OSHKOSH (NBC 26) — The Oshkosh City Council will vote on an ordinance prohibiting alcohol in city parks this month. The ordinance is in response to complaints from businesses near Opera House Square Park.
- The Oshkosh Police Department recommended the ordinance after receiving complaints from downtown businesses.
- Representatives from the Business Improvement District, BID, were concerned about incidents in Opera House Square Park near the sundial downtown.
- The council will vote on the ordinance at their Nov. 26 meeting.
Drinking alcohol is currently legal in any Oshkosh city park during operating hours.
Oshkosh Police Chief Dean Smith is recommending a temporary ordinance to city council, which would prohibit drinking alcohol in city parks until March 31, 2025.
According to the Nov. 12 city council agenda, the ordinance was created due to complaints from businesses in the Downtown Oshkosh Business Improvement District.
The agenda says, “There have been incidents related to the consumption of alcoholic beverages particularly within the Opera House Square Park area.”
The ordinance would extend beyond Opera House Square Park to include all city parks because, according to the agenda, "Staff is concerned that regulating alcohol beverage consumption in a single or certain park while prohibiting it in others may simply drive the problem from one public location to another."
In 2022, Oshkosh expanded the freedom to drink alcohol with the Designated Outdoor Refreshment Area, which allows open containers in a certain area downtown Wednesday night through Saturday afternoon.
If the ordinance passes, DORA would continue as normal but the area would exclude city parks, including Opera House Square Park.
The current recommendation to the city council is to make exceptions for certain winter events, including the holiday parade.
November 12 was the first time the council read the ordinance, so, per the council’s rules, they would need to wait until the next meeting to make a final vote.
Chief Smith recommended council waive the rules and vote right away, but the council decided to follow the usual process. Oshkosh City Council will vote on the ordinance at its meeting on Tuesday, Nov. 26.
