Mayor’s Column July 29th, 2023
Rohn Bishop, Mayor of Waupun
Hello Waupun!
This week I had an exciting opportunity to join Fond du Lac County Executive Sam Kaufman, County Supervisors Michael Beer and Jon Venhuizen, along with County Parks Director Terry Dietzel for a walk through of the County Park. We discussed ideas for park improvements, new amenities, and beautification. In the near future, our county park will be getting some much-needed improvements! While in the very preliminary stages, the county is looking to replace the road, fix up the parking lot, add a walking path or trail, and new activities. We had a great discussion about what those might be, including horse shoes, pickle ball, basketball, and maybe even bringing back the band shelter! We also discussed some beautification options, including cleaning up the river bend to once again expose the WPA project, restore the old flag pole, and to install a nice welcome to Waupun County Park sign. I want to emphasize that this is just in the early stages of planning for the park, but that it was a great conversation and I want to thank County Executive Kaufman for getting our county park on the county’s list for improvements.
Another project we’ve begun is the process of reviewing city ordinances, as some are outdated, and some just don’t work. A few of the ordinances we’re reviewing include boat and campers in driveways and riding your bike on a sidewalk. Currently, you aren’t allowed to ride a bike on the sidewalk if you’re over 10 years old, but as a parent of young girls who lives on a narrow, busy street, I think we should tweak that. Pedestrians would always have the right to walk, and bikers would be required to yield to pedestrians, however, when you see how distracted drivers are nowadays, it might be safer to let kids-and maybe adults-ride on a sidewalk, at least on really busy streets locations.
As for boats and campers, during the summer months many residents just want to leave them in the driveway because they’re taking them out every weekend; because of that, it’s gotten hard to enforce the 48 hours rule. I’m looking to amend this to allow for boats and campers in a driveway, during summer months, for a longer time frame, allowing folks who go fishing a couple times a week or camping every weekend to utilize their driveway. We would still have limits and we wouldn’t allow a boat to be stored out front for a winter, but I think we can ease back a little to help folks in the summer.
We’re also at the very preliminary stages of beginning the 2024 City of Waupun budget process. My priorities are to add another person to our public works department. We’re down to 13 employees and we keep growing as a city. We add streets, green spaces, and now a new senior/community center, so we defiantly need more help over there. I’m also looking into funding the 18th police officer position to help ease overtime, part time help for the summer parks program, and pay raises.
A personal project of mine is working with the historical society to have a nice plaque or sign in the hallway at City Hall that will list all of Waupun’s Mayors and their years of service. Thanks to Zac Dickhut from the Historical Society, we learned that I’m probably Waupun’s 51st mayor, and I think it would be cool to have something that remembers everyone who served Waupun over our 184 years.
Thank you and stay cool!
Mayor Rohn
