Council considers borrowing $15 million
Photo
Sgt Craig Klementz fires his duty handgun at the LaPrairie Park Pistol Range.
Photo
Sgt. Craig Klementz changes a target after suspending shooting and walking out onto the pistol range on 05/15/08. The motors and drives that are supposed to move the targets to the shooters no longer work properly.
Photo
Shooters are supposed to be able to use these controls in the shooting booths to retrieve their targets but the mechanics no longer work and shooters need to manually change their targets on the range.
JANESVILLE — The city proposes to borrow almost $15 million to pay for various projects, including the first portion of a million-dollar program to buy land around the wastewater treatment plant as a buffer for residences and $500,000 for the Youth Sports Complex.
The council on Monday added an additional $350,000 to the initial borrowing resolution, boosting the amount that City Manager Steve Sheiffer set aside for building maintenance to $150,000.
The council is set to finalize approval of the 2008 note issue May 27, and it can cut the $15 million it tentatively approved at Monday’s meeting. It cannot, however, add money.
The additional $350,000 would increase general fund debt about $1 million from 2007, or about 21 percent. The increase without the added money for building maintenance was 13.9 percent.
The note issue includes money for street maintenance, which is a change in philosophy. Sheiffer is shifting some of the city’s operating costs into debt service to help close a projected budget deficit.
The state caps the city’s operating levy but doesn’t cap its debt service.
Sheiffer predicts an operating deficit of $523,000. The deficit assumes normal wage and health insurance cost increases and higher gasoline and diesel fuel costs.
Sheiffer proposes closing that gap through efficiencies, for a savings of $100,000, and by moving $423,000 for street maintenance from the operating budget to debt service.
Sheiffer said in a memo that this is a reasonable way to address the community’s operating and capital needs but still maintain current service levels.
“I also believe the projected tax increase is reasonable, given that the cost of living is projected to exceed 3 percent,” Sheiffer said.
Sheiffer is predicting a tax rate increase of about 3 percent.
Of the $15 million note issue, $6 million will be repaid by the general fund.
Other sources of repayment include special assessments, $4 million; water utility, $2 million; the wastewater utility, $1.1 million; and tax incremental financing districts, $915,000. The remainder will be paid by the sanitation fund, Hedberg Public Library and the storm water utility.
For instance, the city is borrowing $420,000 for curb and gutter replacement. Of that, $170,000 will be assessed to abutting property owners and $250,000 will be paid for by the general fund.
About 60 percent of the borrowed money will be spent on infrastructure.
Eight projects that had been planned for the 2008 note issue have been deleted for a total of $3.6 million.
For instance, $1 million to build an aquatics facility was removed, along with $255,000 for the transit center. The city will wait to borrow money for the transit center until it gets more federal funding.
Closing the landfill cell has been delayed because of lower-than-anticipated trash volume and higher-than-anticipated compaction after a second compacter was added. That saves $700,000.
However, others projects were added, including funding for the youth sports facility and a downtown parking ramp.
The council on Monday added more money for maintenance. Councilman George Brunner said repairs to the Tallman House museum could cost $1 million alone.
“I think there are projects regarding building maintenance and infrastructure that could use improvements that we may be putting off,” Councilman Russ Steeber said.
Borrowing would fund many projects
Some projects to be paid for with the 2008 note issue:
-- First-year funding to build a downtown parking ramp, $1.25 million. A three- or four-level structure is proposed at the corner of Wall Street and North Parker Drive. This is the first of three years of funding.
-- Property acquisitions previously OK’d by the council, $780,000. The city over the last several years bought properties that were paid for in part through the general fund. They include: the Swingers Batting Cages, Dooley Photography, Westphal, Energetics, Northrup Awning, Alliant Tech, Sanford and Riverside Plating. The general fund portion has not yet been funded through a note issue.
-- First-year funding for a new central fire station, $500,000;
-- Partial funding for the Youth Sports Complex in partnership with Janesville Youth Baseball to develop additional softball and baseball fields, $500,000. Public improvements include roads, parking lots, utilities and restrooms. This is the first year of two years of funding. In addition, $400,000 will be available from lot sales. Total city costs are estimated at between $1.3 million and $1.4 million.
-- Police Pistol Range renovations, $60,000. Improvements will include replacement of the broken target retrieval system, which is not working.
-- Salt storage building at $195,000. A third facility is being built to improve efficiency of snow removal operations and increase salt storage.
-- Street extensions, $1.2 million.
-- Sidewalk repair and replacement, $425,000.
-- Street maintenance and improvements, $500,000. This is a five-year program that should allow the city to catch up on maintenance.
-- Renovate Ruger Park, $35,000.
-- Wastewater treatment plant land, $200,000. The land will create a buffer between the treatment plant and nearby residential properties. This is the first year of a five-year program that will total $1 million.
-- Technology enhancements, $750,000. Money will go to the city’s Information Technology Strategic Plan to “provide citizen satisfaction through the use of information technology,” $300,000. The city will spend $350,000 to integrate the city’s computers. This is in addition to spending $350,000 in 2006 to replace the city’s land management/computer-aided mass appraisal software. This year’s is the second phase of a four-phase project. And $100,000 will be spent on Geographic Information enhancements, also an ongoing process.
-- Snow-fighting technology, $70,000. An anti-icing spray unit will cost $20,000. Cost to equip all lead plow trucks with geographic tracking and data capabilities is $50,000.
THE NEXT STEP
The Janesville City Council will consider borrowing $15 million at its meeting Tuesday, May 27. The meeting begins at 7 p.m.
May 19, 2008 at 10:53 a.m.
Suggest removal
Last month, the City bought a house on the Court and Parker place for 291,000.00 that was appraised at 250,000. Last meeting, they bought the Westphal property for 126, 500, that was appraised at 95,000. This doesn't include 46,500. to demolish the building at Westphal, and who knows how much to demolish on Parker Court.
In my experience, you don't pay more than the appraised price - but apparently this isn't the case in government spending!?!?!?!
If you want to make a difference - you have to contact the Council - or SHOW UP AT THE MEETINGS AND MAKE YOUR CASE. If you do nothing, you have no right to complain.
May 17, 2008 at 7:34 p.m.
Suggest removal
We have to use money for the infrastructure of the city i.e the wastewater plant. I'm not sure why the city has to buy land for a buffer though. I don't really think the land by the plant would sell anyway. I wouldn't want a house next to the wastewater plant.
May 17, 2008 at 7:16 p.m.
Suggest removal
I can't get to the meeting because I will be at work. I agree that this is an insane scenario --- to propose borrowing $15 million in light of increasing layoffs among Janesville residents lacks common sense and is a slap in the face to the public. If this goes through, I vote for the four skate-park plan. The kids will need a place to go to get away from their stressed out parents.
May 17, 2008 at 12:03 p.m.
Suggest removal
I have been to council meetings before and from what I can see, the council does what they want regardless. And I don't excuse them not knowing what we want if we don't show up. If the council doesn't see and hear what is going on with the economy now, they don't belong in office. We need people who care about the citizens in times of need.
May 17, 2008 at 10:02 a.m.
Suggest removal
Snow fighting?
May 17, 2008 at 8:48 a.m.
Suggest removal
this is absolutely crazy 15 million for this wish list in these economic times is nuts! The bottom line is how much is my taxes going up? I for one will be at the next city council meeting since it is obvious we can't trust them to make sound economic decisions.
May 16, 2008 at 11:36 p.m.
Suggest removal
When is the next City Council meeting? Attend it if you don't like what's going on. The Council will move forward with plans that are supported by people who show up at meetings and voice their opinions - and they will reconsider if there are citizens with an opposition. If you have an opposition, they won't know it unless you attend the meeting and let them know how you feel. The only way to take a stand and have your voice heard is to participate in the discussions - they are open to the public - go state your case where it matters by showing up at the meetings.
May 16, 2008 at 10:13 p.m.
Suggest removal
1.4 million dollars for baseball, when our landfill is accepting out of state/community garbage. 1.4 million is the exact amount of money Scheiffer said would be needed to cover the deficit if the garbage haulers were turned away from our landfill. It is time we look at needs, not wants. Our groundwater is being threatened by other people's garbage - not to mention the fact that the landfill is a finite area - and once it is full - we dig a new one, costing taxpayers again, to close the old, and dig the new. Ridiculous waste of taxpayer money. If we can't use the money to fund our landfill for local residents only, then I vote to have skateparks put in at least 4 parks around Janesville - so kids can get to them.
May 16, 2008 at 10:09 p.m.
Suggest removal
Just wait for these projects to be completed and the dust to settle...then, voila, another Steve Scheiffer state of the art breakroom with flat screen TV's will probably appear...history is doomed to repeat itself.
May 16, 2008 at 9:37 p.m.
Suggest removal
Family of 4
Safety is why they don't walk down and get the targets. One person not knowing another is walking down the range (quite possible in a loud range) and you have a dead officer. So that is not an option in any modern range in the world.
May 16, 2008 at 8:49 p.m.
Suggest removal
Here we have over 1000 people losing their jobs now and our city council is looking to put us into more debt. Get rid of these idiots! People are suffering and can't afford anything anymore with gas prices, food and everything else going up in price and all our politicians can do, from local government to US government, is find ways to spend our hard earned money!
May 16, 2008 at 8:23 p.m.
Suggest removal
I agree that some of this money being put into the baseball park could be put towards a skate park that the skate park committee is desperately trying to raise money to get it built. I understand that there is a large band benifest taking place on Saturday May 24 at the 4H fairgounds. If the skate boarders support this benifest maybe they can began to build the park along with some support from the city. The posters say the cost is only $5.00 for 10 hours of entertainment. I thought I saw that 10 local and state bands will be playing that day. I also saw they will be having ramps and pips for the kids to skate board on at no cost other then to get in. I am sure there will be food vendors and along with the Army bringing in trucks & lazer tag games to play with.
May 16, 2008 at 7:10 p.m.
Suggest removal
Why do we need more ball parks? There are kids asking for a skate park, why not take that money and help these kids out. Not eveyone enjoys baseball. The city needs to be fair to all the kids.
May 16, 2008 at 4:55 p.m.
Suggest removal
Projects should be put on hold that aren’t deemed absolutely necessary. We are facing some rough economic times in this area and a tax increase will only make matters worse. Janesville should be looking for ways to reduce taxes not find reasonable increases. Maybe if Janesville could cut enough cost they could invest the savings and get long term returns, which could fund some of these less than urgent projects in the future. The council needs to realize that there are occasions a city must take a step back before it can go forward. The most important issue at hand is decreasing the cost of living in the area to maintain growth, which would end up generating more tax revenue. In addition, working to generate higher paying non manufacturing jobs and replacing some of our lost manufacturing jobs would be another important issue. Otherwise rather than being the City of Parks, Janesville will be the city of nothing but parks. Oh I almost forgot fast food/retail chains.
May 16, 2008 at 3:45 p.m.
Suggest removal
involvedparent-"Total city costs are estimated at between $1.3 million and $1.4 million." I read that as the city (our) cost. In either case I was not bad mouthing it I was merely putting the 60,000 for maintaining an old building into perspective.
May 16, 2008 at 3:23 p.m.
Suggest removal
I do not see any problem with them walking to the target, also I do not think we need another parking ramp either. They just cause problems
May 16, 2008 at 12:13 p.m.
Suggest removal
I do not believe that we need a parking ramp downtown. we had one once and the city didn't take care of it. now they want to build another one, at our expense.
May 16, 2008 at 12:09 p.m.
Suggest removal
I just wish, at a time when the citizens of Janesville are concerned with rising costs, that their city council would share that concern and look at ways to reduce the taxes the city collects, instead of "reasonable" tax increases as defined by them. In hard economic times, no increase is reasonable.
May 16, 2008 at 11:58 a.m.
Suggest removal
my bad - I mean "outdoors" not "camper61"
May 16, 2008 at 11:56 a.m.
Suggest removal
camper61 - 1.4 for a ballpark......Janesville Youth Baseball is picking up the majority of the cost for this ballpark. JYB is fund-raising and selling the current property. It's time Janesville puts money into it's youth. Bigger, better ballfields mean more tournaments -- meaning more visitors and more money spent in Janesville. Check out the plans for the new ballpark....www.janesvilleyouthbaseball....
May 16, 2008 at 11:25 a.m.
Suggest removal
I guess if you are going to start borrowing and not live within your means, you might as well borrow BIG.
May 16, 2008 at 10:49 a.m.
Suggest removal
$750,000. Money will go to the city’s Information Technology Strategic Plan to “provide citizen satisfaction through the use of information technology,”
I hope this is more than just throwing money at technology. Anyone with a business education knows you can not improve satisfaction with technology. You must have a process in place to use the technology.
May 16, 2008 at 9:59 a.m.
Suggest removal
I don't think 60,000 is much to upkeep a city building especially when you balance that against 1.4 million to maintain a ballpark. Besides is BTC open to use 24/7?
Before you post a comment, consider this:
Note: GazetteXtra.com does not condone or review every comment. Read more in our User Policy AgreementPost Comment
Commenting requires registration.