Mayor’s Column March 29, 2025
Rohn Bishop, Mayor of Waupun
Hello Waupun!
Last week the council approved a $15,000 Scope of Serivices agreement with VandeWalle for an Affordable Housing Strategy to be done for the City of Waupun. On Thursday I vetoed the agreement, sending it back to the Common Council in April for further review.
While I am a strong supporter of new housing opportunities due to housing storages and lack of affordability, I believe this decision needs community review and input. The agenda packet, which included the Vandwalle and Associates Inc. Scope of Services agreement was released on Friday for approval the following Tuesday. It was also presented at the Committee of the Whole which does not allow for public input. There have been comments and concerns posted to social media which has also caused confusion and fear that we’re bringing low income subsidized housing.
My veto sends the housing study back to the common council for their override consideration at the April meeting. It also gives all of us, and you, more time to ask questions and learn what the study is looking to accomplish.
I also have a concern that we’re approving a $15,000 study that is going to tell us what we already know; that we have a housing shortage. I will pledge to you that I will NOT be the Mayor who turns Waupun into Fond du Lac South. We are a very safe and well-kept city, and I’m committed to keeping it so. That is why I have directed city staff to be more aggressive with code enforcement. It’s why we’re now cracking down on slumlord properties, working on an ordinance to track empty properties, and are investing so much into a vibrant and busy downtown.
As for the timeline for the original passage, I’ll take responsibility and blame for it. I’ve been getting very frustrated, (probably more than I should be) at how dang slow government works, and my reaction is pushing too hard and too fast. This issue needs more time to be considered, and this veto will do just that.
Speaking of the frustrations I’ve had with how hard and slow government works, I’ll use the example of a new stop sign. In early February, a constituent asked me for a stop sign at an uncontrolled intersection. I said, “Sure, we can do that.” Thinking to myself that shouldn’t be hard, and we already own stop signs…. Well, there’s a process. First, the stop sign request has to go to the Police Department to research the crash history of the intersection. Then it goes to the Public Works Board, where an alderman asked about a Yield sign versus a Stop sign. Then that same alderman was concerned about the cost of installing the stop sign, and after 15 minutes or so, the board approved the stop sign request, that sent it to the March Council Meeting.
At the March Council Meeting I explained to the council where the Stop sign request came from and why. The council quickly approved the sign, but wait! We now have to approve an ordinance to give the Stop sign authority to stop you, and then that must be added to our ordinance book, and that’s not cheap.
Here’s the good news! We’re changing the process to streamline a future sign request. If the Board of Public Works and Council approve a new Stop sign, the sign will automatically have the authority to Stop cars, saving us both time and money.
When I look frustrated and tired, that Stop sign is just one of many stories I could tell. I try really hard to have the city working for you and give this job all I have.
Thank you,
Mayor Rohn
