WAUPUN — The Waupun City Council approved a grant agreement for the completion of the Shaler Drive extension at the Common Council meeting held January 13, 2026.
The grant agreement was made through the Dodge County Community Development Grant Program between the City of Waupun and Dodge County, and would cover about 50% of the costs pertaining to the completion of Shaler Dr between the Waupun Area High School and to its final intersection at Highway 26.
The City of Waupun has been looking to connect Shaler Drive to Highway 26 for many years, with a more recent push by Mayor Rohn Bishop.
The push comes after the significant development of new businesses at the intersection of Shaler Dr and Highway 26. This includes Heritage Ridge Travel Plaza, the Wild Goose Cafe, All-Phase HVAC facility, and the 56 unit Carver Flats apartments which are to be completed this year—with more lots available for business development in the division.
This was finally made possible with the purchase of the strip of land from Pheonix Industrial Investors last year which separated the Mayfair Apartments from the farmland to the south, which terminated Shaler Dr near Mayfair St.
The grant agreement was included in the meeting agenda packet.
According to the grant document, the project is estimated to cost about $1,789,090 for the entire extension project. The grant will cover no more than 50% of projected expenses, which is estimated at $894,545. The City will cover the rest with revenues from Tax Incremental District #9 (TID 9), which covers the United Cooperative facility, Eagle Flexible Packaging (Waupun Industrial Park facility), and the new Carver Flats Apartments.
The agreement also stipulates that the completed streets provide opportunity for the construction and completion of forty-five (45) new single- or two-family residential homes by 2031.
Alderman Pete Kaczmarski asked City Administator Kathy Schlieve for a rough timeline of the project.
Schlieve said that the City has been working on engineering plans to review and approve a design, after which bids will go out to contractors. Construction should commence sometime this spring, with completion by the end of the year, as the road must be completed by Spring 2027. She also noted that a second asphalt layer may have to be put down next year as well.
Alderman Kaczmarski asked if Dodge County renewed the grant for the next year. Schlieve said she understood there still was a small amount available for the future.
The item was then approved unanimously by the City Council.
The Council also approved the 2026 Fee Schedule at the meeting.
