GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) – A Green Bay committee will give the police department six months to enact ways to try and curb public intoxication and littering in the downtown area.
During Monday’s Protection and Welfare Committee meeting, members voted unanimously to put a request by Alderman Guy Zima to consider prohibiting the sale of single cans or bottles of beer, along with single small bottles of alcohol from convenience stores and liquor stores.
Green Bay Police Chief Andrew Smith provided an analysis of crime statistics from 2015 on the number of tickets issues for public intoxication in the city.
“There were a total of 101 citations in 2015, 79 in the downtown area,” Smith said. “16 written warnings in 2015 with 13 in the downtown area.”
Smith says they’re hiring several new community police officers and will ramp up patrols to help deal with the problem, which includes littering and panhandling.
The chief also cited his consultation with long-time officers, who prefer the issuance of their “no serving lists” to businesses which currently take place twice a year. Statistics show that 34 people are currently on the no serve list and business plans require that employees and owners follow it.
Smith also revealed that in his discussions with private entities about the single-serve issue, they would be willing to contribute money for “cleanup crews” to patrol those areas where littering is deemed problematic and help take care of it.
Alderman Zima questioned the idea of adding to the police departments’ budget to tackle this issue which he maintains is connected with single serve sales.
Alderman Bill Galvin, a former Green Bay police captain, questioned the effectiveness of the “no serve” list and whether businesses routinely abide by it. Galvin also brought up if those private entities would rather donate that money for alcohol abuse treatment.
In the end, committee members decided to allow Chief Smith the 6 month period to enact his ideas to see if they work.
PEDAL PUBS
Right before the single serve item on the Protection and Welfare Committee agenda, members voted unanimously to put the brakes on drafting an ordinance prohibiting pedal pubs in Green Bay.
That came following community members voicing support for the four-wheeled quadricycles as a “tourist attraction” to the Broadway District.
“They don’t have the high volume of incidents that require them to be banned, that is out there, the perception,” says Will, who wants to operate a business. “The more people learn about these quadricycles, the more people are interested in them and want to have one in their community.”
Supporters in favor of more study on the issue also included Brian Johnson, executive director at On Broadway, Incorporated.
“The alcohol consumption is an issue in our community, but first and foremost I think we’re talking about a quadricycle, when we talk about things like bicycles and segues, I kind of view this in the same context,” Johnson explained. “When you look at active, vibrant downtown areas, having amenities like this draws people to downtowns.”
Committee members requested that city staff study the impacts of quadricycles in 3 other cities — Milwaukee, Madison and Minneapolis/St. Paul. The committee will revisit the issue at next month’s meeting.
