Erection of Telephone Booths on Public Property.
Milwaukee Code of Ordinances § 115-39
in effect115-39. Erection of Telephone Booths on Public Property.
1. No public utility, as defined in s. 196.01, Wis. Stats., which owns, operates or has under its management or control any plant or equipment, or part of a plant or equipment, within this state for the conveyance of telephone messages, shall erect, maintain or operate any public telephone booth on public property, including any permanent fixture upon which or within which a telephone is provided, except in accordance with this section.
2. Application for permission to install a public phone booth shall be made on forms provided by the department of public works. Such application shall state the name and address of the applicant and, if it be a corporation, signed by the proper officer or agent thereof. Such application shall have attached to it a sketch showing the proposed location of such phone booth with relation to the street lines and the building lines of adjacent buildings.
3. The applicant shall pay to the city treasurer the sum of $10 and a duplicate copy of the receipt of the city treasurer shall be attached to the application. Such fee is to cover the costs incidental to the regulation of the placing of public phone booths and the processing of such application. The applicant shall save the city harmless from all liability for damages and from all claims, actions and causes of action, and liens of any kind whatsoever, and from all costs, charges and expenses incurred in defending such suits or actions which may in any way arise out of the installation and maintenance of said booth or result therefrom.
4. The department of public works shall secure on said application the approval of the city engineer, and shall approve said application if the plans for such public phone booths conform to all ordinances and regulations of the city. No application shall be granted unless said booth is proposed to be lighted at applicant's expense and unless adequate access walks leading from the public sidewalk to said phone booth are to be provided at the expense of the applicant.
5. After approvals have been secured, the department of public works shall issue a permit for each booth so approved. Such permit may be revoked by the city at any time upon giving at least 30 days written notice to the public utility. The public utility may remove any booth on public property at any time upon giving at least 30 days written notice to the city. In the event of any such removal, the permit for such location shall be cancelled.
6. The public utility shall compensate the city for permitting said installation, on at least a quarterly basis, by payment of a commission at the same rate paid by the public utility to all other owners of property on which public booths are located, said payments to be forwarded to the city treasurer, who shall place said moneys in the general fund.
7. There shall be posted inside of or visibly upon the booth in a conspicuous space and in large type the telephone numbers of the police department and fire department together with a notice that “911” may be called in an emergency without customer charge by direction of the U.S. federal communications commission.
8. Upon a 48 hour notice in writing that a telephone booth including any permanent fixture upon which or within which a telephone is provided has been found to be out of compliance with this section, the telephone booth may be removed by the department of public works at the expense of the public utility if the telephone booth is not brought into compliance.
Source: City of Milwaukee Legislative Reference Bureau, Milwaukee City Charter and Code of Ordinances (city.milwaukee.gov master PDFs)URL: https://city.milwaukee.gov/ImageLibrary/Groups/ccClerk/Ordinances/Volume-1/CH115.pdf#page=25Fetched: 10/26/2026