JANESVILLE — The grass-roots group opposing a proposal to build a data center in Janesville announced Monday it has reached its goal for collecting signatures.
No Janesville Data Center says it has collected more than 4,000 signatures to force a direct legislation referendum on the proposed project for the former GM/JATCO site.
Once the signatures are with the City Clerk, the clerk’s office will determine if they have met the statutory requirements for a direct legislation petition and will forward to the City Council once she certifies the petition.
The group is circulating what’s called a “direct legislation petition” to create a city ordinance requiring that Janesville city council refer all large proposed development projects for the GM/JATCO site to the electors in a referendum.
The legislation wouldn’t prevent a data center from being built, but it would require the city to hold a referendum.
At a recent public forum, Janesville City Manager Kevin Lahner said there currently are no plans to hold a community referendum. The direct legislation would over-ride that decision.
According to the Wisconsin League of Municipalities, direct legislation is a process that allows citizens in cities and villages to submit a proposed ordinance or resolution to the community’s governing body for adoption or referral to a vote of the electors as provided for in Wisconsin Statute § 9.20.
A petition for direct legislation must be signed by “[a] number of electors equal to at least 15 percent of the votes cast for governor at the last general election in their city or village.” Wis. Stat. § 9.20(1). Within 15 days of the petition being filed, the clerk must determine whether the petition and proposed legislation are sufficient.