Refer C2024-12 back to staff

You are being asked to consider contract approval on the Palmer Aquatics Facility on August 12, 2024. This project has moved forward, including design and bidding, with very little information available to the public or Council, no public direction from the Council regarding what type of facility should be considered, and no formal resolutions from Council instructing city officials to proceed with the project and associated expenditures and bidding processes. City staff will tell you that $1.5 million dollars was borrowed in 2023 and was supposed to be earmarked for funding a future upgrade to Palmer Park’s wading pool. Yet, city staff assured the Council on May 28, 2024 that the $1.5 million already borrowed for pool improvements could be repurposed to similar projects. You might find it interesting that $1.5 million would have covered all of Parkitecture + Planning‘s 2021 recommended system upgrades to Rockport Pool, as well as most of the new amenity and infrastructure improvements that they recommended. Please consider referring C2024-12 – Palmer Aquatics Facility Bid back to staff to evaluate other options. We elect the Council to lead and give direction to city staff – please direct staff to use this money to focus on the maintenance and improvement of existing facilities and amenities. With the proposed 4.2 million dollars, the city of Janesville could upgrade Rockport Pool’s facilities as well as install a reasonably priced splash pad to replace the aging Palmer Park wading pool.