A Handy Guide to Madison City Living
The City of Madison picks up leaves twice a year—Spring and Fall (before the snow falls).
Every April, the Street Division provides a special collection for leaves and garden debris.
Beginning in October, the Street Division provides leaf collection. It is preferred that you pile your leaves loose at the street edge (also known as the terrace). Keep leaves separate from brush and avoid piling them around or next too mail boxes, trees and utility poles. Do not put leaves in the street. You may cover your leaf piles with tarps of plastic sheeting to prevent them from blowing around.
If you must bag your leaves, please leave the bags open at the top. This will help city staff identify what is in the bags and will speed collection as all bags must be emptied.
To get the latest leaf collection information for the west side, check http://www.ci.madison.wi.us/streets/. Or you can get information by calling 267-2088. This number will provide you with a recorded announcement 24 hours a day. Also Madison City Channel 12 (cable) runs public service announcements about these city services.
The City of Madison picks up brush from the terrace. What is brush? Tree limbs and branches are considered brush.
Since 1989, yard waste has been banned from Dane County landfills; therefore, there is NO pick up for yard waste. What is yard waste? Leaves, grass clippings, flowers, plant stalks, vines and small twigs.
The best thing you can do with your yard waste is to compost it or use it as mulch at home. Grass clippings should be left on the lawn, where they provide nutrients for your turf. Clippings and leaves also make excellent mulch in gardens and around flowers and shrubs.
The City drop off or County compost sites are open from April through the first week of December.
Lawns, by ordinance, shall be maintained a at height no greater than 8 inches; natural lawns require a city permit.
If you are a renter, the property owner may provide private waste pick up, else the following rules apply for city waste disposal.
City ordinance prohibits placing your trash on the terrace earlier than 24 hours before pick up day; trash containers must also be removed from the terrace no later than 24 hours from your pick up.
There are no regulations for placing trash in ‘barrels’ but less trash is ‘picked apart’ by birds, etc. if properly bagged and placed within a container.
There are regulations for the collection of recyclables. See: http://www.ci.madison.wi.us/streets/
Appliances, such as air compressors, air conditioners, copiers, dehumidifiers, dishwashers, dryers, fluorescent light fixtures, freezers, furnaces, garbage disposals, large commercial appliances, microwave ovens, ovens, ranges, refrigerators, stoves, trash compactors, washers, water heaters, water softeners and wood stoves, can be placed on the terrace for pick up. NOTE: Many of these items require a city sticker for a fee for disposal. Stickers may be purchased:
If you are purchasing a new large appliance, many times the retailer may haul away your old appliance.
There are city regulations for nuisance noise, or offences such as disturbing the peace; there are also ‘stationary’ noise limits for producing and receiving noise (levels) on properties with specific zoning.
Although there are no regulations for exterior construction, one should keep in mind how ‘noise travels’. Working on your house too early in the morning or too late into the evening may be disturbing to your neighbors!
When hiring help for outside work, ask them to be mindful of the noise they may produce; many complaints are received not for noisy power tools, but for loud radios of the contractors.
Section 10.28 MGO relates to timing and care in removing snow and ice from sidewalks. Sidewalks are considered the public right-of-way, but the property owner is responsible for maintaining the sidewalk. If you are a renter, be sure to check your lease for who is responsible for this job, the building owner or the renter.
The owner of each lot or part of lot shall remove all snow and ice upon the sidewalk abutting the premises which he or she owns not later than 12:00 noon of the day after the snow has ceased to fall or accumulate, regardless of the source of accumulation. Also for those living on corner lots, any sidewalks bordering the crosswalk and around fire hydrants, must also be cleared.
Storage: Only ONE inoperable vehicle is allowed to be stored on a residential lot. Vehicles parked on the street must be moved at least every 48 hours so as not to be tagged as ‘abandoned’. Boats & trailers parked on the street, NOT connected to an operating vehicle, may only be ‘stored’ there for 8 hours.
Parking: Vehicles, including boats and trailers, may not be ‘parked’ on lawns especially between the house frontage and the street. Also check with your neighborhood with regard to more restrictive rules.
Winter Alternate Side Parking Rules: Alternate side parking is in effect in westside neighborhoods from November 15 to March 15. For information regarding Alternate Side Parking, call 266-4622.
Other on-street parking restrictions include:
Madison has about 280 city parks; small tot lots, neighborhood parks to regional and conservation parks.
Hours—Most city parks are open from 4:00 a.m. until 10:00 p.m.; if hours differ; these will be posted.
Dog Exercise Areas—Dogs are NOT allowed in city parks, except where so designated by city ordinance, sec. 8.19 MGO.
Please remember that dogs are not allowed (even on-leash) in most parks, children's play areas, beaches, athletic fields and conservation parks. Dogs are allowed on bike paths ON LEASH only.
There is an Annual Dog Park Fee of $20; Daily Fee of $3. Please be aware that in order to purchase a dog exercise permit, you will FIRST need a dog license and city dog registration. This permit is valid for dog exercise areas in designated parks in Madison, Dane County, Middleton, and Sun Prairie.
Dog and Cat License Fee Schedule increased for effective 4/1/04. Regular License Fees (Cat or Dog). Spayed or Neutered, $ 8.00; Unspayed or Unneutered, $13.00.
There are no maximum number of cats or dogs that one can own. Exotic pets and prairie dogs are banned in the city; exotic animals are defined as meaning any animal that is not normally domesticated in the United States or is wild by nature. Examples being: primates, 10 ft. pythons or boa constrictors.
For Animal Control call the Department of Public Health at 267-1989.
Do not allow your dog to bark and disturb the peace.
Keep your property free of dog waste accumulation.
Pick up after your dog while out on walks.
Do not allow your dog to roam.
Curb your dog, do not allow it to urinate on flowers or shrubs in other yards
It is against city ordinance for any person under the age of 17
to be upon the streets, alleys, or public places in the City on:
Sun. – Thurs.: 11:00 pm to 4:00 am
Fri. & Sat.: 12:00 midnight to 4:00 am
It is against city ordinance for any person under the age of 14 to be upon the streets, alleys, or public places in the City on any day after 10:00 pm.
See http://www.mymetrobus.com/
Many Metro buses are accessible for persons with disabilities and wheelchairs. For those individuals who are certified for Paratransit service there is a ride service, by appointment with Metro and various contracted companies. For more details, see the above link.
A recently enacted ordinance requires taxi companies to provide round the clock accessible taxi service; to date one company, UNION CAB (phone: 242-2000) provides this service on demand.
City Website: http://www.ci.madison.wi.us/
Frequently Asked Questions—Police Dept.: http://www.ci.madison.wi.us/police/faqs.html .
Articles written, edited or researched by Jean MacCubbin, former 11th District Alderperson, and your neighborhood association.