The Oconto County Land & Water Resources Committee of the Oconto County Board of Supervisors held a public hearing on February 9, 2026 at the Northern Zoning on the proposed text amendments to Chapter 14 Oconto County Zoning Ordinance of the Oconto County Code of Ordinances to clarify ordinance standards for use of recreational vehicles and camping units. The scheduled 10:15 am public hearing actually started at 11:20 am because of the duration of the previous scheduled hearing.
The room was filled to capacity with about 100 land owners in attendance. Oconto County Planning, Zoning & Solid Waste Department Head Patrick Virtues started the public hearing by providing some background on the ordinance, primarily the camping section. Previously, the committee looked at other county ordinances and primarily modeled the proposed changes from the ordinance that Forest County updated four or five years ago. He also noted that all the towns were notified of proposed changes and presented their comments at the last meeting.
Members of the audience requested that the ordinance be read aloud. Virtues provided a recap of the proposed changes to the ordinance. He read the first paragraph of the ordinance, “Recreational vehicles/camping units may be parked or stored on the owners’ home premises as an accessory use provided no permanent living quarters or business use is conducted herein. Such units shall be permitted to be stored within a garage, carport, or accessory structure or in the rear or side yard areas of developed parcels of land, provided setback standards are met. A maximum of three recreational vehicles/camping units may be parked or stored on the owners’ home premises. The recreational vehicles/camping units shall be in a road ready or storage mode position. Road ready/storage mode means no utility connections, windows, doors, bumpouts closed and not used for sleeping purposes. Units shall not be stored on undeveloped parcels.”
Other aspects of the proposed changes to the current ordinance include that recreation vehicles/camping units shall not remain on an undeveloped parcel lot or premises more than 30 consecutive days. The current ordinance allows 60 consecutive days provided that a temporary use permit is obtained and an approved sanitary facility is provided. Annual placement of a recreational vehicle/camping unit is allowed with issuance of an annual temporary land use permit and sanitary permit for an approved sanitary facility.
Comments from the audience were heard including from the first speaker who stated that the Townsend Town Board has completed a thorough review of the Oconto County RV ordinance and has submitted a letter of disapproval concerns regarding the time fame and that Townsend is primarily a recreational area and relays on tourism that differentiates Townsend from the southern part of Oconto County. The first speaker also noted according to the Town of Townsend, the ordinance would be difficult to enforce. He added that other counties do not mention of removal requirements for a specific number of days.
Brenda Carey-Mielke, the Chairperson of the Town on Mountain stated that she is speaking on behalf of the Town of Mountain, a northern community that that includes some of county’s most important tourism and recreational and seasonal uses areas . She stated some of the concerns of both the Town of Mountain Zoning Committee and the Town Board. Carey-Mielke said, “This proposal represents a significant shift in policy, one that restricts long standing, lawful use of private property and houses new financial and administrative burdens on residents and visitors and assigns enforcement responsibly to the Town Chairs that are neither appropriate or workable.” She added, “The most impactful change is the reduction of allowable RV or trailer use on undeveloped parcels from 60 days to 30 consecutive days.”
Andrew Stemp, the Town Chairman for the Town of Doty, the Assistant Fire Chief for the Town of Doty and an EMT for Mountain Ambulance, thanked the Board for taking the Town’s written comments. Stem commented, “The biggest issue that I have is the storage, whether someone stores it in a garage, and hence you do not know what they are doing in the camper, or next to the garage, behind the garage or in a field, it should all be treated the same.” Stemp’s concern was about health and safety and that all of these places need fire numbers. He added, “You don’t know how difficult it is a 2:00 am to try to find someone in an ambulance, in a camper in the woods where you have no clue where you are going. Just down some road, some driveway.” Stem added, “The Town of Doty has had multiple issues with campers ranging from animal neglect, animal abuse, suicide, sex crimes against children,” He continued, “The issue is people living up here year-round with no electricity, no heat, no running water and no septic.”
The Oconto County Land & Water Resources Committee did not take any formal action from the comments at the February 9, 2026 public hearing. At some point, it will have to go to the full County Board for adoption. The next Oconto County Board meeting is scheduled for February 19, 2026 at 9:00 am.
Published on: Feb 10, 2026 at 10:14 am