Oshkosh staff brief council on Act 73 changes, recommend ordinance updates for liquor licensing

Oshkosh City staff on Thursday walked the City Council through statewide changes from Wisconsin’s Act 73 and outlined recommended updates to local licensing rules, including how full-service retail (FSR) outlets and quota licenses will be handled during the upcoming renewal cycle.

City Manager Rebecca Grill told council members the presentation was intended to summarize Act 73 changes, explain how full-service retail outlets work and to propose next steps for renewals, surrenders and ordinance revisions. “The state has established a division of alcohol beverages,” Grill said, adding that municipalities will see new application forms and longer notice windows for license changes.

The briefing matters because Act 73 alters definitions and allowances that affect bars, breweries, distilleries and event organizers — and because Oshkosh holds a limited number of quota (Class B tavern) licenses. Staff recommended codifying parts of the application and review process, clarifying where community development, police, fire and health reviews fit in, and updating local code language that relied on conditional approvals now undercut by a federal court decision.

Among the state changes staff reviewed, Grill said fermented malt beverages now explicitly include seltzers and similar products and that Class C wine licenses no longer must operate as restaurants — moves that could let some businesses operate under less-expensive licenses. She also noted a new statewide bartender credential and expanded ability to transfer quota licenses within a county…