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Plans advance for water tower

JANESVILLE — The city of Janesville will keep working toward building a new water tower, but plans are not concrete yet.

The city council Monday night voted to move forward with plans to build a 1.5-million-gallon water tower on the city's northeast side and a large-diameter water main to connect existing mains on the city's east and west sides.

The project would cost about $7.15 million.

The vote didn't commit money, but it will keep the city on a timeline to compete for federal stimulus money for the project, said Dan Lynch, utilities director.

A tower could address current problems in the north zone of the city's utility service, Lynch said.

"We're not talking about the future," Lynch said. "We're talking about right now. When we have a major main break, we really don't have water for anything."

Eight times in the last five or six years water pressure has dropped to problem levels in the north zone, Lynch said.

"That's eight times too many," he said.

The north zone serves about 30,000 people, he said.

When the pressure drops, bacteria could get in the system. It also could leave fire crews unable to pump water to fight a fire, he said.

The loss of a huge customer—General Motors—on the city's south side doesn't give any relief to the water pressure problems in the north zone, Lynch said.

Council member Tom McDonald voted against the project.

Rate increase

The city will ask the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin to raise utility rates for city customers.

The city will request a 14.75 percent increase.

With no production at GM, water sales have dropped, said Patty Lynch, city comptroller. GM accounted for 9 percent of the city's water sales, she said.

In addition, operating expenses and capital improvement costs have gone up, she said.

Currently, the average quarterly water bill for a residential customer is $40. That breaks down to $35.10 for water and $4.90 for public fire protection.

After an increase, the average bill would be $40.28 and $5.62.

The PSC will host a public hearing on the matter, probably via video, Lynch said.

It could be about six months before the state gets to Janesville's request, she said.

Council President Bill Truman voted against the application for the rate increase.

Council delays vote on sexual material ordinance

It's never easy talking about minors and sex.

The Janesville City Council on Monday night decided to put off a decision on the matter for two weeks.

The council postponed voting on a proposed ordinance that would require stores to keep "harmful" sexual materials away from the eyes of minors.

Only two people spoke during a public hearing. Once was an attorney on behalf of Spencer Gifts in the Janesville Mall.

"Spencer Gifts sells nothing vulgar, nothing that is pornographic," attorney Marc McCrory said.

The proposed ordinance is in reaction to a complaint made by council member Russ Steeber, who contacted the city manager's office after seeing sex toys and other novelties on display at the store.

McCrory said Spencer's does not sell sex toys.

The proposed ordinance requires that "harmful materials" be displayed so that minors cannot view them.

Some council members asked city attorney Wald Klimczyk to come up with a less complicated ordinance. He said he would review the wording but told council members not to expect big changes, because the ordinance was based on state statutes.