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Price

JANESVILLE

JanesvilleÃÛèÖÊÓƵ reserve of vacant industrial land will grow by 47 acres after the city council on Monday night unanimously authorized purchase of a parcel on the cityÃÛèÖÊÓƵ east side.

The city will buy the 47-acre site, located at 3901 Enterprise Drive, from Grainger for $1.3 million. Economic Development Director Gale Price said the move adds to JanesvilleÃÛèÖÊÓƵ stockpile of city-owned, development-ready industrial land—a stockpile that is “on the low sideâ€� compared to other nearby communities.

Price estimated that Janesville had roughly 135 acres of such land. That land is scattered throughout the city, and some parcels are as small as 5 acres.

In comparison, Beaver Dam has a 400-acre site ready for industrial development.

The 47 acres Janesville bought just east of Grainger was supposed to house an expanded headquarters for Lab Safety Supply, GraingerÃÛèÖÊÓƵ corporate predecessor, in the early 1990s. That never happened, and Grainger has since decided its current property is big enough, Price said.

The land is not intended for a specific future occupant currently in development talks with Janesville, but having it under city control could help Janesville recruit a company, Price said.

City ownership is one of the few tools Wisconsin municipalities have to compete industrially and is a “valuable incentive� for a project.

“The development community has built a relationship with us as being the primary land developer,â€� Price said. “ThereÃÛèÖÊÓƵ an assurance as to how we’ll work with them. ThereÃÛèÖÊÓƵ an assurance as to how we’ll move forward with a project in this kind of situation.

“It does benefit the developer if they’re not tying up capital in the land and infrastructure construction if the cityÃÛèÖÊÓƵ doing it.â€�

JanesvilleÃÛèÖÊÓƵ control of a 235-acre tract of land and the cityÃÛèÖÊÓƵ decision to extend Innovation Drive through the site helped show Dollar General the land was ready to support a warehouse, Price said.

The new acquisition is already within city limits, but any future acquisition of industrial-ready land would likely need to be annexed, he said.

Diamond McKenna

Brian Kvapil

Tom Westrick

MILTON

After a heated discussion Monday, the Milton School Board directed school district officials to draft a $59.96 million capital referendum resolution to potentially present to voters in spring.

Sparks flew among board members before the 6-1 vote. Board member Brian Kvapil cast the sole opposing vote.

Kvapil said allowing the district to draft a resolution now was “putting the cart before the horse� because the school board did not discuss the possibility of splitting the referendum into two questions—one for a new pool at the high school and the other for the rest of the facilities needs.

Board member Diamond McKenna said she suggested splitting the referendum into two questions at a previous meeting, but the board wasn’t interested.

Kvapil acknowledged McKennaÃÛèÖÊÓƵ previous effort but said the timing was too early.

Kvapil, who has been known as the voice of dissent during the districtÃÛèÖÊÓƵ last two referendum attempts, said several community members have suggested to him that the district make the pool a separate question.

The other six board members said they had not heard that idea but have heard a lot of support for a new pool.

Kvapil said his motivation for presenting the option of two referendum questions was not to discourage a new pool but to let people decide what they want.

Perhaps the hottest point of contention during the discussion was whether the pool should be considered an academic need.

Board President Tom Westrick argued against making the pool a separate referendum question because the pool serves an academic need, just like the other components of the referendum. He said he considered the pool a classroom.

“It doesn’t have to be,� Kvapil said, adding that other schools don’t have pools.

Kvapil earlier had suggested the pool was more of an athletic need.

Anna Quade, a student council representative, interjected, saying the pool was an important part of physical education for students from elementary to high school age. Her comment sparked applause from the audience.

As previously reported, the 50-year-old pool needs about $1 million worth of work to remain operational. Addressing the poolÃÛèÖÊÓƵ immediate needs would extend its life about 10 years.

Board member Karen Hall and McKenna stressed that no referendum will ever please everyone.

The resolution to be drafted will renovations and additions at the middle school and all four elementary schools. The high school would get gym and STEM upgrades, additional classroom space and a new pool.

The solution was chosen from four options presented by Plunkett Raysich Architects, which was asked by the board to develop options that met districtwide needs for less than $60 million.

The board must approve a resolution by mid-January to get the referendum on the April ballot.