Janesville council extends emergency, accepts donation and vacates unused easement

The Janesville City Council on Monday extended a local state of emergency through Nov. 12 and approved several routine items, including a small donation to the police department and the vacation of an unused drainage easement in the Pearson Acres No. 2 plat.

Councilors amended Resolution No. 22 to set the emergency expiration date at Nov. 12 unless terminated earlier; staff said the extension would allow the city to continue documenting storm-related expenses and pursue federal and state reimbursement where eligible. The transcript records council discussion about timing and the city’s authority to extend the declaration; the motion to amend and extend was moved, seconded and approved by voice vote (no roll-call tally recorded).

The council also accepted a $338 donation from Simply Saved Thrift Store for police equipment under Resolution No. 21. The donation was moved, seconded and approved by voice vote.

In a separate action, staff asked the council to vacate a portion of a drainage easement dedicated in the 2022 plat for Pearson Acres No. 2 because the anticipated development did not proceed. The council approved releasing the easement for the affected east-side lots; staff said the release affects only those 10–11 lots and that other drainage easements in the subdivision remain in place.

Councilors approved a renewed three-year School Resource Officer (SRO) agreement. According to staff, the updated contract mirrors the previous agreement with minor statutory wording changes and had already been accepted by the school board. Sheila Json was identified in the meeting as the school resource officer involved in preparing the update.

All approvals in the transcript were recorded as motions with second and voice approval; the transcript does not include individual roll-call vote tallies.