie.com 608-825-1184
City Clerk
Election Day Recap
Community Development
City of Sun Prairie to Recognize May as Affordable Housing Month
The City of Sun Prairie will be recognizing May as Affordable Housing Month by offering community members a variety of events aimed at increasing their understanding and involvement in housing. Activities planned during this time are offered in partnership with Habitat for Humanity Dane County, Tenant Resource Center, Bank of Sun Prairie, Wisconsin Housing & Economic Development Authority (WHEDA), Sun Prairie Housing Coalition, and Freidel Family Realtors.
First-Time Homebuyers Workshop
The series of events will kick off with a first-time homebuyers workshop held at the Sun Prairie Public Library on Wednesday, May 3 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. This educational event will offer a deeper dive into the homebuying process, including loan and down payment assistance programs. Attendees will walk away with an understanding of local market conditions, concrete steps to homeownership, and resources available to them.
Register here: https://form.jotform.com/230933863516157
Tenant Rights: Evictions/ Derechos de los Inquilinos: Desalojos
This bilingual event led by the Tenant Resource Center will take place on Wednesday, May 10 at Sunshine Place in the Enterprise Building beginning at 5:30 p.m. The presentation will focus on explaining the different types of eviction notices, eviction process, and tenant rights. Attendees will have the opportunity to ask questions and presenters can clarify misconceptions surrounding this topic. The following event is centered on renters and knowing their rights.
English registration: https://form.jotform.com/230933870940156
Registro español: https://form.jotform.com/230933870940156
Housing Coalition Kickoff Meeting
Community members who are interested in learning more about housing challenges and how to advocate for change will have the opportunity to do so at this event. On Thursday, May 18, the Sun Prairie Housing Coalition will host their first kickoff meeting in the community room at Sunshine Place from 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Attendees will be able to connect with others passionate about this topic while also gaining a deeper understanding of issues facing Sun Prairie.
Register here: https://form.jotform.com/230934592101147
Habitat Home Dedication with Open House & Tour
Habitat for Humanity is inviting the community to attend a home dedication ceremony in Town Hall Crossing at 1155 Westridge Dr. on Tuesday, May 23 beginning at 4:30 p.m. The ceremony consists of connecting the volunteers who built the home together with the new homeowners for a celebration of its completion. Additionally, there will be a presentation and neighborhood tour that follows to present the work Habitat is doing in the Sun Prairie community.
Register here: https://form.jotform.com/230933889012156
All events are open to the community and free to attend. Registration is strongly encouraged.
“I am immensely grateful for the strong spirit of collaboration between the City of Sun Prairie and these partner organizations to offer a variety of events centered on affordable housing,” said Becky Binz, Housing & Equitable Development Planner.
For additional information about the City’s efforts on housing, please visit https://cityofsunprairie.com/1697/Housing-for-All.
Community Spotlight
2023 Juneteenth
BEAM Awards 2023
Parks, Recreation and Forestry
Recreation Department
The Sun Prairie Parks, Recreation & Forestry office is open: Monday – Friday 8:00am-4:30pm, or by phone at (608) 837-3449 or by email at rec@cityofsunprairie.com.
Announcements:
Summer Rec Guide out now!
Summer Rec Guide and registration is now open for residents!
1. View the Summer Guide at rec.cityofsunprairie.com!
2. Log in to our website to make sure you know your password and that your account is up to date, including street address and email address.
3. If you don’t already have an account, create your account. If you think you have an account, but cannot find yourself on the website, please do not add yourself again. Call the Recreation Department office at 608-837-3449 and we will assist you.
4. If you do not have a Sun Prairie address, but live in the Sun Prairie School District, the system will not know that and will charge you Non-Resident rates. If you continue your registration and pay Non-Resident rates, the difference is non-refundable. Please contact our office prior to your registration so that we may adjust your account to reflect the proper designation.
5. If you accidentally register for the wrong program, do not immediately register for the correct program. Call us 608-837-3449 and we can make the transfer for you.
“Recreation is for Everyone” Scholarship form!
Come join us for fun and enriching programs available for the whole family! Requesting a scholarship is easier than ever with our NEW online form! This easy, streamlined form provides "no questions asked" financial access to SPPRF programs.
In order to request the Recreation is for Everyone Scholarship you must be a resident of Sun Prairie or enrolled in the Sun Prairie Area School District.
For questions or assistance contact us at 608-837-3449 or visit Recreation is for Everyone Scholarship Information
- Scholarships cover 50% of enrollment fees on most programs
- No formal documentation is required for approval of financial assistance
- Online submission with approvals within 2 business days
We’re Hiring!
Run the Parks
Concerts in the Parks
Upcoming Programs Not to Be Missed:
April 21st
6:00 – 7:30 p.m.
Registration Deadline: 4/14/2023
Spring has Sprung! What better way to celebrate Earth Day than to plant some flower seeds in a hand painted Terra Cotta pot! In this workshop we'll decorate our own pots with acrylic paints, fill our pots with soil and tuck our little wildflower seeds into them and watch them grow! Using modeling clay we can create a few tiny creatures to keep our seeds company while they begin to sprout. Fun for the whole family, all ages welcome!
May 11th
5:30 – 7:30 p.m.
Registration Deadline: 5/4/2023
Join Ms. Jessica for this easy step by step guided acrylic painting on canvas! Feel like a true artist with little to NO experience - this fun class will show you step by step how to apply your paint to your canvas, and to easily create a vibrant beach side sunset painting that you can hang anywhere in your house! Perfect for youth and adults.
American Red Cross Babysitter Training
May 13th
9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Registration Deadline: 5/6/2023
This training provides kids, ages 11-15, with the information and skills necessary to provide safe and responsible care in the absence of parents/guardians. This training will also help participants develop skills in leadership, professionalism, basic care, safety, safe play and first aid.
All sessions cover the same material.
Please bring a sack lunch.
Youth Pickleball Clinic (Ages 8+)
May 21st
2:00 – 4:00 p.m.
Registration Deadline: 5/14/2023
Kids are having so much fun playing Pickleball that they do not realize the physical and mental health benefits that it brings! This clinic will help kids learn hand-eye coordination, agility, balance, and provide a healthy social-setting for them to explore and engage. Player will be introduced to the FUNdamentals serving, returning, volley and dinking. Then end with a full court game to go over positioning and scoring!
Thursday Early Release Afterschool Programming (previously TGIT)
Thursdays, 1:30-5:00 p.m.
Elementary School Site Locations:
Meadowview
Northside
Token Springs – NEW
Beginning in the 2022 – 2023 school year, Sun Prairie Area School District Elementary Schools will be dismissing students at 1:30 pm on Thursday afternoons to accommodate professional staff development. In an effort to provide high quality afterschool childcare to our growing community, Sun Prairie Parks, Recreation & Forestry, the Sun Prairie Area School District and Community Schools are putting forth a collaborative effort to provide a community partner-based afterschool program. This program will aim to provide families with safe, affordable and engaging childcare on Thursday afternoons for students in kindergarten through 5th grade.
Childcare will be available from dismissal at 1:30 pm until 5:00 pm. We will pilot this program, starting in September, at three elementary school locations and will have programming at all nine elementary schools starting in January 2023. Program partners will be brought in monthly to provide fun and exciting programming ranging from chess to sports to ukulele lessons.
If this program isn’t offered at your school initially you do have the option to attend any site, but transportation will not be provided at this time. Registration will be by month for September -December. Please click “register” to be added to our interest list to be notified when enrollment begins and when new sites are added to this program.
For more information visit rec.cityofsunprairie.com and the digital version of the Rec Connection which will be updated prior to the start of the school year. Please contact Emily Rebarchek, erebarchek@cityofsunprairie.com, or call 608-837-3449 with any questions.
Public Services
City of Sun Prairie Adjusts Yard Waste Collection Dates to Support No Mow May
The second yard waste collection of spring is being moved to May 30th through June 9th.
Yard Waste Information
Yard waste is categorized as leafy vegetation that composts in a short period of time. Leaves, grass, garden waste and shrub trimmings are yard waste. Collections are scheduled in advance to attempt to meet the needs of residents and is collected curbside twice in the spring and twice in the fall.
Materials must be placed at the curb by 7 a.m. on Tuesday, May 30th and they will be picked up sometime during that week or the next (depending on weather, equipment/crew availability, and amount of materials out to be collected throughout the city).
Yard waste can also be disposed of at the Recycle Center.
Yard Waste Guidelines
- Materials placed at the curb for collection on the scheduled weeks must be placed into open trash bags, garbage cans (no lids) or storage containers (no lids).
- Plastic bags must be untied in order to be collected. If the plastic bags are tied shut, they will not be collected.
- Leave a container out for your empty plastic bags, crews will not take the plastic bags.
- To be collected, bags/containers should weigh no more than 50 lbs.
- Please do not mix brush or garbage with the materials.
Sun Prairie Historical Museum
Sun Prairie Historical Library and Museum
The Museum is back to summer hours! The Museum is open to the public Wednesdays-Saturdays 11:00am-4:00pm and by appointment.
Staff can be reached by phone at (608) 825-0837 or by email at museum@cityofsunprairie.com .
The Historical Library and Museum is located at 115 East Main St. Sun Prairie with parking behind the building. Admission is always free.
Announcements:
Summer 2023 at the Sun Prairie Historical Library and Museum
Looking for ways to engage with local history this summer? Check out our first activities of the season!
Sun Prairie Junior High School 1971 Time Capsule - Thank you!
On April 5th, community members joined Museum staff and former Sun Prairie Area School District Superintendent Ollie Berge to open a 1971 time capsule found during demolition of 160 South Street (most recently Prairie Phoenix Academy).
Thank you to everyone who attended, and if you missed it you can still see the contents at the Museum through April 29th. For friends who couldn’t make it, you can check out media coverage at the following links:
Sun Prairie Media Center: Sun Prairie VOD Player (telvue.com)
Channel 3000 News: Sun Prairie Historical Museum opens time capsule from 1971 | News | channel3000.com
Sun Prairie Star: Sun Prairie Historical Museum opens class of '71 time capsule | School | hngnews.com
Sun Prairie Public Library
Sun Prairie Public Library Foundation
April 23rd-29th is National Library Week, and this year we have several activities and events planned to celebrate our wonderful library and several opportunities to get involved with fundraising for the expansion project!
Read to Raise is a new program hosted through Beanstack to log reading and fundraising challenges. From April 1st - 30th, Read to Raise is open for all who are looking for a quick but fun spring reading program while also helping to raise funds for the library expansion project. The funds raised will be applied to a $25,000 matching donation!
We're also very excited to host two author events, and we'll be ending the week with our Kentucky Derby Spring Gala! All proceeds from the event will go towards the Library Expansion project. More details are below!
Storytime with Authors Pat Zietlow Miller and e.E. Carlton-Trujillo
Sunday, April 23, 2-4pm
Library Community Room
Come listen to Pat Zietlow Miller & e.E. Charlton-Trujillo read their new books “Lupe Lopez: Rock Star Rules!” and their new release “A Girl Can Build Anything”! There will be a chance to ask them questions, buy their books, and get them signed! All ages are welcome! This is a free event hosted by the Sun Prairie Public Library Foundation.
Author Visit and Book Signing with Dannelle Gay
Monday, April 24 from 5-7pm
Library Community Room
Meet Dannelle Gay, local author and TV host! Join us as Dannelle discusses her new book “100 Things To Do In Wisconsin Before You Die”. “100 Things to Do in Wisconsin Before You Die” is a comprehensive guide to all the must-see, must-taste, and must-do activities with suggestions and ideas for the whole family. From outdoor activities to family fun, there's something for everyone in Wisconsin. With spring in the air it's time to plan those summer road trips and Dannelle has just the spot for you!
This is a free event hosted by the Sun Prairie Public Library Foundation. Books will be available for purchase at the event. A portion of the proceeds will help support the Library Expansion project!
Saturday, April 29th from 5:30-9pm
Angell Park Pavilion
Kick off the spring social season at Angell Park Pavilion from 5:30-9 p.m. to support the Sun Prairie Public Library. Live music by Rod Ellenbecker, mint juleps and delicious Kentucky-inspired food are included. Silent auction and games will entertain and delight! Derby hats and bowties are encouraged, but not required.