Pleasant Prairie board denies residency exemption for Dennis Michael Knoeple

The Village of Pleasant Prairie Offender Residency Board denied a petition by Dennis Michael Knoeple (also known as Ronald Cooper) on April 17, 2026 to allow him to reside at 9004 24th Avenue, finding the address lies inside a child-safety zone established under the village ordinance.

Chair Paul Ratzberg opened the hearing and introduced the appeal (No. 2020). Knoeple, who testified to a yearslong history of substance use, prison sentences and subsequent recovery work with New Song Ministries, told the board, “I’m not the same person I was many years ago.” He described ongoing medical care after a heart attack and prostate cancer treatment, said he attends counseling, and stated he is subject to lifetime GPS monitoring and reporting requirements.

Pleasant Prairie Detective/Sergeant Kelly summarized Knoeple’s criminal history, noting convictions dating to the 1970s, earlier parole revocations and charges in 1993 (file 93 CF 5) that involved allegations of contact with minors. Sergeant Kelly told the board that Knoeple completed Department of Corrections supervision in June 2025 and that the department maintains GPS and registration requirements.

Assistant Village Administrator Tom Shursel read the pertinent ordinance language from Chapter 2.87 of the Village Code and showed the board the village’s restricted-area map. Shursel said the ordinance creates 1,500-foot ‘‘safety zones’’ around schools, licensed day-care centers, parks, trails, playgrounds and places of worship; areas shown in red on the map mark locations where certain offenders are prohibited from residing. He told the board the property at 9004 24th Avenue falls within that red area near Anderson Park, which the village and Kenosha stakeholders use for youth soccer tournaments and other activities.

Board members asked Knoeple whether his neighbors had been contacted and for a timeline of past probation and revoked supervision. He said he had previously been approved to live at another address through a City of Kenosha exemption and that his landlord, Mike Rogers, offered to rent the 24th Avenue property to him. The clerk read exhibits into the record, including Knoeple’s DOC discharge certificate (06/04/2025), letters from Pillar Health and New Song Ministries, certificates showing completion of cognitive- and anger-management programs, and prior city review documents.

After questioning and discussion about whether to deliberate in open session or close to consider medical and juvenile records, the board voted to move into closed session under the statutory provisions cited on the record. When members returned to open session, a board member moved to deny the petition. The motion was seconded and passed in a roll call vote. The board directed village staff to prepare a written decision; the clerk explained the applicant may file a notice of appeal with the village clerk within 30 days of the written decision.

Ratzberg, explaining his earlier concerns before the final vote, said the board must follow the ordinance and cautioned that allowing the applicant to live at the requested address would place him “out of compliance” with the village’s residency restrictions. Sergeant Kelly had earlier said the police department did not offer a formal recommendation on the exemption but provided the board with Knoeple’s registration and criminal record history for its consideration.

The board’s action was procedural: it denied this specific exemption request and ordered staff to draft the written decision. The hearing record will include the application materials and supporting letters; the record and the written board decision will provide the basis for any administrative appeal.