Janesville council delays Anthony Avenue special‑assessment decision, asks staff for alternatives

The Janesville Common Council on Feb. 23 heard a staff presentation on a preliminary resolution to urbanize Anthony Avenue — converting a gravel through‑street to a paved road with curb, gutter, storm sewer and street lighting — and then unanimously referred the special‑assessment proposal back to staff for further options.

City Engineer Brad Rentz described the project area on the city’s South Side, including six adjacent parcels that would benefit from the improvements, and explained the special‑assessment process that spreads the one‑time infrastructure cost among directly benefitting properties. Rentz said the state granted just under $22 million toward a different reconstruction project but noted private frontage allocations and current policy govern assessment splits.

Council members questioned how the assessment would affect existing property owners, whether the charge could be deferred until property sale, and whether policy changes could socialize some or all costs across taxpayers. Rentz described existing council policies that allow deferred assessments in limited cases and said payment options include immediate payment, a five‑year installment plan with interest (current interest cited at about 4.5%), or a deferred special assessment tied to sale.

After discussion about precedent and fairness, Council President Burdick moved and the council seconded a motion to refer the Anthony Avenue special‑assessment preliminary resolution back to staff with guidance to evaluate both project‑specific options and a potential citywide policy alternative; the motion passed unanimously.

What happens next: Staff will prepare options for the council, including cost estimates by parcel, deferred‑assessment mechanisms and a city‑wide policy analysis; the council will schedule a future public hearing if it moves forward with a final resolution.