Amount requested for service to continue falls short
By Dave Fidlin
Correspondent
After extensive deliberation, Whitewater officials last week decided to provide a financial contribution toward the regional Innovation Express bus service in 2014. But the level of service within the city remains murky.
The ride-share program, established in 2012, has been offered to people in Milton, Janesville and Whitewater. The three municipalities have contributed to the effort, as has Generac Power Systems and several higher education schools.
Federal and state grant dollars have been funding a portion of the service through the end of this year. But each participating municipality is facing the likelihood of increasing its financial contribution in 2014 because grant dollars will be drying up.
Early in the budget process, City Manager Cameron Clapper did not include any financial contributions toward the service in 2014, opting instead to get a pulse from the council on its wishes for the service’s future.
Representatives with the Janesville Transit System, which operates the Innovation Express, projected the cost to operate the service in its current iteration in 2014 will hover around $395,000, up from the $360,000 price tag this year.
Transit officials requested the three Whitewater participants – the city, University of Wisconsin-Whitewater and Generac – combined contribute $84,000 in 2014.
In a 4-2 vote last week, the Whitewater Common Council agreed to contribute $12,000. UW-Whitewater is expected to match the figure.
Generac, meanwhile, has pledged $18,000 – a decrease in its funding from prior years – leaving a shortfall of $42,000. It remains uncertain how the deficit will be addressed in terms of routes and frequency in service.
Despite its relatively small price tag, comparatively, the Innovation Express was one of the weightier issues discussed in Whitewater this year as budget deliberations took place.
Until last week’s meeting, the Common Council had been under the impression Generac would be contributing more than $18,000 toward the service in 2014.
But Tim Hearden, vice president of operations with Generac, said the company had planned all along to decrease its funding over a period of time. He described the contributions as “seed money” toward the burgeoning program.
While Generac is a clear benefactor of the Innovation Express, Hearden and the council were at odds over ridership figures.
“There’s a misconception we’re the only ones benefiting from this,” said Hearden, who asserted about a third of riders were actual Generac employees.
But a number of the members sitting on the Whitewater Common Council disagreed and asserted Generac employees actually hover into the 80-percent range within the city’s ridership figures.
“What you’ve decided is you don’t want the service,” Council member James Winship said to Hearden. “This council is not going to be able to come up with $40,000. We consider the ball to be in Generac’s court.”
Council President Patrick Singer and council member Stephanie Abbott voted against the $12,000 contribution from the city.
“My frustration is we don’t have all the information,” Singer said. “We don’t have the full picture.”
Abbott suggested the city consider more innovative ideas beyond regional transit to serve people who do not own vehicles.
“We appreciate that Generac is here. It’s an incredible company,” Abbott said. “But for me, it’s hard to justify this.”
The council’s 4-2 motion was made with the caveat a firm decision be made in August, in advance of 2015 budget deliberations, on the future of the Innovation Express within Whitewater.
