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Mifflin neighbors to meet tonight
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by Cara Harshman
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
A University of Wisconsin junior taking the lead to clarify the rules and regulations at the annual Mifflin Street Block Party is calling on all students to attend a neighborhood meeting tonight.
Representatives from the Madison police and fire departments will attend the meeting, hosted by Ald. Mike Verveer, District 4, to give residents on Mifflin Street a better idea of how to appropriately conduct their parties at Saturday’s event.
Tom Wangard, the UW student spearheading the “save the music” effort to persuade cops to lighten up on noise ordinance citations, will present his petition with more than 150 signatures to police as proof of the strong student sentiment to ease up on noise regulations for the event.
“We need a big student turnout because that’s the only way we’re going to impress the city enough to change anything,” Wangard said.
Wangard said his main objective is to figure out a legitimate definition of “reasonable noise,” arguing the three-house rule is too subjective.
“I hope there is a compromise we can come to so we can have fun and [police officers] can do their thing,” Wangard said.
MPD Captain Mary Schauf said a noise citation or a warning is possible if officers can hear music from a house three houses away.
UW sophomore Matt Krco lives on the 500 block of Mifflin Street and said the three-house rule “seemed a little ridiculous because it is pretty common to hear music from more than three houses away.”
Thinking of hosting a band at his house party, Krco contacted the MPD to inquire about the rules. He said police told him about the three-house rule and the fact that residents are responsible for anyone who might drift onto their property to watch the band.
“You can get ticketed for people drinking on your property even if you have no idea who they are,” he said.
Krco said this rule was off-putting and has since decided to have a closed-door “small-scale party” with some good friends.
UW junior Megan Horvath also lives on the 500 block of Mifflin Street and plans to attend Verveer’s meeting to find out how she can avoid receiving hundreds of dollars in fines come Saturday afternoon.
“I just want to find out the safest way I could possibly not get in trouble in this whole thing,” Horvath said.
Horvath and her roommate Julie Ebler received a $170 noise violation this fall while preparing for a UW football game, something Ebler was confused by because she said “there are a ton of loud houses by Camp Randall.”
“I’m hoping the noise violations won’t be that much of an issue,” Horvath said. “I mean it’s Mifflin. We’re supposed to be a party street.”
Ebler said her house would inevitably host a party.
“I just hope the cops realize we are trying to have a good time and not cause problems,” she added.
The meeting is open to all Madison residents and will be held at the Madison Senior Center, 330 W. Mifflin St., tonight at 7 p.m.
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