JANESVILLE — The power won't be shut off for tenants in the 14 delinquent properties owned by Billy Kesselring until at least Thursday, officials said Monday.
"We're not going to do anything in terms of turning power off before Thursday of this week," said Steve Schultz, spokesman for Alliant Energy.
Kesselring received notices of disconnection for 14 of his 19 properties in Janesville, Edgerton and Milton last week. The winter moratorium on cutting power ended April 15.
Kesselring owes Alliant $30,000, he said. He fell behind because many of his tenants have lost their jobs and can't pay the rent, he said.
He said he's owed $110,000 in back rent, and only 22 of his 83 occupied units are current.
He's working with Alliant to create a payment plan and expects the company to tell him today how long he has to pay the money back, he said.
Local agencies such as ECHO, Community Action and the Salvation Army hope Alliant agrees not to disconnect for 60 days so they have time to find alternative arrangements for the tenants, said Marc Perry, Community Action director of planning and development.
The Rock County Homeless Intervention Task Fund is inviting all tenants behind on their rent to the Salvation Army, 514 Sutherland Ave., Janesville, to work with case managers Thursday to find ways to pay their rent, Perry said.
City, county and now state officials have become involved in the case. Rep. Mike Sheridan, D-Janesville, is following the case closely and trying to find help for the tenants, said Rebekah Sweeney, a spokeswoman.
The state Public Services Commission is suggesting Alliant not disconnect the power if the community can find money to help pay the bill, but it can't stop Alliant from disconnecting, said spokeswoman Teresa Smith.
"We regulate the electric utility," she said. "We do not monitor or provide any information on how they're billing their customers."
If Alliant turns off the power, the residents will not be allowed to live there, said Kelly Lee, Janesville neighborhood development specialist. City ordinance prohibits people from living in buildings without power because they don't have access to hot water, heat or refrigeration
Though some people, such as the Amish, might have grown up without electricity, people used to electricity might do something desperate or dangerous if they lose it, Lee said.
"Logic doesn't necessarily come into play when you're in a desperate situation," she said.
But the city would never leave residents to live on the street, she said.
"When we do a vacate, we stay until we figure out where these people are going to stay," she said. "We'll call churches for them; we'll call families for them."
Community organizations are making plans for an emergency shelter for tenants ordered to vacate, though they hope they don't need it, Perry said.
Ideally, Alliant will give Kesselring extra time and he will be able to pay his bills, but organizations have to be careful about how much assistance they give one landlord, Perry said.
"We can't just go to bat for Billy and Billy's tenants," he said. "The help that we provide here, we have to be prepared to help everybody."
Officials believe this case might be an early example in a tidal wave of unpaid bills, utility disconnects and homelessness in Rock County, Perry said.
"It's not just Billy's folks," he said. "There are other landlords who are in this situation and there are other individuals who are in this situation …
"I think people are flying blind. I don't think they realize the extent that people are struggling right now."