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Ashwaubenon narrows loitering rule to focus on obstructive conduct; shelter leader urges services-first approach
Summary
The Village Board adopted a repeal-and-recreate of the loitering ordinance (O4-1-26) that narrows enforcement to conduct that obstructs pedestrian, vehicle or transit use and gives officers a 'move along' option; Terri Refsguard of NEW Community Shelter urged the board not to criminalize homelessness and encouraged officers to connect people to services.
The Ashwaubenon Village Board on April 28, 2026, adopted ordinance O4-1-26, a repeal-and-recreate of Chapter 9, Article 1, Section 7 (loitering). The new language narrows loitering rules to focus on conduct that obstructs pedestrian, vehicle or transit access, adds transit-stop interference provisions and explicitly allows officers to order individuals to move along before pursuing enforcement.
The change was presented at the request of the Green Bay Transit director and modeled in part on similar ordinances in Green Bay and De Pere. Staff said the revision removes broad, presence-based prohibitions and replaces them with conduct-based standards tied to obstruction, interference with business activities and transit operations.
A shelter perspective The board read for the record a letter from Terri Refsguard, CEO of NEW Community Shelter and a Green Bay Metro Transit commissioner, who asked the board to "broaden that lens, consider our children, our elderly, and our neighbors with physical or mental disabilities" and to avoid criminalizing homelessness. Refsguard wrote that a loitering ordinance should be a framework for officers to engage people and connect them with professionals and services rather than a tool for punishment.
Board action The ordinance was presented to the Public Works and Protection Committee with a recommendation for approval and was adopted by voice vote at the April 28 meeting. The adopted language removes certain school-ground references and prowling-related wording now covered under separate state statutes, and aims to reduce ambiguity for enforcement officers.
