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Janesville council approves GM Jacko redevelopment advisory board amid concerns over selection process
Summary
The Janesville Common Council voted 6-1 on Sept. 8 to confirm appointments to a newly formed GM Jacko Redevelopment Advisory Board, establishing an advisory process intended to guide environmental remediation and redevelopment planning; one council member voted no and publicly criticized the selection process.
The Janesville Common Council voted 6-1 on Sept. 8 to confirm appointments to the GM Jacko Redevelopment Advisory Board, an advisory body the city says will steer planning, community engagement and remediation at the former GM Jacko site.
City Manager Kevin Lehner told the council the board will develop a conceptual redevelopment framework, oversee an RFQ for a planning consultant and help position the site for long-term development. Lehner estimated the planning process would take about 18 months and said meetings would be open to the public and widely advertised.
The board will include residents living near the site, residents at large, business representatives (including at least one South Side business owner), a nonprofit leader serving the area, the city’s economic development director and the Rock County economic development director, according to the manager’s presentation. Lehner said the board is advisory and will issue recommendations to the plan commission and city council.
Council member Williams asked whether meetings would be public; Lehner said they would be posted publicly, filmed and rebroadcast, and that the process would include surveys and workshops to solicit community input. When asked whether an unsolicited developer proposal could be considered during the planning period, Lehner said the council would evaluate any proposal on its merits and could adjust plans as needed.
Council member Erdman said the public application and vetting process for the board had been confusing and insufficiently transparent, and he announced he would vote against the appointments. Council members who supported the slate cited the volume of applicants and the experience of nominees.
Council member Nino moved to adopt the resolution confirming the appointments; the motion was seconded by Council member Cass. The motion passed 6-1, with Erdman voting no.
The city manager said the first meeting is expected in September and will serve as an orientation; the board’s immediate task will be producing an RFQ for a planning consultant to guide the redevelopment process.
The action establishes an advisory structure intended to guide remediation and redevelopment planning but does not authorize any specific redevelopment project or financial commitment. The council retained final decision-making authority.
