10-11-99PROCEEDINGS OF THE CITY COUNCIL
CITY OF JANESVILLE, WISCONSIN
REGULAR MEETING
OCTOBER 11, 1999
VOL. 50
NO. 15
Regular meeting of the City Council of the City of Janesville held in the Municipal building on
October 11, 1999.
The meeting was called to order by Council President Stehura.
Councilmember Brien led the Council in the Pledge of Allegiance.
Present: Council President Stehura, Councilmembers Westphal, Murphy, O’Leary, Brien, Noll, and
Schneider.
CONSENT AGENDA
Minutes of the regular meeting of September 27, 1999.
Licenses; and Recommendations of the Alcohol License Advisory Committee.
Action on final Certified Survey Maps: #99036-C, 3 lots on Commercial Avenue; #99043-C, 1 lot
& 1 outlot on USH 14; #99044-C, 3 lots on Venture Drive.
Council President Stehura stated the consent agenda would be approved if there were no objections.
There were no objections.
OLD BUSINESS
1. Requests and comments from the public on matters which can be affected by Council action.
Robert Rippberger, 1915 South Willard Avenue, addressed Council regarding vehicles traveling at
excessive speed on South Willard Avenue.
2. Proposed resolutions providing for improvements to the Senior Center (99-2474 & 99-2475)
or the construction of a new Senior Center. (99-2476)
Council President Stehura asked for public comment. The following individuals spoke in favor of the
proposed resolutions: Mort Enright, 223 North Grant Street; Francis Russell, 207 Killdeer Court;
Merritt Brown, 1427 Marquette Street; Donna Zahn, 1410 Dayton Drive; Joe Drefcinski, 321 Pease
Court; Helen Graham, 224 Pease Court; Connie Dallman, 122 Falling Creek Circle; Vic Boyer, 4215
Bordeaux Drive; Gerald Mauch, 1145 East Memorial Drive; Dr. Jeff Thomas, 417 Waveland Road;
Marv Roth, 1533 Tyler Street; Bob Strachota, 2506 Lilac Lane; Helen Close, 227 Ba-Wood Lane;
Dale Thompson, 2332 Mt. Zion Avenue; Carrie Nottingham, 905 North Fremont Street; and Bob
Brown, 1123 Mayfair Drive.
Councilmember Westphal moved the City build a new Senior Center using any of the eight options
presented with the following conditions: 1. the facility is located downtown. 2. general fund costs
cannot exceed 25% of the project cost including property acquisition. 3. an annual user fee is
established with recovery rates consistent with other adult programs. 4. ten months are allowed for
fund raising, and when 25% of the funds are raised, Council is to select a building option; seconded
by Councilmember Murphy and failed on the following vote: Aye: Council President Stehura,
Councilmembers Westphal and Murphy. Nay: Councilmembers O’Leary, Brien, Noll and Schneider.
Councilmember Brien moved to adopt Resolution No. 99-2475, seconded by Councilmember
O’Leary and failed on the following vote: Aye: Council President Stehura, Councilmembers Brien
and O’Leary. Nay: Councilmembers Westphal, Murphy, Noll & Schneider. (File Resolution No. 99-
2475)
Councilmember Noll moved to adopt Resolution No. 99-2474 with the following amendment:
paragraph 5 is amended to read “NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED by the Common Council
of the City of Janesville that the Administration be authorized to renovate two floors of the existing
Senior Center building and provide parking improvements, for a total cost not to exceed $815,000
of which the amount not to exceed $375,000 shall be General Fund and an amount not to exceed
$440,000 shall be Community Development Block Grant Funds”, seconded by Councilmember
Murphy and failed on the following vote: Aye: Councilmember Murphy. Nay: Council President
Stehura, Councilmembers Westphal, O’Leary, Brien, Noll & Schneider. (File Resolution No. 99-
2474)
Councilmember O’Leary moved to send the Senior Center project back to the Administration to
prepare cost estimates for Council on: 1. the current site with two-floor renovation and two-floor
addition. 2. a new building located across from the municipal building. 3. an additional downtown
site; seconded by Councilmember Noll and passed with the following vote: Aye: Councilmembers
Westphal, Murphy, O’Leary, Brien, Noll & Schneider. Nay: Council President Stehura.
Council President Stehura combined action on items 3 & 4.
3-4. A proposed ordinance amending the zoning ordinance to make boarding houses a conditional
use in the R3, R4, O1, O2, B2, B3, B4, B5, & B6 Districts (99-1273) and a proposed ordinance
rezoning property located at 18-22 South Atwood Avenue from R4 to R2 (99-1274) received their
second reading.
Council President Stehura opened the combined public hearing. Speaking in favor of the proposed
ordinances were: Paul Power, 602 East Court Street; Patrick Ryan, 323 Garfield Avenue; Judith
Detert Moriarty, 23 South Atwood Avenue; Mike Bolster, 620 East Holmes Street; Tom McBride,
220 Sinclair Street; Connie Irlbeck, 405 South Atwood Avenue; Deb Thomassen, 209 South Atwood
Avenue; and Evelyn Wilkinson, 320 Cornelia Street. Speaking in opposition to the proposed
ordinances were: Paul Benish, 3237 Royal Road; Dick Lynes, 536 Miller Avenue; Fr. Robert
Bramlett, 1312 Shannon Drive; Tom Lattomus, 618 East Court Street; and Attorney John Holzhuter,
934 Sentinel Drive, representing the Episcopal Diocese of Milwaukee. The public hearing was closed.
Councilmember Murphy moved to adopt Ordinance No. 99-1273, seconded by Councilmember Brien
and passed unanimously. (File Ordinance No. 99-1273)
Councilmember O’Leary moved to deny Ordinance No. 99-1274, seconded by Councilmember
Westphal and passed unanimously. (File Ordinance No. 99-1274)
5. A proposed revised ordinance rezoning property located within the 3000 blo ck of Palmer
Drive from O1 to R3 received its second reading and public hearing. No one appeared at the hearing.
Council President Stehura continued the public hearing to October 25, 1999. (File Revised Ordinance
No. 99-1272)
Council combined action on Old Business items 6 & 7 and New Business items 1, 2, & 4.
6. A proposed resolution approving the exercise of an option to purchase a 24.4 acre parcel of
land from Rock County for $366,000; approving the acceptance of a 2.9 acre donation of land by
Janesville Sand & Gravel Company; and approving the sale of a 24.16 acre industrial parcel of land
to Goex, Inc. for $366,000. (File Resolution No. 99-2473)
7. Continued public hearing and action on a proposed ordinance rezoning a portion of Janesville
Sand & Gravel from Mining to M1. (File Ordinance No. 99-1251)
NEW BUSINESS
1. Recommendation of the Plan Commission: a proposed resolution releasing a certified survey
map restriction on property located at 1831 West Court Street. (File Resolution No. 99-2466)
2. Proposed resolutions authorizing project agreements with the Wisconsin Department of
Transportation for improvements to Highway 11 from Wright Road to Highway 14 (99-2468),
Highway 11; Midland Road interchange ramp (99-2469) and East Rotamer Road from Milton
Avenue to Wright Road (99-2470)
4. A proposed resolution authorizing the City Manager to make an application to the County
of Rock for an exemption from the library tax levy. (File Resolution No. 99-2471)
Council President Stehura opened the continued public hearing on Ordinance No. 99-1251. No one
appeared and the hearing was closed.
Councilmember O’Leary moved to adopt Resolution No. 99-2473, File Ordinance 99-1251, and
Resolution Nos. 99-2466, 99-2468, 99-2469, 99-2470, & 99-2471, seconded by Councilmember Noll
and passed unanimously. (File Resolution Nos. 99-2466, 99-2468, 99-2469, 99-2470, 99-2471, 99-
2473; File Ordinance No 99-1251)
3. Presentation of the proposed 2000 City and Library budgets.
Councilmember O’Leary moved to take the 2000 City and Library budgets under consideration,
seconded by Councilmember Noll and passed unanimously. Council waived notice for the following
special council meetings to review the 2000 budget: October 18 & 27, 1999 and November 3, 1999.
5. A proposed resolut ion establishing a Contingency Fund.
Councilmember Schneider moved to adopt said resolution, seconded by Councilmember Noll and
passed unanimously. (File Resolution No. 99-2465)
6. A proposed ordinance annexing property located south of STH 26 across fr om McCormick
Drive was introduced and scheduled for public hearing on November 8, 1999. (File Ordinance No.
99-1276)
7. A proposed ordinance zoning property located south of STH 26 across from McCormick
Drive to Ag, O1, R3M, and R1 upon annexation was introduced, referred to the Plan Commission
and scheduled for public hearing on November 8, 1999. (File Ordinance No. 99-1277)
8. Matters not on the Agenda.
Councilmember Noll requested the Administration provide the cost to groom cross-country ski trails
at Rockport Park.
9. Closed Session.
Councilmember O’Leary moved to convene in closed session per Wisconsin Statutes Section 19.85
(1)(e), for the purpose of deliberating or negotiating the purchasing of public properties, the investing
of public funds, or conducting other specified public business, whenever competitive or bargaining
reasons require a closed session, and for the purpose of considering collective bargaining strategies
since competitive or bargaining reasons require a closed session, seconded by Councilmember Noll
and passed unanimously.
There being no further business, Council convened in closed session at 11:34 p.m.
These minutes are not official until approved by the City Council.
Timothy L. Kitzman
Deputy Clerk-Treasurer