The Inspection Services Department promotes healthy neighborhoods through enforcement activities that focus on both residential and commercial properties throughout the village. The objective of the department is to enforce building, maintenance, and health codes as they pertain to property upkeep and the elimination of health hazards caused by the presence of garbage or other adverse exterior conditions. The Property Maintenance Department is responsible for local laws and codes, for the purpose of securing public safety, health, and general welfare. The local laws include the Village of West Milwaukee Municipal Code.
Smoke Alarms and Carbon Monoxide Detectors
Under new requirements, property owners in the Village must install smoke alarms that are powered by 10-year or greater, non-removable batteries, in a measure aimed at saving lives. Senate Bill 415, legislation requires all homes to have carbon monoxide detectors. Carbon monoxide is a dangerous, poisonous gas, which cannot be detected by human senses. It is dubbed the “silent killer”. The Senate bill expanded the current requirements to include all one and two-family homes and parallels requirements for smoke alarms. It is recommended that you install a 10-yeat non-removable battery combination smoke alarm/carbon monoxide detector in your home.
Property Registration
The Village of West Milwaukee adopted Chapter 14, Section 530-538, of the Municipal Code requiring all non-owner occupied and all commercial property owners to register ownership contact information to the Clerk’s Office. Single, two- and three-family properties are exempt if the owner’s residence is the listed property. The contact information collected is used to notify those that have care and control of the property when there are building code violations. For additional information please contact the Clerk’s Office at (414) 645-1530.
The following instructions describe how to complete the Property Registration form. Please make sure that all required information has been included prior to submitting the complete form.
Property Registration Instructions
Authorized Contact Person Verification Form
The Basic Process for Enforcement Action:
- Observation of the violation
- Notice of Violation (NOV) is delivered to the property owner
- If the violation is not corrected by the due date stated in the N.O.V., then a citation to appear in Municipal Court is issued. Each day that a violation continues is considered a separate offense and the Municipal Court may levy a fine for each offense. If the violation is not corrected, the Village may be forced to take action to abate the violation by having the rubbish removed, the grass cut, towing vehicles, etc., and then take legal action to recover associated costs.
Please contact the Property Maintenance Department at (414) 645-1530, Extension 129 with any questions. You may also email joseph.vanderlinden@westmilwaukee.org or richard.durica@westmilwaukee.org. Office hours vary, but for immediate assistance, please call the Clerk/Treasurer’s department at (414) 645-1530, Extension 0.
Most Common Property Maintenance Violations in the Village of West Milwaukee:
- Garbage and Rubbish Chapter 14 – Article VIII – Division 1
- High Grass and Weeds Chapter 90 – Article IV Grasses
- Inoperable and/or Unlicensed Motor Vehicles Chapter 82 – Article 2
- Parking on Lawn Chapter 98 – Section 98-93
- Exterior Building Requirements Chapter 14 – Article VII
All premises, exterior property, and interior of every structure shall be free from the accumulation of rubbish or garbage. Rubbish and garbage shall be disposed of in a clean and sanitary manner by being placed in an approved container. The owner of the property is responsible for providing approved containers. Complying with the above conditions should help curtail infestation of rodents, other animals, insects, and rodent harborage.
All premises, including vacant lots, shall be maintained free from weeds, grass, and plant growth in excess of six (6) inches in height. This does not include trees, shrubs, or cultivated (loosened soil around growing plants) flowers or gardens. Keeping the property free of high grass and high weeds will help curb rodent harborage.
Inoperable and/or unlicensed motor vehicle
No inoperable or unlicensed motor vehicle shall not be kept on any premises and no vehicle shall be on the premises in a state of major disrepair. Inoperable and unlicensed motor vehicles are attractive nuisances for children and can provide harborage for rodents. Indicators of an inoperable vehicle are: inoperable under its own power; without one or more wheels; without inflated tires; and more than one window broken.
Parking a motor vehicle on the front lawn
No vehicle should be parked on the front yard/lawn unless the vehicle is parked on an approved driveway or parking pad.
Exterior Building Requirements
The village board finds that there exists, and may in the future exist, within the village buildings or structures that are likely to affect, by reason of their maintenance or lack of maintenance, the health, safety, and general welfare of the citizens of this village. To prevent or correct the existence of such adverse conditions and to achieve and maintain such levels of building environmental quality as will protect and promote health, safety, and general welfare, it is declared that there is a need for the establishment of certain standards relating to the maintenance and repair of buildings, structures, and surrounding areas. It is further declared that failure to maintain buildings or other structures in a reasonable state of repair or to keep the exterior of buildings in a reasonably attractive condition affects the value of other properties in the area, and adversely affects the environment and living conditions in the area and that each of these conditions creates a public nuisance.