Janesville City Council hopes to borrow $2.6 million
Other business
The Janesville City Council on Monday:
-- Voted 4-2 to reject a proposal to limit liquor-store sales to the hours of 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Members Deb Dongarra-Adams, Tom McDonald, Russ Steeber and Kathy Voskuil voted "no," while Sam Liebert and Yuri Rashkin voted "yes." Voskuil then proposed that the council set the start time at 6 a.m. to correspond to a new state law.
First and second readings on the 6 a.m. ordinance are expected at upcoming meetings.
-- Voted unanimously to extend funeral leave benefits to domestic partners who are not married. The change begins sometime in the next 30 days. City employees receive up to three days of paid bereavement leave.
The council postponed action on a proposal to extend health insurance to domestic partners starting in 2013, leaving that decision to the council that will be seated after the elections in late April. This would be a great topic for candidate forums, McDonald suggested. Rashkin, who had co-sponsored the proposal with Liebert, agreed, saying the proposal needs a community conversation.
JANESVILLE — The Janesville City Council on Monday registered its intent to borrow about $2.6 million this year to upgrade the ice arena, build new sidewalks, cap part of the landfill and buy new golf course equipment.
At the same time, a couple of council members wondered out loud whether residents who back the arena or golf courses might pitch in to defray costs.
The city plans to borrow about $1.43 million for the landfill, $318,310 for sidewalks, $675,000 for the ice arena and $200,000 for the Riverside and Blackhawk golf courses.
The council also approved the lowest bidders for the construction projects.
Bids were awarded to:
-- Scherrer Construction of Burlington, $1.74 million to replace the arena's 1974 ice-making system with a geothermal system, expand the structure to house the Zamboni and mechanicals, convert the former mechanical room to locker rooms and install new lighting.
The cost is higher than this year's borrowing because the council borrowed for the project previously.
-- Meise Construction of Plain, $1.43 million to cap Phase 1 of the landfill, which was constructed in 2005, and improve the leachate-collection system, gas-collection system and perimeter access road.
-- J.B. Johnson Bros. of Edgerton, $327,680 to install 54,500 square feet of new sidewalk at locations the council approved last October. This is the second year of a seven-year program to eliminate gaps in the sidewalk network.
In the case of the arena, Councilman Tom McDonald suggested that user groups, which had worked on a failed public-private project to build a new arena, could help with improving the aging arena, "because this is lot of money for city taxpayers to absorb."
City Manager Eric Levitt said the city had not asked for help on the base bid for the project, but the user groups understand that if they want some of the add-ons, they could pay for them.
The council also approved rebuilding four bridges on Blackhawk Golf Course and demolishing one bridge at a cost of about $63,000.
The bridge money would come from a 2010 borrowing, said Assistant City Manager Jay Winzenz.
Councilwoman Kathy Voskuil asked if a community group such as the Boy Scouts could take on the task of rebuilding the bridges, and McDonald wondered if community groups could adopt and fund greens or bridges.
Winzenz said one concern with a community group taking on the work is that it needs to be done quickly so as not to disrupt the course.
Councilwoman Deb Dongarra-Adams suggested the South Central Wisconsin Builders Association might be interested.
The council awarded the ice arena contract on a 5-1 vote. McDonald was the "no" vote.
The sidewalk construction, which has been controversial, at first failed on a 3-3 vote. However, the council reconsidered after being told 60 percent of the affected homeowners had already installed sidewalks or contracted to have them done privately.
The sidewalk work passed on a 4-2 vote, Dongarra-Adams and Councilman Sam Liebert voting "no."
McDonald originally voted "no" but said he had to change his vote for the sake of the homeowners who already had paid for new sidewalks, even though he still opposes the sidewalk program.
The turf-maintenance equipment for the golf courses, at a cost of $247,000, and the landfill project passed unanimously.
VOTERS COULD WEIGH IN ON CORPORATE PERSONHOOD
City of Janesville voters might be able to register their opinions on the "personhood" of corporations and unions this fall.
The U.S. Supreme Court voted 5-4 that corporations and unions are persons with free-speech rights and that limits on those organizations' campaign spending were unconstitutional.
The issue has become a political hot potato nationwide, with Republicans generally favoring "corporate personhood" and Democrats generally opposed.
Observers expect the result of the 2010 court ruling will be massive infusions of cash to influence voters.
Councilmen Yuri Rashkin and Sam Liebert, clearly opposed to corporate personhood and both running as Democrats for state Assembly this fall, proposed that the council register its opinion on the issue.
However, Councilman Tom McDonald, running for circuit court judge in the nonpartisan primary next Tuesday, had a different idea. Why not let the 25,000 or so voters who will turn out for the presidential elections Nov. 6 have a say?
Whatever the result, the voice of that many voters would be louder in the national debate than the opinions of a city council, McDonald said.
Liebert and Rashkin appeared persuaded at Monday night's meeting that voters should weigh in, not the council.
McDonald said Tuesday that a new city council, which could have four new members after the April 3 elections, should be the entity that decides whether the advisory referendum would be put on the Nov. 6 ballot.
Feb 27, 2012 at 1:52 p.m.
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Well, I hope for the sake of the whole area and it's citizens that your house sells soon.
Feb 16, 2012 at 8:40 p.m.
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fearandrhetoric4dummies> my friends live out of town I am not from Janesville, I am just stuck here until my house sells, BTW- my idea of entertainment consist of a little more than staring into a fire pit choking on a pabts blue ribbon (that is what you hicks drink rite)
Feb 16, 2012 at 4:54 p.m.
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Yes Shrek. Great idea! That would give Janesville residents the exact same employment opportunities they have under the current randsom agreement while Beloit taxpayers would foot the bill for the next ten years. Start a petition!
Feb 16, 2012 at 3:13 p.m.
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I hope that Janesville does take back the money for SHINE. Beloit will gladly give them incentives to locate here.
Feb 16, 2012 at 3:04 p.m.
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Had I posted what really needs to be said, the Gazette staff would have removed it anyway.
Feb 16, 2012 at 12:38 p.m.
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OMG -- They have bought into Obama math -- they all need new calculators. MAKE CUTS -- BALANCE THE BUDGET.
Feb 16, 2012 at 12:35 p.m.
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Even with stories like this, there are still idiots on the site who actually blame Walker for Janesville's tax rates increasing?!?!?
Feb 16, 2012 at 12:32 p.m.
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Something I have trouble grasping. How can the city loan money at the same time they are borrowing money. If the city would think of it, why not give the ice building to Shine and solve both problems or let them build on the golf course.
Feb 16, 2012 at 12:23 p.m.
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Ha! I just clicked on this to see SuperDave post about "gubmint" and Saxcat beat him to it.
Feb 16, 2012 at 11:48 a.m.
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City Council just waited for citizens to relax a little.......and still gonna do what they want....waste the tax payers cash....cant win with a city council !......need a mayor .
Feb 16, 2012 at 11:37 a.m.
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Don't think I am seeing any comments on capping the landfill - but that one is worth the $$$ not to drive down Kennedy Road holding your breath. I feel so sorry for all the people who own homes around there. They will never be able to sell them even in a good market for anything near what they are worth bcause of the overwhelming stench. When it's really bad, you can smell it all the way to Woodman's. What kind of invitation does that give to people to come live and work and create businesses here?
Feb 16, 2012 at 11:23 a.m.
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Councilmen Yuri Rashkin and Sam Liebert, clearly opposed to corporate personhood and both running as Democrats for state Assembly this fall, proposed that the counsel make a resolution to embrace union personhood, and renounce corporate personhood.
Feb 16, 2012 at 10:38 a.m.
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I do see a lot of posts on here about stopping the spending and wasting our tax dollars. I'm going to bring up a point that I'm sure will anger a few, but I'm going to say it anyways. Remmeber in 2010 when the Republicans took back the house by a landslide? Remember what they campaigned on? Was it by chance to stop Obama's out of control spending? Now since they stopped agreeing with Obama and have stopped his out of control spending they have become the party of "NO". Isn't that what the majority of American's wanted in 2010 was to stop the White House, Senante and Congress from spending money like it was free? So before we once again wish for politicians to stop spending our money just remember it did happen in 2010 but we still were not happy when they actually did say "NO"!
Feb 16, 2012 at 9:19 a.m.
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Just borrow it from SHINE...(Rolling Eyes)
Feb 16, 2012 at 5:42 a.m.
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How long do the taxpayers have to keep saying NO More Spending before someone listens? We dont want to borrow a dime especially for a darn ice rink! The city needs to cut more spending til the income level of the taxpayers catches up!
Feb 16, 2012 at 5:27 a.m.
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"Neither a borrower nor a lender be;
For loan oft loses both itself and friend,
And borrowing dulls the edge of husbandry."
Feb 16, 2012 at 4:39 a.m.
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Thank you city council for maintaining these projects. There are a ton of people for generations to come who will benefit.
Feb 16, 2012 at 2:12 a.m.
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Um, I don't think new golf equipment and ice arena upgrades are something that Janesville MUST have or do at this time. City council needs to make cuts not be borrowing money to spend foolishly.
Feb 15, 2012 at 11:13 p.m.
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copo- really? do you have any friends? What do ou do on nights weekends, just sit in the driveway watching the fire pit drinking beer?
So you dont know anyone who walks on sidewalks? Ice skates, or plays golf? That really says more about you than it does about the city.
BTW I disagree with this too, I just found that particular post to be extremely strange.
Feb 15, 2012 at 11:10 p.m.
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pull back some of the corporate gifts handed to SHINE and we arent borrowing anything. Where are all of the conservatives talking about "Dont spend it if you aint got it"
Aparantly that only applies to the President, not locales. In our town, just go ahead and borrow, right? The best part is what they are borrowing for!! Ice arena? Golf courses? The dump?
Feb 15, 2012 at 9:38 p.m.
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I'm sure that they are all fine companies, but how is it that all the contracts that were awarded for Janesville work, were to companies outside of Janesville? Wouldn't you think that a company located here would have lower costs to operate here as well? You know, no need to transport equipment or employees from areas further away. If you have any insight, I'd love to hear it!
Feb 15, 2012 at 8:58 p.m.
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Let’s see I am a property tax paying homeowner in Janesville, I personally do not nor do my kids or even anybody I know golf ice-skate or even walk the sidewalks of this place you all call home.
Feb 15, 2012 at 7:37 p.m.
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Can we afford to do all that and extend city health care benefits to whomever our employees happen to be playing house with too? Or have Yuri and Sam relented on that in their quest for higher office? I suppose that idea was just something they threw out there for future campaign talking points.
It's nice though, that Yuri and Sam have come to see that it's not the city council's place to approve or disapprove of Supreme Court decisions with useless resolutions. Now if only they could see the folly and needless expense of pointless opinion referendums too. It's amassing what some people see as a fit use of other people's money. Unless Yuri and Sam are willing to underwrite the expense of such a referendum question being placed on the ballot. Then I, for one am all for it.
Feb 15, 2012 at 7:07 p.m.
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Nice try J, you'll have to do better, a bit lame. Why not build a waterpark, skatepark, strip club, paintball field and any other desire. It would make sense that since this topic has been unpopular for a long time with a majority of people that it should be put up for a vote by the taxpayers. In case you've been sleeping under a rock for the last 3 years the city is needing many other more important assistance.
Feb 15, 2012 at 6:40 p.m.
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Hehe. That is a good one, janesvillean. Have them maintain and plow it, too.
Feb 15, 2012 at 5:47 p.m.
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creatureinthefreezer, the street in front of your house is only used by a fraction of the public. Should you bear the full cost for that, paid off in at most two years?
Feb 15, 2012 at 4:37 p.m.
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Not surprised by the local talking heads spending the majority of tax payers money for a select few/special interest group at the ice arena and golf courses. I would expect the user fees should be increased to pay back the $$ in 2 years tops.
Feb 15, 2012 at 4:29 p.m.
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WHat's the over under on how many posts will appear before SUperdave says something about gubmint?
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