MONROE — While reserving a spot along the Green County Cheese Days parade route used to be seen as a fond tradition, abuse of the practice and disagreements among residents has led to the adoption of an ordinance prohibiting the placement of items on a terrace before midnight the day of any parade.

Monroe Police Chief Fred Kelley said in recent years, the taxation of police resources over arguments between landowners and residents, as well as reports of stolen items, prompted the law change. In the past, it was a quaint, well-known fact that people could leave items along the route and find them intact days later, resting where they had been left by owners.

“That doesn’t happen anymore,” Kelley said. “If you put stuff out, it’s likely to get stolen or thrown into the street.”

He added that he believes it is mostly local residents who attempt to reserve “their spot.” He said it “seems hard to believe” visitors like those who drive from Chicago or other cities are lying blankets, roping off areas or placing chairs on the grassy area between the street and sidewalk up to a week before the parade.

The ordinance change was approved by Monroe Common Council after a public hearing June 5 at the downtown City Hall Annex. All nine aldermen voted for the amendment to code outlining obstructions and encroachments. 

The law was modeled after an ordinance used by the City of La Crosse because of its annual raucous Oktoberfest. Kelley said a police officer from Monroe works at the event each year and witnessed city employees driving around the parade route to pick up assorted items meant to hold a place and tossing them into a public works truck. Monroe requested a copy of the La Crosse ordinance and brought the proposed change to the city Judiciary and Ordinance Review Committee May 2, where it was recommended to council.

No members of the public were present to speak during the June 5 public hearing. 

Within the language of the city code, anyone can place items along a parade route after midnight on the day of the parade “…as long as such items do not interfere with such parade or are deemed to be a public safety hazard by the police chief or other designed law enforcement officer.”

Kelley said that officers won’t be scrutinizing sidewalks within the city minutes before the clock strikes the day of an event.

“It isn’t something we’re looking forward to enforcing,” he said.

However, if chairs and other items are put out on Wednesday or Thursday when a parade takes place Friday, they will be removed.

“That stuff is going to be gone,” Kelley said. 

During the 2016 Cheese Days festival, Kelley said a physical fight broke out between two people over chairs and other things that were moved. Kelley said the responding officer had to remind those involved that if the fight continued, they would miss the parade because they would be sitting in jail. 

Police resources have also been used to respond to complaints of stolen plastic lawn chairs. Other complaints come from property owners trying to maintain their lawn or downtown business owners trying to keep the front of their establishment free of clutter. The new law was needed, even if not everyone will agree with it, Kelley said.