MBC injunction hearing postponed in Oneida County court

An injunction hearing in Oneida County circuit court regarding a conditional use permit (CUP) for Kirk Bangstad, owner of Minocqua Brewing Company (MBC), is scheduled for this Friday, June 20.

The hearing in front of judge Mary Sowinski was originally scheduled for June 13 but was, according to Oneida County corporation counsel Mike Fugle, removed from that day’s court docket. 

“To move this along as quickly as possible, the County will file (a) new complaint and re-file the Injunction Motion in that new case,” an email from Fugle’s office read. “Minocqua Brewing Company will have until Friday June 20, 2025 to file a response.”

Sowinski, the email stated, will rule on the injunction motion by the end of the day, Friday, June 20. 

Bangstad’s original CUP, approved by the Oneida County board’s planning and development committee in October, 2023, was revoked by the committee less than a year later in July of 2024 because conditions in the CUP hadn’t been met. 

In February of this year, the Oneida County board of appeals upheld the planning and development committee’s decision and Bangstad then took the matter to federal court. 

A federal judge ruled against him there and the matter was brought back to Sowinski in Oneida County. 

In the meantime, Bangstad has kept the business open despite not having a CUP, racking up thousands of dollars in fines and citations in the process.

He also filed with Oneida County a new CUP application which the planning and development committee denied on June 11 following a public hearing. 

Brian Jopek may be reached via email at [email protected].