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City staff to discuss borrowing for projects

JANESVILLE — Money for a new fire department headquarters and a bike trail underpass would not be borrowed this year under a recommendation from city staff.

The city council Monday night will consider a proposed 2009 note issue at a 5 p.m. study session.

The proposed note is about $14.2 million, which is about $1 million less than the 2008 note issue.

Borrowing for the $6.7 million general fund portion of the note would increase the 2010 tax levy by 1.5 percent. For the owner of the average home assessed at $113,300, this equals an additional $12.19 per year in property taxes.

At a June retreat, council members listed criteria to evaluate capital projects in light of tight budgets.

Items that remain in the note include:

--$2 million for street extensions, sidewalks, curb and gutter and street maintenance and improvements.

--$945,000 for storm sewers, including 2008 flood repairs, manhole replacement and system expansion.

--$500,000 for Janesville Youth Baseball to build additional ball fields at the Youth Sports Complex.

--$425,000 for the transit center.

--$2.9 million for a downtown parking structure.

--$1.75 million for landfill construction.

Staff did not include the following projects in the note issue, although council members could choose to include the money:

--$1 million for a new central fire station. Funding for construction is pending the award of a stimulus grant.

--$515,000 to extend a bike trail from Janesville to Beloit.

--$500,000 to buy vacant or blighted properties in older neighborhoods, instead relying on federal stimulus money.

--$325,000 to add to $1.25 million previously borrowed to build a swimming pool. That project has been put on hold, so $482,000 of $1.25 million will be used to make repairs and renovations to the existing pool facilities and $688,000 will be used for another purpose.

--$195,000 for the bike trail underpass between Wright Road and Wuthering Hills Drive.

--$145,000 to replace the Jackson Street bridge, which has not deteriorated to the point of qualifying for federal funds.

--$50,000 to contribute to a skate board park.

ON THE AGENDA

The Janesville City Council will meet at 7 p.m. Monday in City Hall, 18 N. Jackson St. It also will meet in a study session at 5 p.m. to discuss major projects it plans to borrow money for in 2009. A public listening session regularly held before the first council meeting of the month is canceled. Items on the council agenda include:

--Discussion and possible action on a request from the Janesville Youth Hockey Club Building Committee for money from the city to help build a new ice rink.

--Authorization to apply for a grant to build a 25,000-square-foot multi-tenant incubator building for businesses to be built in an industrial TIF district. The budget would be $1.5 million—75 percent coming from the grant and the remaining local match coming from the TIF district. A consortium of development interests in southern Wisconsin has identified in the Rock County area a lack of suitable manufacturing space for set-up companies needing less than 5,000 square feet.

--A public hearing to remove traffic signals at six intersections: Delavan Drive and Ogden Street, Academy Street and Milwaukee Street, Beloit Avenue and State Street, Elliott Street and Jackson Street, Jackson Street between State Street and Elliott Street, and Jackson Street and State Street.