Upon further review, I should have renamed "This week in the city" as "This week of ridiculous committee names." For the full meeting schedule, check the city's Web site.

Monday, Dec. 15: Tax Incremental Financing Policy Ad Hoc (*deep breath*) Committee, 4:00 p.m., Room LL-110 of the Madison Municipal Building, 215 Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd.

The city's TIF committee will finally get a crack at discussing how to revise the city's TIF policy to be simpler, but still embrace the city's goal of providing tax aid to increase the quantity and quality of jobs in the city. In particular, the committee will discuss the "perfect world" version favored at other city committees (such as the Economic Development Committee) that is TIF policy in its most essential form.

Plan Commission, 5:30 p.m., Room 201 of the City-County Building, 210 Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd.

• An update on the city's downtown plan that you may have given input on forever and a day ago (and still can, if you check out the project's building at 125 West Mifflin -- near the Central Library and Overture Center)
• Taking another crack at Marcus' idea for an intended green, walkable entertainment complex that some of the city's Urban Design Commission members have called "not even a good example of a suburban retail center"
• Discussing a controversial plan for a large day care center on the city's far-west side
• Discussing turning the old Atwood Community Center into the new site for Bunky's Cafe
• Discussing adding a definition of "demolition" to the Madison General Ordinances as well as discussing a possible exemption to the need to get a permit for one.

Tuesday, Dec. 16: Common Council Organizational Committee's Subcommittee to Review City Hiring Practices and Policies, 1:00 p.m., Room 417 of the City-County Building, 210 Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd.

The longest subcommittee name ever (actually, probably not). Ald. Brenda Konkel and Ald. Michael Schumacher are getting together to finalize a report (a draft is in the link above) on improving hiring in the city by simplifying job descriptions for external job candidates, creating a process for reorganization (Of jobs? Of departments? Both?), creating a list of best practices for attracting the best candidates for jobs so multiple searches (i.e., the water utility manager and economic development director) don't have to take place, and improving training and development of employees in the future, among a host of other issues.

Madison Arts Commission, 4:30 p.m., Room LL-110 of the Madison Municipal Building, 215 Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd.

A couple of interesting items, including potentially approving a contract for rebranding and creating public art for the Allied Drive neighborhood and most intriguing for me, potentially creating a subcommittee to deal with how the economic crisis (crises?) is affecting the arts in Madison.

Central Library Disposal Surplus Property Criteria and Selection Committee (CLDSPCSC for short), 5:30 p.m., Room 103A of the City-County Building, 210 Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd.

CLDSPCSC will get together for the second time in two weeks and this time will hear from the two groups of architects who have proposed plans for a new Central Library. T. Wall Properties, which instigated the rebirth of this whole process of potentially getting a new library with a proposal to make the Central Library part of a huge retail-office-library complex, and Fiore-Irgens are the two candidates, but don't expect a decision at this meeting. From what I've gathered, it's strictly informational, but for a detailed analysis of the two buildings, come to the meeting. For a little background, check out this article written when the two proposals were first brought forth.

Wednesday, Dec. 17: Board of Public Works, 4:30 p.m., Room 108 of the City-County Building, 210 Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd.

If I'm being honest, this board probably has some of the most intimidating agendas -- usually involving a veritable ton of road and water main projects -- but I'll do my best to give you the low-down.

• The city engineer (Larry Nelson) will be giving a report on water resources impacts and how that could affect the need for issuing permits for public works projects
• Kentucky Data Link will propose extending its fiber optic network in Madison to improve data delivery (the project link mentions U.S. Cellular, so maybe improving service for their customers?)
• Authorizing the city to accept ownership of a sign for the Allied Dunn's Marsh Neighborhood that will be on public land (which is actually a somewhat controversial topic, but I'm not sure how into it this board will get).
• Installing 278 trees and 1,533 native plants for median landscaping (many of the trees are replacing for dying ones)

Urban Design Commission, 4:30 p.m., Room LL-110 of the Madison Municipal Building, 215 Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd.

Potentially approving: Facade alterations for the Villager, a design for the aforementioned controversial far-west side day care center, a design for rental housing at the current Acacia Fraternity, a design for a mixed-use development at the Josie's site on Park and Regent.

They will also discuss designs for a Hy-Vee grocery at Westgate Mall for the first time.

Alcohol License Review Committee, 5:30 p.m., Room 201 of the City-County Building, 210 Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd.

Potentially approving an entertainment license for Adler's Pub and Grill on the far-west side, a liquor license for a new LGBT bar on the near-east side called Plan B and possibly suspending or revoking the liquor license for A Place for Friends Bar and Grill on the north side.

Thursday, Dec. 18: Housing Merger Planning Committee, 2 p.m., Room 103 of the City-County Building, 210 Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd.

First meeting of the new committee to look at ways to increase cooperation between the city and county on housing issues without actually merging the two operations (which is illegal).

Allied Area Task Force, 5:00 p.m., Allied Boys & Girls Club, 4619 Jenewein Road

Among other items, an update on the city's Allied Drive redevelopment project, including an update on resident employment on the project (I wonder if they'll talk about the job fair held a few weeks ago and follow-up interviews from that).