Services Available to McFarland Residents
The Village offers comprehensive services and quality of resources to our residents. Public utilities and services, such as sewer, water, police, fire, cable 12, library, parks and senior services, contribute to McFarland’s overall quality of life, and often are a primary reason people choose to live in the Village. Below is a summary of the services the Village offers:
Water Supply
The McFarland Water Utility operates three active wells in the Village. The depths of these wells range from 500 to 800 feet, and output averages from 500 to 1,000 gallons per minute. The water system consists of a 750,000-gallon and a 500,000-gallon elevated water tank, and over 200,000 feet of water mains. On average, the water system pumps 700,000 gallons per day. The water hardness is roughly 350 parts per million, and the nitrate-nitrogen level is about 3 parts per million, safely meeting the public drinking standard of no more than 10 parts per million. Volatile organic compounds were detected in well #2, and it is no longer used. Chlorine and fluoride are added to the water system at each well house. The Village implemented a water system impact fee in 1998 to fund projects that will increase capacity to serve future development. The construction of the 750,000 gallon tank in 2000, as well as an anticipated fourth municipal well to be built in the next few years, will meet water system capacity needs through 2025.
Sanitary Waste Disposal
Households in the Village are served by the Madison Metropolitan Sewerage District (MMSD). The MMSD provides regional interceptors, while the Village provides and maintains local laterals in the sewer system. Regionally, The MMSD serves over 300,000 households in the Madison metropolitan area. The sewer system within McFarland is primarily gravity flow, but three sanitary lift stations, with a fourth and fifth in the planning stages, are operated by the McFarland Sewer Utility. Wastewater is treated at the Nine Springs Wastewater Treatment Plant located northwest of the Village. The Nine Springs plant is built with available liquid capacity to serve the metropolitan area beyond the year 2020.
Recycling
Recyclables are collected weekly in the Village under contract with Waste Management.
On-Site Wastewater Treatment
A limited number of properties not connected to the McFarland municipal sewer system are served by private on-site wastewater disposal systems. It is the Village’s goal to extend sanitary sewer service to those areas when appropriate.
Cemeteries
There are two cemeteries in the Village of McFarland. They are located at the corner of Holscher Road and CTH MN and at the corner of Broadhead Street and Marsh Roads.
Solid Waste Disposal
The Village contracts with Waste Management for weekly curbside collection of refuse and recyclables, and periodic collection of leaves, lawn waste, and chipping of brush for residential properties. Commercial and multi-family properties must contract directly for these services.
Waste Oil Drop Off Site
Residents can drop off waste oil at our Public Works Facility located at 5115 Terminal Drive.
Brush / Yard Waste Drop Off Site
The Village has contracted with the Bruce Company to allow Village residents to use their drop-off site located at 3395 Meier Road for brush and yard waste disposal. This site will be accessible for drop-offs of both yard waste and brush 24 hours per day, 365 days per year. The Bruce Company runs a large scale composting operation at this site which is a far more cost effective and environmentally sound way to productively recycle these waste products. Since Village residents will now be able to dispose of brush at any time, the curbside chipping schedule has been reduced from four times per year to three times to be held in May, September and November.
Christmas Tree Disposal
The Village contracts to have Christmas trees picked up. The chipping contractor will only make one pass through the Village. Place the cut ends of the tree toward the curb. Place all material curbside by 6:00 a.m. on the Monday of the collection week. If you set brush out after the chipping has taken place in your area, your brush will not be chipped until next spring. If you have any questions, please contact the Public Works Department at 838-7287.
Storm Water
The Village has separate storm water and sanitary systems, with the storm-water system maintained by the Public Works Department. All surface storm-water drains into Lake Wabesa, the Yahara River, or Lower Mud Lake. The storm-water system consists of wet detention basins, dry detention basins, and vegetated drainage-ways. Occasional flooding has occurred in some areas after storm events, particularly on south Valley Drive.
Police
The McFarland Police Department operates 24 hours per day with twelve full-time and six part-time officers, plus two clerical staff members. The Department is responsible for law enforcement, criminal investigation, patrol, traffic enforcement, police school liaison, community policing, crossing guards, and records management activities. The Police Department operates out of the Municipal Center, and its space needs are currently being met. As residential development increases in the City of Madison north of the Village, the department anticipates more mutual aid calls in areas outside of its jurisdiction, which may require the need for additional police officers in the future.
Fire Protection
The McFarland Fire Department provides fire protection, inspection, and education services to the Village, and, under contract, to portions of the Towns of Dunn and Pleasant Springs. The department is staffed by a part-time Fire Chief, a full-time Deputy Chief/Fire Marshal, and forty-five volunteers. Vehicles and equipment operated by the department includes two engines, an aerial ladder engine, two tanker trucks, a rescue squad, a brush truck, and a boat used for water rescue on area lakes.
Emergency Medical Services
The McFarland Emergency Medical Services Department provides emergency medical and ambulance services to the Village, and also to parts of the Towns of Blooming Grove, Dunn, and Pleasant Springs, by contract. The Department operates two ambulances with five full-time Village employees who serve as emergency medical technicians (EMTs) staffing the ambulances and one full-time director. Thirty-five volunteer EMTs serve on evenings, weekends, and holidays. The Department is certified to operate at the IV Tech level.
Library
Construction of the new public library, located at 5920 Milwaukee Street, was completed in December 2005. The 18,000 square foot building provides additional space needed to meet current and future usage demands. Other amenities include a community meeting room for 50 people, a separate children’s library and story time area, a local history room, group and individual reading and quiet study areas, a donations and book sale room, and an increased number of computers for public use. As a member of the Dane County Library System and the South Central Library System, the services of the library are available to any resident of the eight-county region through inter-library loans and visits.
Senior Services
The Department recently conducted a survey and focus group sessions to identify future senior programming needs in the community. Two of the most common needs expressed by those surveyed were a drop-in senior center and expanded transportation services to destinations in the larger Madison area. One of the Department’s long-range goals is to have a facility that would house its services and programs. The Village of McFarland, with funding support from Dane County and other municipalities, provides a Senior Outreach Services Department to serve older adults and people with disabilities in the Village and surrounding areas. Department staff members currently work out of the Municipal Building. Some of the programs offered include: Home Helpers, a program that provides volunteer help for home chores; a driver escort program that provides transportation for older adults; the Friendly Visitor Program; a low vision support group; Older Adult Education speakers and programs; MATC daytime classes; and Dane County Senior Olympics events. The McFarland Senior Citizen Group offers monthly social and recreation events, as well as several day trips throughout the year.
Youth Services
The McFarland Youth Resources Center, located at 5120 Farwell Street (in the strip mall) offers pool tables, computers/Internet, games, movies, field trips, sports equipment, and special events. Regular hours are from 3-6 PM during school days and 1-5 during non-school/summer days. There are several private organizations that provide sport and recreation programs for the Village’s youth population, as well as programs sponsored by the McFarland School District.
McFarland Cable Channel 12
McFarland has its own Cable channel which it utilizes as a tool to share information with the residents of our community. Cable 12 Provides "Live" gavel to gavel coverage of many Government meetings. Regular meetings including Village Board, Plan Commission and School Board are always covered and many other committee meetings are covered as well. In addition to government meeting coverage our cable channel continues to bring other community events into the homes of our residents including school events, parades and other community events. When programming is not playing the cable channel provides up to date information on community events including weekly schedule of government meetings and weather updates.
McFarland School District
The McFarland School District provides public education for students living within the Village and in portions of the surrounding area. All five of the district’s facilities are located within the Village limits, and serve children from pre-kindergarten through 12th grade. McFarland High School serves grades 9-12. Grades 6-8 are located at Indian Mound Middle School. Wabesa Intermediate School, which opened in 2000, serves grades 3-5. Grades 1 and 2 are located at the McFarland Primary School, while the pre-kindergarten and kindergarten levels are located in the Conrad Elvehjem Early Learning Center. As of 2000, there were 8,964 persons residing within the McFarland school district.
In the 2002/03 school year, district enrollment was 1,951 students. Total enrollment in the district has remained relatively stable over the past decade, with a slight decline over the past 5 years Enrollment is projected to continue to decline over the next 10 years. Assuming that the average trends in enrollment and grade progressions over the past decade will continue into this decade, one projection method forecasts a total enrollment of 1,717 students in 2009. When looking at more recent trends (1995 to 2000, and 1998 to 2000) two other projections show total enrollment of between 1,817 and 1,753 students.
Utilities
Electric Power, Gas and Telephone, anc Cable
Alliant Energy provides electricity and natural gas to most households in the Village. Madison Gas and Electric Company serves the Village north of Siggelkow Road. Telephone service is provided by Verizon. The American Transmission Company operates a power line that runs north-south along the Village’s east side. Cable television is provided to the Community by Charter Communications.
Telecommunication Towers
The Village of McFarland leases antenna and equipment space at its water towers to three different telecommunications carriers. Two additional telecommunications carriers are located on a private monopole on private property. The geographical distribution of these antenna sites provides cellular and personal communication service coverage of the Village and of the Interstate 39/90 and Highway 51 corridors.
Community Facilities
Public Works Facility
The Public Works facility is located on Terminal Drive, and was constructed in 1998. The building contains offices for the public works, parks maintenance, facilities maintenance, and the water and sewer utility departments. The facility is currently meeting the short- and long-term needs of these departments.
Municipal Center
The McFarland Municipal Center opened in early 2000, and houses most of the Village government offices. The 40,000-square foot facility, located in McFarland’s downtown area, contains space for the following departments: Administration; Cable 12; Community Development; Emergency Medical Services; Emergency Government; Fire; Municipal Court; Police; and Senior Outreach Services. Office and storage space is also provided to the Community Food Pantry, to staff of the McFarland Family Festival, and to the Joining Forces for Families program operated by Dane County Human Services. The Center includes overnight rooms for EMT staff. Public meeting spaces within the building are used by a wide variety of community groups. The building is currently meeting the space needs for each department, and it was designed to allow the addition of a second floor if additional space is needed in the future.
Community Pool
The Spartan Aquatic Center is our community pool. The Pool is an indoor pool located in the McFarland High School at 5103 Farwell Street. The pool offers various programs to residents of the McFarland School District including open Pool, Family Swim, Early Risers lap Swim, Water Exercises Classes, and the Fun and Fitness program
McFarland Community Fitness Center and Open Gyms
The McFarland Community Fitness Center is located in the new athletic facility of the McFarland High School. All adult community members and district staff are welcome to use this tremendous facility at the cost of $1.00 per visit. The Fitness Center hours are Monday Thur Friday mornings from 5:30 AM -8:00 AM. Opportunities also exists to workout and play in Open Gyms at the High School.
Post Office
The Village has it own Post Office. The Zip Code for McFarland is 53558. The Post Office is located in downtown McFarland. There are 3 collection box locations located in the Village.
Historical Society
For residents interested in learning about the rich history of our community we have the McFarland Historical Society. This building is located in downtown McFarland. The organization is run by volunteers and has regular hours during Sunday afternoons in the summer.