City of Sheboygan refuses to provide water service to Town of Sheboygan
City Administrator Casey Bradley unaware of the town's years-long request
TOWN OF SHEBOYGAN — Town officials are frustrated with the City of Sheboygan after they refused multiple requests for water service to a north side park.
At the center of the debacle is Rudy Mahler Park, a 5.5-acre public park owned by the Town of Sheboygan at North 10th Street and Eisner Avenue. The park is located within the town limits but surrounded by the City of Sheboygan to the east, west and south. While the town owns and maintains the park, city residents utilize it. Since 2017, the town has wanted to install a restroom there.
According to Town Chairman Dan Hein, the Town of Sheboygan is willing to pay 100% of the costs involved with hooking up water to the park and pay the quarterly water bill just like any residential or commercial customer does. Joe Trueblood, Superintendent of the Sheboygan Water Utility, said there is sufficient water capacity for a restroom at the park. The utility does have a water main along Eisner Avenue that could be used to serve the park but any request for water service outside of the city must be granted by the Common Council.
City Administrator Casey Bradley was unaware the town had been asking since 2017 for water service. "We haven’t had any request from the Town so there’s no response to give,” Bradley said Monday to District 8 Alderman Zach Rust. When asked if he would support the city and town working together on the water connection request, Rust did not indicate if he would support or oppose the proposal.
“We get calls every summer from young mothers with little children telling us that because we don’t have a bathroom, their child had to go behind the tree,” said Town Supervisor Tim Winkel, who is also the Parks Committee Chair. “It would be really nice to have a bathroom there.” Hein said the collaborative effort is a no-brainer. “We were going to pay for everything, the city just won’t give us the water,” he explained. “More city residents who use that park than town residents,” added Tom Holtan, the town’s Director of Public Works.
RELATED: A closer look at the Town of Sheboygan Parks
Apparently, a City of Sheboygan policy prohibits providing water to properties located outside of the city limits. However, some town residents on Weiss Court near the park are already receiving water service from the Sheboygan Water Utility. When it came to the Common Council approving the request in 2017, Alderman John Belanger voted to deny it. But just weeks later, Belanger voted in favor of providing water and sewer service to the Aurora Medical Center on Union Avenue. The hospital is actually located within the Village of Kohler and not the city.
“This would be a good time for the city and town to work together,” said Hein. “Why don’t we all work together.”
City punishing the town
The land at North 10th Street and Eisner Avenue was purchased by the Town of Sheboygan in 2014 for the purpose of creating the town’s fourth park. It is named after Rudy Mahler, who worked over 32 years for the City of Sheboygan Parks System. He retired in 1979 as Assistant Superintendent and passed away in September 2000 at the age of 86. The well-maintained park consists of a playground, a wooden bridge, picnic tables and an open-air shelter.
In 1990, the City of Sheboygan annexed 25-acres of the Weiss Subdivision which included this property. The annexation of land had been a source of friction between the two municipalities for several years. At the time, town officials said the city was aggressively annexing town land to expand its tax base. The town took the city to court over the annexation and in June 1992, the Wisconsin State Supreme Court ruled in favor of the town. The subdivision, including the land that would become the park, would return to the town limits.
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