Oshkosh city council approves $1 million project to expand sex offender housing

By Brady Meyer

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    OSHKOSH, Wisconsin (WLUK) — The Oshkosh City Council is giving the go ahead for a county-owned housing facility for sex offenders.

Residential housing for sex offenders in Winnebago County has been in the works since early last year. After a meeting in Oshkosh Tuesday night, the last hurdle was cleared.

“These are individuals who’ve served their time, gone through treatment,” Oshkosh board member Lynnsey Erickson said. “Continuing treatment, under intense supervision, we can’t just throw these people away.”

The Oshkosh Common Council approved the city’s conditional use permit, meaning a facility in Oshkosh could soon house up to eight registered sex offenders. The $1 million project would be located off County Road Y in rural Oshkosh. At the location now is a home that holds only two sex offenders.

Erickson was one of the board members who approved the project.

“I personally did not defer this,” Erickson said. “I felt the county really did provide the information to us.”

But the plan did face some resistance. The vote was delayed from a Dec. 13 meeting after some board members were unsure if creating more space for offenders was a good idea.

“I understand that they’ve served their time, but these are some of the most sexually violent predators that have walked the face of the earth,” board member Matt Mugerauer said. “And they have a high chance of re-offense. I’m not a fan.”

Mugerauer expressed concerns about the high concentration of sex offenders in the city. But law enforcement and the city said those living in the building would be monitored.

“This location meets all the state requirements as well as the local requirements in terms of distance,” Oshkosh City Manager Mark Rohloff said. “We have to notice anybody within 1,500 feet. Obviously, the public’s aware of it, but it’s 1,500 completely contained within the Winnebago County’s property. “

Rohloff said discussion led to the chosen location. The site is also within a mile of the county sheriff’s office.

County Executive Jon Doemel made the initial proposal, which he says wasn’t easy.

“This is probably the hardest policy piece I had to push through the county board, to ask for a million dollars,” Doemel said. “I’m not asking for your support on this, I’m asking for your understanding.”

While the board will move forward with the project, Mugerauer is wary of the consequences.

“This is not the answer,” Mugerauer said. “A million-dollar investment is not the answer. It’s probably just the beginning. At some point someone’s got to stand up and say enough is enough.”

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