John Francis is director of both the Waupaca County Parks and Recreation and the county’s Solid Waste and Recycling departments.

He delivered his annual report to the Waupaca County Board when it met on Sept. 17.

Depending on the season, Waupaca County has a staff of 4-7 people who maintain more than 40 parks, trail systems and boat launches, plus the fairgrounds in Weyauwega.

They are also responsible for inspecting and maintaining two dams at Keller Lake north of Big Falls and White Lake in Royalton.

Among its projects for 2025, the county plans to work on the Keller Lake dam.

County projects this past summer included replacing three piers on the Sturgeon Trail along the Wolf River west of New London.

“They were kind of falling a part,” Francis told the county board.

Waupaca County has also been developing trails on the Pauers Property, located on 100 acres at N6702 Smith Road in Ogdensburg.

Pauer’s Property offers winter recreation trails for classic and skate cross country skiers, fat bikers with tires 3.8 inches or wider, snowshoers and skijorers.

The winter trails are currently closed. Motorized vehicles are prohibited.

Francis said the county has developed nearly half of its planned three-mile trail system at Pauers Property.

The county also removed an old farmhouse located on the property.

Other Parks and Rec Department projects included new flooring for the Grandstand Pavilion and new fencing at the fairgrounds in Weyauwega.

Repairs were made at the rabbit and poultry barns at the fairgrounds and a the HVAC system was upgraded at the Parks shop in Manawa.

Solid Waste and Recycling employs six county staff plus one part-time and two full-time employees contracted through Manpower.

Most of these employees work at the county’s Processing Transfer Facility in Manawa, where recycled items collected in 14 municipalities are sorted and sent to plants that process glass, aluminum, paper and other recyclable products.

Waupaca County’s PTF also takes recyclables and waste from individuals and businesses for a fee, including old appliances, electronics, fluorescent lights, tires, scrap metal, anti-freeze, cooking oil and other waste.

In 2024, the county invested in a new snowplow, new unit heaters and a backup generator for the PTF.