City of Janesville News------April 10, 2008

Weekly Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: Thursday, April 10, 2008
Contact: Rebecca Smith, Management Assistant
Phone: 608-755-3104
Fax: 608-755-3196
E-mail: smithr@ci.janesville.wi.us
Website: www.ci.janesville.wi.us

Notice to the Media: Update on City Bus Tours
The April 11 and 25 City Council bus tours are cancelled. They have been replaced with one tour, scheduled for Saturday, April 19 from 7:30AM – 2:30PM. The media is welcome to attend the bus tour. More details regarding the April 19 tour will be available as the tour draws near. For questions, call Management Assistant Rebecca Smith at 755-3104.

Adult Sand Volleyball Leagues Begin in May
Informational Meeting Planned for April 10
Leisure Services offers adult leagues for competitive and recreational players at Traxler Park and Riverside Park. An informational meeting for all interested teams and players is scheduled for April 10 at 7PM at the Senior Center, 69 S. Water Street. The cost per team is $140 and includes six resident players. Additional resident team members cost $10 per player. Non-resident team members cost $13 per player. The price for substitutes is $6; this cost will be waived if a team representative attends the informational meeting. Team rosters must be finalized and registration fees must be paid by April 28; league play begins May 19. For questions, please contact Shelley Hansel at 755-3030.

JTS Provides Service on School Make-Up Saturdays
In the aftermath of a winter with record-setting snowfall, the School District of Janesville will hold school on two Saturdays to replace the days lost as the result of inclement weather. To facilitate attendance at school on these two Saturdays, April 12 and May 3, 2008, the School District has asked the Janesville Transit System to provide expanded public bus service on those dates.

The School District is reimbursing the City of Janesville for the cost of providing this additional service. Under Federal Transit Administration regulations, this service will be open at all times to the general public, will operate in accordance with published schedules, and the regular fares will be charged.

On April 12 and May 3 JTS will make the following modifications to its regular Saturday schedule to assist Janesville families and students in attending the school replacement days:

o JTS Regular Routes will begin service at 7:15AM on these dates, rather than the normal Saturday start time of 8:45AM. This will allow adequate time for persons traveling from home to the schools for the 8:15AM Middle School and 8:30AM High School start times. School dismissal occurs during normal Saturday operating hours, so no service changes are necessary for that purpose.

o The following Extra Service Routes will operate on April 12 and May 3:
o Ontario–Alpine/Wuthering Hills Combination
o Atwood-Holmes/East Milwaukee Special Combination
o South West Special
o Northwest/West Court Special Combination

Extra Service Routes are open to anyone wishing to ride and the regular fare ($1.25) will be charged. Schedules will be modified to meet the changes in the school opening and closing times on these Saturdays.

For more details and route planning assistance for service on April 12 and May 3, please contact JTS at 755-3150.

Home Buyer’s Workshop Offered in April
The Home Buyer’s Workshop is a series of classes geared toward those who have never owned a home and may be wondering what it takes to become a homeowner. Whether you are thinking about buying a home in the near or distant future, these classes will give you the information you need to make a wise purchase decision. Topics discussed include: the benefits of homeownership, household budgeting and credit, the benefits of a home inspection, writing an offer to purchase, the mortgage application process, property taxes, and local down payment and closing cost assistance programs.

The next series of the Home Buyer’s workshop is scheduled for Tuesdays, April 15, 22, 29 and May 6 from 6:30 – 8:30PM. The classes are held at the City of Janesville Municipal Building, located at 18 N. Jackson Street. Participants must attend all classes to earn a certificate of completion.

The workshop is sponsored by Anchor Bank, Associated Bank, Blackhawk Community Credit Union, Commercial Bank, Johnson Bank, M&I Bank, Rock County Planning & Development, and classes are taught by Community Action, Inc. Pre-registration is required. For more information or to register, please call Neighborhood Services at 755-3065.

Police Accreditation Assessment Planned for April; Public Information Session Planned for April 16
A team of assessors from the Wisconsin Law Enforcement Accreditation Group (WILEAG) will complete an assessment of all aspects of the Janesville Police Department’s policy and procedures, management, operation, and support services in April. This assessment is part of the Department’s re-accreditation efforts and is completed to ensure the Janesville Police Department meets the Board’s state-of-the-art standards.

As part of the on-site assessment, employees and members of the community are invited to offer comments at a public information session on April 16 at 7PM. The session will be held in the City Council Chambers on the fourth floor of the Municipal Building, 18 North Jackson Street.

If an individual cannot speak at the public information session but would like to provide comments to the assessment team, he/she may do so by telephone or in writing. The public may call 373-3436 on April 16 from 8AM – 5PM to share comments. Written comments should be addressed to:

Wisconsin Law Enforcement Accreditation Group
4760 Schneider Drive
Oregon, WI 53575

Telephone comments as well as appearances at the public information session are limited to 10 minutes and must address the agency’s ability to comply with WILEAG’s standards. A copy of the standards is available at the Janesville Police Department (100 N. Jackson Street).

This accreditation is a voluntary process and is a highly prized recognition of law enforcement professional excellence. The Janesville Police Department was first accredited in May 2000. Accreditation is now for three years, during which the agency must submit annual reports attesting continued compliance with those standards under which it was initially accredited.

The Team Leader for the Janesville Police Department On-Site Assessment is Chief Ann Wellens from South Milwaukee Police Department. She said the assessment team is composed of law enforcement practitioners from agencies similar to Janesville. The assessors will review written material, interview individuals, and visit offices and the places where compliance can be witnessed.

The assessors are: Chief Ann Wellens, team leader, Administrative Assistant Ann Wissing from Muskego Police Department and Captain Tim Kriz (ret.), West Allis Police Department. Once the Board’s assessors complete their review of the agency, they report back to the full board, which will then decide if the agency is to be granted accredited status, Chief Wellens stated.

“The Janesville Police Department has to comply with 233 standards in order to gain accredited status. The accreditation process has necessitated a complete review of all department policies, procedures, and operations. The process challenged the department to seek excellence in providing service to the community.” explains Deputy Chief Steve Kopp.

For more information regarding the Wisconsin Law Enforcement Accreditation Group or the accreditation process, please write the group at the address listed above or contact Deputy Chief Steven Kopp at 755-3213.

Spring Yard Waste Collection May 5-9
The City will collect grass, leaves, and garden debris placed in containers or bags and bundled brush on the same day as your regular trash pick-up the week of May 5-9. Please place your yard waste a few feet apart from your regular trash. Items should be placed at the curb no later than 7AM on your scheduled collection day.

Yard waste containers or bags and bundled brush should be no heavier than 50 pounds and no longer than four feet in length and twelve inches in diameter. Using biodegradable paper bags or reusable containers such as plastic trash cans is recommended. Plastic bags can be used but please leave them untied at the curb.

City code prohibits the burning of trash, garden debris and other yard wastes within the city limits. For more information contact City Services at 755-3110.

Library News
For questions or more information about any of the library items below, please call the library at 758-6607.

Public Speaking Pointers @ Your Library
State Representative Mike Sheridan will speak at 7 p.m. Tuesday, April 22, at the Hedberg Public Library, 316 S. Main St., Janesville during the last of a four-session series titled "Public Speaking Pointers from Community Leaders." Co-sponsored by the library and the Janesville Toastmasters Club, the program is free and open to the public. The series emphasizes the importance of good communication skills for personal and professional success. Each speaker shares stories of personal progress and offers helpful techniques for anyone interested in becoming a better communicator. The session will be held in the library Program Room. For more information, call the library service desk at (608) 758-6588 or visit www.hedbergpubliclibrary.org



Photo Opportunities Available
There are several City of Janesville events that would make excellent photo opportunities and story ideas. Please mark your calendar for these upcoming events and look for more information in future press releases.

Date Event Time & Location Contact
April 29 S.A.F.E. Training 5:30-7:30PM, Mercy Center at Mercy Hospital (1000 Mineral Point) Sergeant Donohoue, 755-3133.