Remember way back when Pokemon GO was at its peak? In those days, a bit of news hit the scene when Milwaukee County officials had a beef with Niantic Labs. They didn’t think the app should be allowed to operate with county limits without a permit. If you missed that bit of news, you can find a refresher here on this site.
Oh, and here’s the original news story that circled around.
If you thought that this all went away when Pokemon GO lost a lot of steam, I wouldn’t blame you. I thought the exact same thing. Without hundreds of trainers flocking to the parks at all hours of the day, why would these government officials give the game even a second glance. Despite all of that, Milwaukee County is still at it.
The County Board for Milwaukee is set to meet on February 2. This meeting is to pass an ordinance forcing games like Pokemon GO to attain a permit in order to operate. To be fair, the ordinance is a way to stop future apps from putting them in a tight spot.
You can take a look at the ordinance below.
Virtual and location-based augmented reality games are not permitted in Milwaukee County Parks except in those areas designated with a permit for such use by the Director of the Department of Parks, Recreation, and Culture. Permits shall be required before any company may introduce a location-based augmented reality game into the Parks, effective January 1, 2017. The permitting application process is further described on DPRC’s website for companies that create and promote such games. That process shall include an internal review by the DPRC to determine the appropriateness of the application based on site selection, protection of rare flora and fauna, personal safety, and the intensity of game activities on park lands. Game activity shall only occur during standard park hours, unless otherwise authorized by the DPRC Director, who has the authority to designate special events and activities within the Parks outside of the standard operational hours.