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City manager announces Woodman Center GM hire, $119,000 in tornado recovery funds and upcoming projects and events
Summary
City Manager Kevin Lair announced the hiring of a new Woodman Center general manager, confirmed $119,000 in state tornado recovery funds, outlined a $5 million federal appropriation for the Woodman Center, and provided updates on DOT construction and community events.
City Manager Kevin Lair told the Janesville Common Council on Feb. 10 that the city has hired Tony Thierry as general manager of the Woodman Center and that the city has received $119,000 in tornado recovery funds from the Wisconsin disaster fund.
Lair said Thierry is the former vice president of operations at the Scheels Arena in Fargo, North Dakota, and that his experience includes organizing North Dakota State high school hockey tournaments, NCAA Division I regional hockey tournaments, the U.S. curling championships and AHL preseason games. Lair also said Thierry spent 13 years with the National Guard.
Lair reported the city spent “north of $350,000” responding to damage from a tornado and that the $119,000 payment reimburses part of those costs under a state-declared disaster process. He also said the federal budget includes a $5,000,000 appropriation for the Woodman Center that had been placed in the federal budget by U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin; Lair said the city met an initial application deadline and is working through ongoing funding guidance.
On transportation, Lair said the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (DOT) will begin improvements at the 5 Points intersection in early April. He said the first construction phase will include a full closure of Center Avenue, with at least one lane reopening in a later phase, and that the project is DOT-controlled with details available on the DOT website.
Lair also reminded the council that board, committee and commission applications are due March 2, and highlighted recent and upcoming city communications and events: a Park Place Views segment about the Janesville Transit System featuring Transit Director Becca Smith; a senior center promotional video that the manager said coincided with 50 new senior center memberships in three weeks; a child safety seat inspection on Feb. 13; a Lunar New Year celebration at the public library on Feb. 15 from 2 to 4 p.m.; the Battle of the Badges blood drive on Feb. 17; the primary election on Feb. 18; and Flannel Fest at Town Square on Feb. 22.
Lair characterized some federal funding guidance as confusing but said staff moved quickly to apply and meet deadlines to secure funding for the Woodman Center project.
