here are the rules everybody knows. Stop at stop signs. Shovel the sidewalk. Don’t park in front of a fire hydrant.

And then there are the rules buried deep within the Village of New Glarus municipal code — the ones governing whiffle-ball golf, bicycle registration, architectural balconies, dead animals and exactly how far above your head a tree branch should be.

Municipal codes are necessarily detailed. Over decades, communities encounter situations that require rules, and those rules accumulate. The result is a written history of sorts — part public safety manual, part land-use guide and occasionally something that makes you say, “Wait. That’s actually in there?”

New Glarus 360 went digging.

Here are 17 of our favorites.

1. Done With Your Bicycle? Better Tell the Police

Registering bicycles with the New Glarus Police Department has long been part of village life. Perhaps a bit of an anachronism, but we all pretty much know its there. The more interesting part of the ordinance may be what owners are supposed to do when a bicycle’s useful life comes to an end.

Once registered, a bicycle’s registration is permanent. But if the bicycle is ever sold, dismantled or otherwise taken out of operation, the owner is supposed to notify the Police Department within 10 days. Or else.