As hearing looms, Bangstad mobilizes out-of-town support

As the hearing day approaches for the Oneida County zoning committee to consider suspending, amending, or revoking the administrative review permit for Kirk Bangstad’s Minocqua Brewing Company — revocation would shut his business down — Bangstad has mobilized scores of people to send emails and letters supporting his business.

Through an open records request, The Lakeland Times received copies of the correspondence received by Oneida County for supervisors; more might have been sent individually to supervisors.

A review of the correspondence showed a clear pattern: The vast majority were sent by those not residing in Oneida County, though most said they often visited the Lakeland area, or owned seasonal homes, and spent tourism dollars here; they overwhelmingly supported Bangstad both to stay in business and open a beer garden; and many said they were basing their support on information gleaned from Bangstad himself, either through the Minocqua Brewing Company (MBC) Facebook page or in other forms of communication.

A common theme in many of the emails was that the town and the county were “harassing” Bangstad because of his progressive political views, and that he was being treated unfairly compared to other existing businesses.

Only a couple of the missives supported shutting Bangstad down, and none of the emails reviewed by The Times addressed the county’s reasoning or justification for holding the hearing — alleged ongoing violations of the existing administrative review permit, which have resulted in multiple citations and enforcement letters.

Indeed, last month, Minocqua town chairman Mark Hartzheim told The Times that it seemed to him that the county was looking for reasons not to enforce the county code against Bangstad.

“From the town‘s perspective, it appears that the county is limiting itself to finding reasons not to enforce the conditions of the current ARP (administrative review permit) and code instead of reasons to enforce conditions and code,” he said. “The business has been in continuous violation of most of the conditions of its current permit for a year-and-a-half now which, according to the county itself, would invalidate the permit.”

After those remarks, the county scheduled the ARP revocation hearing, which is set to take place tomorrow (Wednesday July 26) in the county board room at the Oneida County Courthouse. At the June 28 meeting in which the committee directed county zoning director Karl Jennrich to schedule the hearing, Jennrich discussed with the committee “complaints received with allegations of violations of the Permit Conditions,” according to the meeting minutes.

“Evidence was obtained and enforcement letters sent,” the minutes state. “The property owner responded and corrected the violations. Complaints were again received with subsequent violation allegations and two (2) more letters were sent to the property owner. Staff investigated the allegations and informed the property owner of the ARP being placed on an agenda to discuss amending, suspending, or revoking ARP #2201108.”

Revocation of the ARP would shut Bangstad down. A separate hearing is being held August 2 for a conditional use permit for the property, which — if Bangstad is still in business — would allow for a beer garden on the site.

Many of the letters received by the county and reviewed by The Times came after the CUP hearing was scheduled — and thus were supportive of the beer garden — and before the notice of the revocation hearing was scheduled.

Mobilization

On the MBC Facebook page, Bangstad made multiple appeals to his followers to write and call county supervisors.

For example, in a July 15 Facebook post, MBC asked for help from those Minocqua business owners who “agree that the Minocqua Town Board and the Oneida County Zoning department have abused their power to stop us from building a beer garden by refusing to give us six parking exemptions while handing out 174 parking exemptions to other Island businesses over the last two years …”

MBC complained that the county was considering it a violation for letting customers sit and drink at “tables placed on a little concrete slab that is still ‘on-premise’ but could be considered ‘outside …’” 

The ARP does not allow for outside sales, hence the reason for the separate CUP application for a beer garden.

“If you think it’s absolutely ridiculous that a brewery in Wisconsin is not allowed to let people drink beer outside in the summertime, we need your help,” MBC wrote, saying it would ask its 75,000 Facebook followers to patronize businesses if they “write an email to the entire County Board and ask them to stop harassing us, and if you show up to support us at the hearing on July 26 where they plan to shut us down.”

The Lakeland Times’ review of the supporting emails did not find any strong show of support from current business owners, though it remains possible that some did write separately to supervisors and they escaped review. However, Bangstad’s Facebook followers did write emails, and plenty of them.

Most of those emails simply reiterated Bangstad’s publicly expressed point of view, many doing so after they said they saw his Facebook posts or after Bangstad otherwise contacted them. 

One couple from Westby, Tom and Sharon Sharratt, did ask for the other side. 

“We don’t own any stock or have a piece of the ‘action’ so to speak in that company,” the Sharratts wrote. “But we do believe in promoting local businesses. We’re on their mailing list, and we have been following their struggle for several years.”

The Sharratts acknowledged that they were getting only Bangstad’s narrative.

“His emails tell one side of the story about his feuding with the city officials (are they like us and don’t drink beer??),” they wrote. “We assume that he pays his property taxes on time and does employ some local people. But for some reason, the council members don’t want to encourage his business to succeed. There’s always two sides to a story, and we’d like to hear the other side if you have time to explain.”

Bangstad was only seeking parking permits that the town had “routinely denied,” the Sharratts wrote.

“We urge you to encourage his business by approving such parking spaces and get on with life in your beautiful part of Wisconsin,” they wrote. “While we may not always like our neighbors, we do try to get along with them. If you have reasons why the Minocqua Brewing Company is not a worthwhile business please share ‘the other side of the story’ with us. We’re good listeners.”

Dialing it up from 608

Some letter writers were engaged in nonprofit work, and many had downstate 608 area codes, which includes the city of Madison. That was the case with Claira Stollfus, who described herself as having an “MBA in nonprofit management.” Stollfus urged fair treatment for the MBC.

“I also heard that the same Town of Minocqua has given 147 parking exemptions to other Minocqua businesses, but refused to do the same for the Minocqua Brewing Company,” Stollfus wrote. “As a tourist, and as someone whose family owns a cabin in Hazelhurst, and whose partner owns land in Woodboro, I would love to see my favorite businesses in Minocqua treated fairly. If I saw that, I would be happy to spend more of my tourist dollars throughout the town and county.”

Liz Tucker said she was an “occasional tourist” to the area and, as many of the writers did, she accused the county of trying to  “destroy” the business because of Bangstad’s politics.

“Additionally, the news that there is now a hearing to revoke their permit to do business at all is distressing and appears to be part of a campaign to outright destroy a successful local business that undoubtedly brings tourists that spend money in several establishments while they are visiting the area,” Tucker wrote. “The continued attacks on the MBC certainly seem to be due to the political leanings of the owner, and are certainly not a ‘Pro Business’ approach that county boards tend to take.”

Tucker said the people should be able to decide Bangstad’s fate through their consumer choices.

“When a business is overtly political, people will choose to support them or not — and that support or lack thereof should determine their success or failure,” she wrote.

Susan McFaul wrote that she visited Minocqua a couple of times a month and only goes to the MBC because of the town’s harassment of Bangstad.

“We used to stop at the grocery stores, gas stations & restaurants but have been disgusted with the continued harassment of a successful local business that is known nationally,” McFaul wrote. “We have choices where to spend our money & it will not be in Minocqua until you provide MBC the same allowances & consideration given to other businesses. What’s next? Police arresting customers at MBC? Targeting folks who have the audacity to wear MBC T-shirts in public? Conducting home raids to see who purchased MBC beer? That is how we see Minocqua — a cute vacation town turning into a draconian & unwelcoming place that must be avoided.”

A writer simply called “tacoenthusiast” said officials were persecuting Bangstad.

“I believe that you are subjecting Minocqua Brewing Company to unfair persecution because you do not support their views,” tacoenthusiast wrote. “Oneida County has embraced the conservative party. Minocqua Brewing Company has embraced the liberal party. Because of this, I believe that Minocqua Brewing Company has been subjected to unfair treatment from the Oneida County Zoning Committee.”

As many did, Nicole Scott stressed the alleged preferential treatment of others while Bangstad suffered.

“Based on records, the City of Minocqua has given 147 parking exemptions to other Minocqua businesses but refuses to for Minocqua Brewing Company,” Scott wrote. “As a tourist, I would love to see one of my favorite establishments in Minocqua treated fairly.”

Benjamin Barlow, another writer with a ‘608’ area code, was defiant.

“I find it funny that you’re accomplishing next-to-nothing by putting these minor obstacles up in front of Minocqua Brewing Company,” Barlow wrote. “They’re going to be around tomorrow. They’re going to be around next year. They’re going to be around longer than your service to big government. You're doing nothing other than showing the world how the people in a small town can be big snowflakes.”

Robert Hoffman of Park Falls urged the committee to “stand up for what is right once and for all” and recognize that Bangstad had “insofar as humanly possible, complied with all aspects of the CUP requiring him to sell his product inside the establishment and not dispensing it outside.”

Comparisons to Jesus

Kim V. (email from Kay Vi) wrote that V. was appalled at how the town was treating a small business that was only asking to “exist, to build a business, and to be inclusive of any and all types of people.”

“Instead, they are met with slander, lawsuits, and pathetic attempts to shut down their ‘woke’ messages,” V. wrote. “If any of you are good Christians, you’d know that Jesus Christ himself was a poor, radical, Palestinian Jew that hung out with prostitutes, lepers, and the like. He was loving and accepting of ALL people, which is the exact message Minocqua Brewing Company is perpetuating. Why in the world is this business constantly being met with barriers created out of thin air and crooked politics?”

V. said the county was “creating a community of hate, which is entirely unchristian of you.”

Former Woodruff town supervisor Pat Bickner joined in with an email to zoning committee chairman Scott Holewinski and another to Timmons.

“It’s been a little disheartening to see how the Minocqua Brewing Company has been singled out for obstruction by the Minocqua town board because of the owner’s political activity,” Bickner wrote. “The Northwoods needs to be safe for multiple points of view. In local politics, more than anywhere else, it’s essential that differences of philosophy can be set aside so that neighbors support neighbors in their good faith and often precarious efforts to contribute to the community through owning and operating legitimate businesses.”

Bickner said the controversial “pork chop” was used by Z-Best for years without question. 

“It’s an awkward property that, as I recall, sat empty for a long time because nobody could figure out anything profitable to do with it,” she wrote. “Now a strong business has found an excellent use for it that will make it an asset to the town and the Lakeland area.”

Nina Pelo, writing to Woodruff town chairman Michael Timmons, said she had been following the situation for several years as a regular visitor to the Northwoods, and especially to Minocqua. But, Pelo wrote, she had noticed a troubling trend.

“Politics have grown to play a huge, and I believe detrimental part in the economy of the area,” Pelo wrote. “Not just partisan, but seemingly vindictive. The Town of Minocqua has repeatedly blocked parking [sic] 6 parking exemptions to Minocqua Brewing, while granting 174 to other businesses. The brewing company needs the exemptions to create a beer garden to increase enjoyment of their customers — by blocking the exemptions, the Town Board seems to be indicating that they don’t want ‘that kind’ of visitors to the area.”

Even Scott Walker weighed in on behalf of Bangstad. Dr. Scott Walker of Prairie du Chien, that is, not the former governor. Walker said Bangstad had told him about Bangstad’s efforts to establish a beer garden, and, “[f]or the sake of us tourists, please afford him the consideration that the law requires. I will be watching with great interest.”

Some local residents did weigh in, though they were by far fewer in number than non-locals. Sue Damske, writing to multiple supervisors, wrote that it “appears that this business is being harassed because of differing political views.” 

“I don’t understand not wanting additional tourism dollars,” Damske wrote. “My adult children who all live out of town and my visiting friends support this business. Thank you for your consideration.”

Nancy Heykes of On Point Consulting in Hazelhurst said the whole process had been hard to understand.

“It’s apparent from all the back and forth over the past year that decision-makers personally may not like the company, but in your collective governance role your responsibility is to let businesses rise and fall based on their products and services, not because you have permitted unfair and unneeded barriers to success,” Heykes wrote.

Toni Polfus of Lake Tomahawk asked supervisors to do the right thing and award The Minocqua Brewing Company the same parking exemptions that she said have been awarded to most other business that applied for them over the last two years. 

“Over the last two years, you have awarded 174 parking exemptions to practically every local business that has asked for them, but has consistently rejected the Minocqua Brewing Company request for the 6 exemptions needed to create enough space to build a beer garden,” Polfus wrote. “Please be fair, The Minocqua Brewing Company is a wonderful addition to our community.”

A few people opposed the MBC.

“Minocqua does not need a hateful beer stop,” Tom Meisenheimer wrote to supervisor Mike Roach on July 9.

One writer targeted alcohol as a reason to oppose the beer garden.

“I would like to thank you all for the nix on the beer garden in Minocqua,” Juli Bauer wrote. “There are far too many alcoholic establishments in Wisconsin which has become a state that promotes alcoholism.  Having parking would also encourage drinking and driving. I think you should treat ALL drinking establishments in this fashion. We need to combat the scourge of alcohol abuse for profit. We do not need tax income from these businesses.” 

Richard Moore is the author of “Dark State” and may be reached at richardd3d.substack.com.