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Building Inspection

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1. How do I schedule an appointment?

View the schedule an inspection webpage for more information.

2. What kind of projects require permits?

View the projects requiring permits webpage for more information.

3. What do I need to have inspected during my project?

View the required inspections webpage for more information.

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Clerk

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1. How do I apply for a liquor license?

View the alcohol licenses webpage for more information.

2. Where do I find information about property assessment?

View the property assessments webpage for more information.

3. How do I make a public records request?

View the requesting records and information webpage for more information.

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Community Services

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1. The weather is inclement, is our child’s program still being run as scheduled?

Please call our weather hot line at (608) 333-7910 in case of inclement weather and find out what scheduled programs are canceled.

2. If I have a Waunakee address, why am I considered a non-resident?

If you live in the townships of Westport, Dane, Vienna, or Springfield, you are considered a nonresident because you pay taxes to the respective township and/or vote there. If you pay taxes to the Village of Waunakee or vote in the village, you are considered a resident.

3. Is the weather line updated daily?

No, only when the weather is bad.

4. When does the next program guide come out?

The village publishes four newsletters a year and in each of those newsletters is our program guide. They come out the first week of March, June, September, and December.

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Military & Overseas Election

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1. Who is a military voter?

A military voter is:

• Any member of the U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, or Coast Guard, the Commissioned Corps of the Federal Public Health Service, or the Commissioned Corps of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
• Civilian employees of the United States and civilians officially attached to a uniformed service who are serving outside the United States
• Members of the United States Merchant Marine
• Peace Corps volunteers
• Spouses and dependents of those listed in the above categories residing with or accompanying them

Note: Military electors who are on active duty away from their primary residence (active-away) are subject to special procedures, including later absentee ballot request deadlines and voted ballot receipt deadlines.

2. Who is an overseas voter?

An overseas voter is a U.S. citizen who:

• Is not disqualified from voting under Wisconsin Statue Section 6.03
• Has attained or will attain the age of 18 years old by the date of an election, at which the citizen proposes to vote
• Does not qualify as a resident of this state under Wisconsin Statue Section 6.10, but who was last domiciled in this state or whose parent was last domiciled in this state immediately prior to the parent's departure from the United States
• Is not registered to vote or voting in any other state, territory, or possession

Note: If an individual is temporarily overseas on election day, that individual may register and vote like any other elector and is not considered an overseas elector.

3. How do military and overseas voters register?

Military electors are exempt from registration. Overseas electors must register to vote, but are not required to provide proof of residence. Please note that the Federal Post Card Application (FPCA) serves as both a voter registration and absentee ballot request.

4. How do they request absentee ballots?

Military and overseas electors may request a ballot by mail, fax, or email. Most electors have until 5:00 PM on the fifth day before the election to make a request. However, military electors who are active-away have until the fourth day before the election to make a request.

If the request is by fax or email, an original absentee application bearing the voter’s signature must be received by local election officials no later than the deadline to receive the ballot from the elector. The original absentee application is typically included in the carrier envelope containing the voted ballot, which is placed inside its own security envelope.

5. How do military and overseas voters get their ballots?

Military electors are eligible to receive a full ballot at any election. Overseas electors may vote for federal offices only.

In either case, the ballot is mailed, faxed, or emailed per the voter’s request. If the voter does not specify the means of transmission, the clerk may send the ballot via whatever means are practical to expedite receipt of the ballot by the voter.

Local election officials are encouraged to make use of the Federal Voting Assistance Program’s Electronic Transmission Service (ETS) for overseas faxes to reduce costs. ETS will also forward emails to military and overseas citizens. Please view the ETS manual for details.

6. What if the absentee ballot doesn't arrive in time?

Military or overseas voters who do not receive their ballots in time may use the Federal Absentee Write-in Ballot, which is available online and at U.S. embassies. Please consult the directory of U.S. Embassies websites for embassy locations and information.

7. How do they return their ballots?

All voted ballots must be returned to election officials, so they can be delivered to the polling place no later than 8:00 PM on election day, with the exception of fall elections for active-away military electors who only need to have the ballot postmarked by election day. The ballot must still be received by election officials no later than seven days after the partisan primary and no later than 10 days after the general election.

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Municipal Court

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1. What will happen if I don't appear at my Initial Court Appearance?

The court will enter a no contest plea and find you guilty. A default letter will be mailed to your last known address with a due date and another court appearance for a Good Cause Hearing. You will need to appear at this hearing only if you do not have the total forfeiture paid for your citation(s) to avoid further penalties.

2. Can I plead not guilty prior to my Initial Court Appearance?

Yes. All requests need to be made in writing (signed and dated) and in the courts possession at least 24 hours prior to your scheduled Initial Court Appearance; otherwise you will need to appear in court in front of the Judge to make your plea of not guilty.

3. What if I need an extension to pay my forfeiture owed to the Waunakee Municipal Court?

If you appeared for your Initial Court Appearance, you were given a future court date to appear for a Good Cause Hearing, you need to appear at that date to ask for an extension.

If you missed your Initial Court Appearance, you were mailed a default letter with a future court date to appear for a Good Cause Hearing, you need to appear at that date to ask for an extension.

4. How can I get into contact with the Village Attorney?

Please contact the Court Clerk at (608) 849-4573 or at jsorenson@vil.waunakee.wi.us and she will assit you.

5. What if I need an extension to complete a court ordered alcohol or drug assessment, community service hours, or Alive @ 25 Program?

Please call the Waunakee Municipal Court at (608) 849-4573 and speak with the court clerk and she will grant a one-time only 60-day extension to you.

6. I received a letter stating that my citation(s) have been turned over to a collection agency, what do I do now?

Please call HE Stark Collection Agency at (608) 274-7764 and they will be able to help you.

7. I received a letter from the Department of Motor Vehicles stating my driver's license is suspended for 2-years for failure to pay a forfeiture, what do I need to do to get my license back?

You will need to pay your forfeiture in full and the court clerk will lift the 2-year driver's license suspension. This will take 24-48 hours once payment is received for the Department of Motor Vehicles to lift the suspension off your record. At that time you can go and reinstate your driver's license with the Department of Motor Vehicles. Please note this must be done and there are fees for this as well.

8. I received a Summons to appear in Court, if I pay prior to the Court Appearance, do I still need to appear in Court?

No.

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Police

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1. How do I obtain a copy of a report?

Records are available for request and/or inspection Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM, excluding holidays.

2. How do I contact the Waunakee Police Department in a nonemergency situation?

For nonemergency situations please call (608) 849-4523. Since we only have two office staff, office hours vary. When the office is closed, phone calls are answered by the Dane County Communication Center.

3. How can I receive the Waunakee Police Department newsletter?

Request to receive the Police Department newsletter by emailing the newsletter staff.

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Property Assessments

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1. What is a property assessment?

A property assessment is a value placed upon your property by the assessor. This value determines what portion of the local property tax levy will be borne by your property. Your property assessment is an estimate of the fair market value of your property.

2. What is the role of the assessor?

The assessor is a state-certified professional whose duties are to discover, list, and place a value on all taxable real and personal property in the village in a uniform manner. The assessor is not involved in the collection of the property tax.

3. Does Waunakee have a municipal assessor?

No. The Village of Waunakee has contracted with Associated Appraisal Consultants Inc.to assess real and personal property for all taxable properties within the village.

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Senior Center

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1. Are there volunteer opportunities at the Waunakee Senior Center?

Yes, there are many volunteer opportunities available at Waunakee Senior Center. We appreciate the help of volunteers in many areas. The following are volunteer opportunities:

• Home delivery drivers deliver meals to individuals throughout our service area.Nutrition site volunteers assist the nutrition site coordinator with our on-site meal service program.
• Reception desk volunteers greet people, answer phones, and perform some light clerical duties as needed.
• Volunteer driver escorts provide transportation to and from medical appointments.

Waunakee Senior Center volunteers are registered through Retired Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) of Dane County. Becoming an RSVP volunteer is a simple and easy process. To learn more about available volunteer opportunities or to apply to become a volunteer, please call (608) 849-8385 and ask to speak with our volunteer coordinator.

2. Does the Waunakee Senior Center serve meals?

The Waunakee Senior Center is a Dane County nutrition site. Meals are served Monday through Friday at 11:30 AM at the Senior Center, and meals on wheels are delivered Monday through Friday.

Qualified seniors 60 years of age or older may be eligible to receive a home delivered meal. Home delivered meals are determined by the county to be valued at $6.35 and on-site meals are valued at $6.10. Please donate what you can afford for these meals.

A reservation must be made by 2:00 PM the day before to eat at the meal site or to receive meals on wheels (Monday meals must be ordered by 2:00 PM on the Friday before). Cancellations should also be made the day before by 2:00 PM. Transportation to and from the Senior Center to attend meals is available.

Portions are ample and you are free to take home any of your meal that you do not eat, but you must provide your own containers. Call (608) 849-8385 to make a reservation and for more information.

3. What can a Case Manager help me with?

A Case Manager’s primary objective is to advocate for seniors. The program provides the services, opportunities, and resources seniors require to remain independent. As advocates we develop a professional relationship that promotes autonomy. We are able to assess needs and provide support that allows seniors to remain safely in their homes for as long as possible. Case management services include the following:

• Caregiver services and respite care


• Connection to wellness programs


• Contact made through home visiting


• Federal and county programs


• Financial management


• Home delivered meals


• Senior housing options


• Supportive home chore


• Transportation service

Waunakee Senior Center has two case managers available to help you with your needs. If you would like to speak to a case manager, please contact us at (608) 849-8385 and request an appointment with the case manager assigned to your service area.

• Candice Duffek serves those that live within the Village of Waunakee.


• Melissa Woznick serves those that live in the Town of Westport, the Town of Springfield, the Village of Dane, and the Town of Vienna.

4. Can I participate in activities and programs at the Waunakee Senior Center?

If you are 55 years old and older, feel free to join us anytime. You do not have to live in the Village of Waunakee to participate and there is no membership fee. There are residency requirements for certain services, including:

• Case management services
• Meals on wheels
• Transportation

If you would like to see what the Waunakee Senior Center has to offer, please take a look at our monthly Silver Notes newsletter. For more information, please contact us at (608) 849-8385.

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Waunakee Fire Department

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1. How can I obtain a burning permit?

Burning permits can be obtained Monday through Thursday, from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM by calling (608) 849-5488, emailing the Fire Inspector, completing this online form, or stopping by the Fire Department at:
401 W. Second St.
Waunakee, WI 53597

Please note that you must receive a response and okay in order to burn. For more information, please view the burn permits webpage.

2. What is involved with volunteering as a firefighter?

All 38 members of the Waunakee Fire Department (WFD) are volunteers. We all carry emergency pagers. The State of Wisconsin requires new firefighters to attend 60 hours of formal classroom and hands-on training before they can respond to fire emergencies. This training is paid for by the department.

In addition, the department encourages firefighters to continue in other advanced emergency / fire state certified courses and these are also paid for by the department. We have training on just about every Monday night of the year.

For more information regarding volunteering as a firefighter, please contact the WFD by calling (608) 849-5488. Even if we are not hiring, we hold applications for future consideration.

3. How can I make a donation to the Waunakee Fire Department?

Please view the donations webpage for more information.

4. Is somebody always at the fire station 24 hours a day, 7 days a week?

No. But don't worry, we are still VERY fast. Here's how it works:

WFD staff responds from home, work or from out-and-about. We all carry special emergency pagers which are a direct line of communication with Dane County Public Safety - 911 Dispatch. When you call 911 for an emergency, we are often paged before you are off the phone with the operator. We are fortunate that many of our staff live very close to the fire station and are able to respond to the station within 1-2 minutes. This allows WFD to have a fire truck out the door, on the way, within 4 minutes. To put that in perspective, City of Madison Fire Department, who is paid full-time and does staff 24-7, typically takes 2 minutes to respond out the door.