WAUPUN — Flagpoles at the Veterans Memorial Wall are to be moved out of a new electrical easement as requested by the American Transmission Company (ATC).
The Waupun Plan Commission approved new easements for the electric transmission lines going over the Mill Pond and Shaler Park, which was brought to the Special Common Council meeting held November 25, 2025.
American Transmission Company replaced the previous power lines with larger, more powerful lines in June. The new lines require a larger easement to protect people on the ground in the case of lines coming in contact with the flagpoles.
The easement is 30 feet in both directions below the power lines, which would prevent any vertical structures or trees from being placed underneath them. The lines go over Harris Mill Park directly north of the pavilion, over the Mill Pond to Shaler Park, then east across Madison Street following the Rock River along Veterans Memorial Field near the north end of the old track.
The new easement over Shaler Park covers the south half of Veterans Memorial Wall, including the flagpoles for the six branches of the US military.
Maps of the easement were provided in the meeting agenda packet.
ATC offered the City $8,030.51 in compensation for the expanded easement and associated costs. This included $2,100.00 for the easement itself, $2,500.00 for permission to apply herbicides, and $3,430.51 to cover the costs to relocate the flagpoles. The quote for the flagpole relocation was solicited from Fly Me Flag, a flag and flagpole business headquartered in Green Bay.
At the recommendation of the Plan Commission and the City Attorney, the City Council unanimously approved both motions, to approve the expanded easement to ATC and to approve the estimate from Fly Me Flag for the flagpole relocation.
“As you know, I tried to move the ATC Easement away from Shaler park,” Mayor Bishop said in a statement. “However, that wasn’t possible, and I get it, the high voltage power lines have to go somewhere. And with the new, larger, easement, we have to move the flagpoles for the safety of the people on the ground.”
“The city has been in communications with commanders Bob and Frank of the American Legion, and VFW, respectively, and ATC is paying for the project,” he said. “In the end, I think it will look nicer than what we currently have and be more visible from Madison street.”
The flagpoles are likely to be moved from the west side of the memorial to the north side, along Mike Werner Way, which borders Forest Mound Cemetery. Some of the trees may also need to be removed from this section as determined by staff, as they may obstruct the flags from the ground.
Other structures in the memorial will remain as is, including the walls themselves and benches.
Moving the flagpoles is weather contingent, and no timeline was provided at the meeting.
