Board extends park closing to 11 p.m. for July 3 and Sept. 19 events to allow orderly dispersal

The Waukesha City Parks, Recreation and Forestry Board on June 16 voted unanimously to extend park closing times to 11 p.m. on Thursday, July 3, and Friday, Sept. 19, with the same extension to apply to any rain dates. The change is intended to allow staff to manage safe and orderly disbandment after the events, which will end at 10 p.m. Motion by Alderman Wells, second by Eric Huemer; the motion passed unanimously.

Reason for the change: Mark Thompson, the department's new Recreation Services Manager, told the board the extension is not to keep events running later but to give staff time to clear the park after events end at 10 p.m. “The extension is to allow for safe and orderly disbandment of the events,” Thompson said, adding that staff would remain in the parks until 11:00 p.m. to ensure people exit safely.

Scope and approvals: Board members noted the city ordinance currently sets standard park closure at 10 p.m.; the board has historically approved temporary extensions for occasional large events such as fireworks and Oktoberfest. Thompson said equipment and operations planning will cover the extended hour and that staff requested the rain-date extensions as well.

Procedure and outcome: Board members voted to approve the two dates and corresponding rain dates. Staff confirmed that the extension is executed at the board level for occasional events and that operational staff will staff the parks to manage dispersal.

Quote: Mark Thompson, Recreation Services Manager, said: “The events will be ending at 10:00 p.m. The extension is to allow for safe and orderly disbandment of the events. We will have people in the parks until 11:00 to get everyone safely out of the parks.”

Implementation notes: The board's approval applies to the two specified event dates and their rain dates for 2025; staff will coordinate operational details, including personnel coverage and public notice for affected parks.