WAUPUN — The Waupun City Council discussed a multitude of items at the recent Special Common Council meeting, including the new garage sale ordinance, the Main Street Cohort program, and a request from Our Bar to reimburse them for the purchase of new security cameras that the Police Department will use during investigations.
The meeting was held on Tuesday, May 26, 2026 at Waupun City Hall, beginning at 5:30PM.
It opened with a presentation from Harry Allen representing Ehlers Public Finance Advisors.
The presentation was on the Pre-Sale Report of $2,265,000 General Obligation Promissory Notes, series 2026A. This was immediately followed by a resolution authorizing the issuance and establishing parameters for the promissory notes and a second resolution declaring the official intent to reimburse the bonds, both of which passed unanimously.
One amendment to City Ordinances was also on the agenda: Orderly Conduct section 8.15 on the regulation of rummage sales. The first hearing was held in April on the creation of this section to address several “permanent” rummage sales that have appeared in town to the chagrin of neighbors. A second reading was originally planned for the May 12 meeting but was moved to the May 26 meeting instead.
Alderman Pete Kaczmarski asked if 12 hours was too short of a time for garage sales to start after setting up—because if residents want to start a garage sale at 8AM they would only be able to start setting up at 8PM the night before. Kaczmarski asked if it should be 24 hours so people had time before and after the garage sale to set up and clear out.
Mayor Bishop said that this is more aimed at households with permanent rummage sales, and that it would be a waste of Police Department time and resources to enforce the ordinance against someone who started setting up at 6PM the night before opening their garage sale at 8AM the next day.
Deputy Chief of Police Ted Sullivan agreed, saying that the Police Department would be more concerned if the garage sale had no signs of being cleaned up after several days.
Mayor Bishop said they would revisit it if it became an issue, but that they wanted this ordinance passed so they could clean up the properties that caused the City to create the ordinance.
The ordinance was passed unanimously.
The Council then moved on to consideration-action.
First was consideration for the sale of 627 Maxon Street. The house on this property was condemned a few years ago and demolished by the City. The City is now looking to sell for residential use. The current consideration of sale is for $34,000 on a .22 acre lot. Before making a motion, Mayor Rohn Bishop said that the individuals who were considering purchasing the property were unsure at this time, so the Mayor requested to table the motion. The Council agreed and tabled the issue for a future meeting.
Next was a request from Our Bar for the City to contribute to the cost of upgrading security cameras on the exterior of the building. The main reason for the request was that the Waupun Police Department uses them often in downtown enforcement, and the upgraded cameras would provide a higher quality view of the 400 block of Main St and the intersection with Fond du Lac St.
The total amount spent on the security system upgrades was $2,129.44. Our Bar did not specify an amount they were asking the City to cover.
Alderwoman Bobbi Jo Kunz asked if the request needed to go through CDA first. Mayor Bishop said they just asked him and thought the request was reasonable to put on the Council agenda. Alderman Mike Matoushek asked where the funding would come from, City Administrator Kathy Schlieve said that CDA would not have the funds for this, and this would be out of the scope of the BID so it would have to come out of the general fund.
Alderman Pete Kaczmarski said that there are 245 businesses in Waupun and was concerned that paying for the security system here would open a Pandora’s Box to pay for security cameras at other businesses when the City already has a tight budget, and very few—if any—municipalities pay for security systems at private businesses. Kaczmarski asked if the Deputy Chief could comment on the issue.
Deputy Chief of Police Ted Sullivan said that they use security cameras at businesses all over town, and that he was surprised that Our Bar purchased the cameras before consulting the Police Department if they were going to request reimbursement from the City—but understood why they were interested in them due to incidents at the bar.
Sullivan also said that they appreciate Our Bar for willingly sharing the security footage, but that no other business requests money for sharing video footage with the Police Department. He also noted it would come out of an already tight budget if they were to approve the request.
Motion Alderman Kaczmarski to deny the request, Alderman Dan Siebers seconded. The motion passed unanimously.
The Council then considered four grant applications.
United Cooperative grant for the replacement of a thermal imaging camera for the Waupun Fire Department. The Fire Department has three cameras, two for interior operations and one for rooftop and ventilation operations. This grant would go towards the replacement of the thermal camera for rooftops, totaling $5,000 in the grant. Motion to approve the application passed unanimously.
Firehouse Subs grant for seven sets of turnout gear for the Waupun Fire Department. Gear must be replaced every three years, and ten sets are scheduled to be replaced in 2027. The grant project has a budget for $35,000. Passed unanimously.
Compeer Financial grant to replace the two remaining thermal imaging cameras. This grant project has a budget of $7,500. Passed unanimously.
Assistance to Firefighters program grant to replace all portable radios. Countywide radio systems are being upgraded and Waupun needs to match Fond du Lac County’s goal of full replacement by 2030. The grant project total budget is $253,800 and would cover all but 15 vehicle radios. If accepted for the full amount, the City would need to cover $12,690.00 in a 5% matching fund. Passed unanimously to submit the grant application.
The final item for consideration-action was a minor edit to the job description for the Assistant Public Works Director. The job description was amended to correct FSLA status from non-Exempt to Exempt, which was an error in the original document. No other changes were made. Passed unanimously.
Next were discussion only items.
The City Council heard from Brooke Straks about the Main Street Cohort program, and about the plans to make Waupun into a “Main Street Community” with the statewide program. This would allow the City to organize downtown promotional events and tourism much easier with a full time staff member leading the program. It would also help encourage entrepreneurship in town as the membership would be between local business leaders.
City Administrator Schlieve asked for input from Council on the 2027 Budget Planning Process, and what they’ve heard for concern areas. The City is working on software solutions for improving staff efficiency. No questions were raised from the Council.
And the last item on the agenda, City Hall Short-Term Capital Plan. Public Works Director Jeff Daane explained that the last few years they’ve been looking at the master schedule for all city facilities. The Waupun Ice Arena floor replacement last year took that off the list and the roof replacement at City Hall was helped along by the hailstorm two years ago, along with the elevator being replaced last year. There is a long list of projects that need to be worked on in City Hall, including adding air conditioning to the second floor.
A list of the projects and their individual costs was included in the agenda packet.
Schlieve said that priorities were about maintaining the historical property of City Hall. The expected total cost for all renovations is currently $1.3 million, a far cry from the projected estimate of $6 million quoted several years ago. The Council agreed to move forward with the existing plan. Alderman Siebers asked if projects would be over several years, to which Schlieve said they would be taken in order of priority.
The last major remodel to City Hall was in 1988.
From the consent agenda, Future Meetings, License-Permit Applications, and Expenses. Mayor noted that the previous minutes said Alderman Westphal was sworn in, when it was really Alderwoman Kunz. Passed unanimously with the edit.
The meeting adjourned at 6:39PM. The Council did not hear the department reports, though the reports were included in the agenda packet.
