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Platteville public intoxication ordinance passes
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Public intoxication in Platteville was banned in about as much time as it takes to drink a shot of liquor.

Without discussion, the Platteville Common Council voted 6–0 July 9 to enact the state’s third public intoxication ordinance.

The ordinance is based on public intoxication ordinances in La Crosse and Menomonie, two cities with UW four-year campuses, like Platteville.

The ordinance is based on four definitions, which define public intoxication by a person’s behavior rather than a person’s level of intoxication:

•     “Intoxicated person”: someone whose “mental or physical functioning is substantially impaired as a result of the use of alcohol, drugs or another controlled substance.”

•     “Incapacitated person”: Someone who, because of the use of alcohol or drugs, “is unconscious or whose judgment is so impaired that he or she is incapable of making rational decisions,” as demonstrated by “extreme physical debilitation, incoherence or physical harm or threats of harm.”

•     “Public place”: Includes schools, churches and businesses.

•     “Public nuisance”: A public “disturbance of the peace,” including “endangering himself or herself or other persons or property,” acting “unruly” or “combative” or with excessive noise, refusing to follow a police officer’s instructions, and refusing to leave a business at the direction of a business owner or employee.

Penalties for violating the ordinance would start at $100, which would become $263.50 after a $26 penalty surcharge, $23 jail and crime lab drug surcharge, $89.50 Justice Information System Surcharge/Court Support Service Surcharge, and $25 circuit court costs.

In addition to being ideally “a deterrent to the overconsumption of alcohol,” Police Chief Doug McKinley said in June the ordinance would help recoup the labor costs of tying up officers “babysitting” intoxicated people.

A public intoxication ordinance was one of six proposals the council chose in March to deal with issues generated by Second Street bar patrons. The six were the consensus out of a list of 17 proposals developed during meetings between Second Street bar owners and city officials.

The other five proposals, on which the council has not taken action yet, include:

•    Requiring bars to have electronic recording devices to check IDs.

•    Requiring the city Licensing Committee to review police reports of incidents occurring at businesses with liquor licenses. The committee could create standards for when to suspend or revoke a liquor license.

•    Issuing underage-drinking citations to the business and the employee who serves the underage-drinker.

•    Blockading part of Second Street on Friday and Saturday nights.

•    Selecting a location where taxis and designated-driver vans can pick up and drop off those visiting Second Street.