OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Janesville City Council Regular Meeting - July 13, 2026

Meeting Portal — Monday, July 13, 2026
BodyJanesville, Wisconsin
SessionMeeting Portal
DateMonday, July 13, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 2:02:21

Transcript — Verbatim
0:03

Lively group.

0:04

We're still talking around here.

0:05

So I want to call to order the Monday, July 13th, 2026 City Council meeting for the city of Janesville.

0:13

If you'd all please stand and join me in the Pledge of Allegiance.

0:18

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America.

0:23

And to the Republic for which it stands.

0:26

One nation on the indivisible with liberty and justice for all.

0:33

Okay, in case of emergency, please use the stairs and not the elevator to exit.

0:38

Walk to the north side of the police department and wait for further instructions.

0:42

Clerk, will you please do the roll call?

0:45

President Squire.

0:46

Here.

0:47

Vice President Cass.

0:48

Here.

0:49

Councilmember Erdman is joining us virtually.

0:52

Can you hear me?

0:54

I'm here.

0:56

Thank you.

0:57

Councilmember Miller.

0:58

Here.

0:59

Councilmember Nino?

1:00

Here.

1:00

Councilmember Poe?

1:01

Here.

1:01

Council Member Seaman.

1:02

Here.

1:03

All are present.

1:04

We do have the time.

1:05

Very good.

1:06

Thank you.

1:07

Item number three recognitions.

1:09

There are none this evening.

1:10

And so that'll take us to item number four, public comments.

1:14

And these public comments are on items on the agenda not requiring a public hearing.

1:18

And on matters which can affect uh council action.

1:22

So individuals wishing to address city council are asked to complete the speaker form on the table in the lobby and provide it to the clerk before the meeting.

1:30

When you approach the podium, please state your name and address for the record.

1:35

Keep your comments brief and try not to duplicate any speakers from before you.

1:40

Speakers will be asked to end their comments at four minutes.

1:43

There are no public hearings this evening, so this is the opportunity to address the council.

1:49

Lori, do we have any?

1:50

I have one register, and that's Ray Jewel.

1:52

Very good.

1:59

Hey, you're starting to get tired of this phase probably, but uh I know I would.

2:04

But so as always, I want to thank all of you who have chosen to serve your city in this way.

2:10

Being on the council, it takes a lot of time commitment and a tough skin, I'm sure.

2:15

Having been a pastor, you know, most of my adult life, I know what people can do to people in charge.

2:23

Anyway, I come this evening to share once again the need to pull in the reins on the data center issue.

2:29

The citizens of Janesville and Rock County are aware of four possible sites, and we would not be surprised if there were more.

2:36

I don't need to rehearse all the concerns we have as a United Body, but I do want to make clear that until these concerns are addressed.

2:44

I don't think the data center is a good idea.

2:46

Because of that belief, I'm joining with several of my fellow citizens of Janesville and Rock County, the No Janesville Data Center Group, Snow Janesville, Rock County Neighbors for Responsible Development, and others to ask for an 18-month moratorium on any further designs with the data center in Janesville and Rock County.

3:06

This would allow all governing bodies to do a whole lot more research into the harms to life and the environment these huge sites can cause.

3:26

Recently, one of the lawyers for another governing body in Rock County made a comment to in a board meeting that the board would be sorry 50 years from now if they didn't approve a data center.

3:38

Think about that for a moment.

3:40

50 years from now, I'm going to be 120 if I'm still here.

3:44

I'd rather be with Jesus by then, but we'll see.

3:48

Even uh the youngest of you on the council, you're gonna be in your 80s at least, you know.

3:55

So you might not be here, or hopefully you are, but you know, we don't know.

4:00

From what I discovered, these data centers shelf life is maybe 15 to 20 years, maybe 30 if you're lucky, until the best next best thing comes.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Procedural████████████████████████████████████████████44%
Transportation Safety████████████████16%
Disaster Recovery█████████9%
Budget Equity Analysis███████7%
Fiscal Sustainability███████7%
Public Safety██████6%
Water And Wastewater Management█████5%
Technology and Innovation███3%
Community Engagement██2%
Summary of Proceedings

Janesville City Council Regular Meeting - July 13, 2026

The Janesville City Council met on July 13, 2026, at 6:00 PM in Council Chambers, 18 N. Jackson Street. The agenda included reports on the city’s financial audit, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) disaster assistance, e-bike and scooter regulations, consent items, a bond issuance, ballot language approval, and a closed session to amend the Interim City Manager’s employment agreement. All votes were unanimous unless noted.

Consent Calendar

  • Approval of Minutes from June 22, 2026.
  • Licenses and recommendations (per license agenda).
  • Financial Statements for May 2026.
  • Resolutions in Commendation for Rebecca Diedrick (31+ years) and Marian T. Cousin (35+ years), File Resolutions No. 2026-2452 and 2026-2453.
  • CSM 26008-C (Bass Creek Properties LLC, Center Avenue and Joliet Street) was pulled by Councilmember Miller for comment; approved unanimously after noting it supports local business expansion.
  • All other consent items approved by unanimous consent.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Ray Jewel (address not provided) spoke on behalf of the No Janesville Data Center Group, Snow Janesville, and Rock County Neighbors for Responsible Development. He urged an 18-month moratorium on data center development to allow more research on environmental and financial harms, citing majority citizen opposition and a 15–20 year facility lifespan. He stated: “The citizens of Janesville and Rock County are aware of four possible sites.”

Presentation: FEMA Disaster Declaration (July 2, 2026 Flooding)

  • Rock County Administrator John Light, Emergency Management Director Kevin Wernett, and Assistant Haley Wagner presented. Key points:
    • Individual Assistance: Up to $44,500 per household (average $6,000). Over 300 applications from Rock County already. Deadline for FEMA and Small Business Administration (SBA) loans: August 31, 2026.
    • SBA Loans: Available to homeowners, renters, businesses, and nonprofits; not limited to businesses. Application period open through August 31.
    • Process: Damage assessment is separate from application; in-person assistance locations may be announced soon.
    • Light praised city staff’s disaster response.

Presentation: 2025 Annual Comprehensive Financial Report (ACFR)

  • Finance Director Dave Godak and Andrea Jansen (Baker Tilly) presented. Key audit results:
    • Unmodified (clean) opinion issued.
    • General Fund: Fund balance increased ~$1 million; unrestricted fund balance ~$8.25 million (16.6% of 2026 budgeted expenditures, down from prior year due to non-spendable increases).
    • Debt: General obligation debt ~$119 million, well below statutory and policy limits. True interest rate on new notes (Old Business item) was 3.0794%.
    • Utilities: Water, wastewater, stormwater, and transit funds all showed healthy cash reserves and operating margins. Transit has an unrestricted deficit of ~$500,000.
    • Rating: Standard & Poor’s affirmed AA+ (long-term) and AA (2026 notes) with stable outlook. Economy category scored 4 (weakness); liquidity and management scored well.

Discussion: E-Bikes, E-Scooters, and Mini-Bikes Regulations

  • Police Chief Chad Pearson presented definitions and current rules under Wisconsin statutes and Janesville ordinances. Key points:
    • E-bikes: Classes 1–3; permitted on roadways (up to 25 mph) and sidewalks (except downtown and near schools/playgrounds). No age restrictions for classes 1 and 2; class 3 recommended for 16+.
    • E-scooters: Max 20 mph; permitted on sidewalks (at 15 mph) and roadways up to 25 mph. No clear ordinance restriction on sidewalk use currently.
    • Mini-bikes/mopeds/motorcycles: Mopeds require Class D license; motorcycles require Class M license; mini-bikes without proper equipment are illegal and being confiscated.
    • Enforcement challenges: Large jurisdiction (35 sq mi, 350+ lane miles), priority-based calls, youth riders, and pursuit safety concerns. Current strategy focuses on public education (school resource officers, bike rodeo, video). Future plans include research on local ordinances (age, helmets, speed) and increased community policing.
  • Council discussed specific roadways (Milton Avenue, Center Avenue) and enforcement limitations; Pearson noted illegal mini-bike confiscations have increased.

Old Business

  • Resolution No. 2026-2443 awarding $24,590,000 General Obligation Promissory Notes, Series 2026, to the lowest bidder (JP Morgan) with a true interest cost of 3.0794%. Premium of ~$380,000 used to advance principal from 2036 to 2027, saving ~$300,000 in interest. Nine bids received. Approved unanimously.

New Business

  • Ballot Language for Direct Legislation Petition (File Ordinance 2026-926): The city attorney proposed the question: “Should approval of proposed development agreements, development projects, sales, and leases of the GM JADCO sites for projects exceeding $450 million in project cost be decided by a majority vote of the electors?” Council approved the language unanimously and instructed the City Clerk to place it on the November 3, 2026 general election ballot.

Closed Session

  • Motion to convene into closed session under Wis. Stat. § 19.85(1)(c) and (e) to discuss the employment agreement of Acting Interim City Manager Jay Shambeau. Council reconvened and approved an amendment to the IPA agreement: pay of $150/hour up to 40 hours/week, authorize back pay for 15.75 hours, and change “South Milwaukee” to “City of Janesville.” All other terms unchanged. Approved unanimously.

Key Outcomes

  • Approved: All consent agenda items (with item D highlighted separately).
  • Approved: Resolution for $24.59 million GO notes (3.0794% interest).
  • Approved: Ballot language for direct legislation on GM JADCO sites ($450M threshold) for November 2026 election.
  • Approved: Amendment to Interim City Manager’s IPA agreement (terms above). All votes were unanimous.
  • Upcoming: City staff to provide ICE Center update at August 10, 2026 meeting; FEMA in-person assistance location to be announced; police department to continue education and enforcement on e-bikes and mini-bikes.

Meeting Transcript

Lively group. We're still talking around here. So I want to call to order the Monday, July 13th, 2026 City Council meeting for the city of Janesville. If you'd all please stand and join me in the Pledge of Allegiance. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America. And to the Republic for which it stands. One nation on the indivisible with liberty and justice for all. Okay, in case of emergency, please use the stairs and not the elevator to exit. Walk to the north side of the police department and wait for further instructions. Clerk, will you please do the roll call? President Squire. Here. Vice President Cass. Here. Councilmember Erdman is joining us virtually. Can you hear me? I'm here. Thank you. Councilmember Miller. Here. Councilmember Nino? Here. Councilmember Poe? Here. Council Member Seaman. Here. All are present. We do have the time. Very good. Thank you. Item number three recognitions. There are none this evening. And so that'll take us to item number four, public comments. And these public comments are on items on the agenda not requiring a public hearing. And on matters which can affect uh council action. So individuals wishing to address city council are asked to complete the speaker form on the table in the lobby and provide it to the clerk before the meeting. When you approach the podium, please state your name and address for the record. Keep your comments brief and try not to duplicate any speakers from before you. Speakers will be asked to end their comments at four minutes. There are no public hearings this evening, so this is the opportunity to address the council. Lori, do we have any? I have one register, and that's Ray Jewel. Very good. Hey, you're starting to get tired of this phase probably, but uh I know I would. But so as always, I want to thank all of you who have chosen to serve your city in this way. Being on the council, it takes a lot of time commitment and a tough skin, I'm sure. Having been a pastor, you know, most of my adult life, I know what people can do to people in charge. Anyway, I come this evening to share once again the need to pull in the reins on the data center issue. The citizens of Janesville and Rock County are aware of four possible sites, and we would not be surprised if there were more. I don't need to rehearse all the concerns we have as a United Body, but I do want to make clear that until these concerns are addressed.

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