By Ryan Spoehr - Febuary 9th 2023

 

JANESVILLE

 A Rock County Board committee has shot down the idea of putting the Woodman’s Sports and Convention Center in Janesville to a countywide referendum.

The county board’s Planning and Development Committee on Thursday night didn’t advance a resolution seeking the referendum. Had it proceeded, it would have been considered by the full county board on Thursday night.

The proposed construction of the ice and sports arena and convention center on Milton Avenue in Janesville has faced pushback from county board members Mike Zoril, April Whitledge, Lori Pennycook, Connie Winter, Karla Herrmann, Kim Schneider and Mary Beaver, who proposed the referendum.

It would have instructed County Administrator Josh Smith to direct Economic Development Manager James Otterstein and Health Director Katrina Harwood to send a letter to the Wisconsin Building Commission clarifying statements they’d made endorsing the center, to say those were personal opinions.

The resolution, has it passed, would have directed Smith to “inform” county managers or directors to not issue any statement supporting the complex that “contrasts with the views of the Rock County Board unless those statements are made in only their personal and not official capacities.”

The resolution contended that the “Janesville City Council has placed no spending cap on the proposed $50.3 million Woodman’s Sports Complex, which causes great alarm and financial distress among hardworking Janesville taxpayers.”

The resolution also stated that the city “did not work in partnership” with the county on Woodman’s Center planning despite seeking the county’s financial assistance to pay for the construction.

A proposal in the county’s 2023 budget, introduced by Supervisor Jim Farrell of Janesville, sought to allocate $2 million in county funds for the proposed sports arena and convention center.

“We need to have amenities to attract people and keep them here,” Farrell said at the time. He also said, “if you want the reputation of being a cheap city or cheap county, then go ahead and deny” the budget amendment.

The suggested $2 million contribution from the county was less than a $2.5 million request then-Janesville City Manager Mark Freitag made at a September 2022 county board meeting.

The supervisors in the referendum resolution also referenced the near $97 million Rock County Jail expansion project, that’s now underway. It stated that people are “suffering from the long-term financial burden of this spending and would like to have greater representation on major tax-funded construction projects going forward.”

The Planning and Development Committee members include County Board Supervisors Alan Sweeney, Genia Stevens, RJ Sutterlin, Russel Podzilni and Connie Winter.

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