Janesville group challenges $1,380 fee for data center public records

Snow Janesville, a local group, is challenging the City of Janesville over a $1,380 fee for public records related to a proposed data center at the city's former General Motors site. The group, seeking to uncover which companies have pitched data center projects, initially filed the request in September, leading to a seven-month struggle to obtain the documents at a reasonable cost. Midwest Environmental Activists (MEA) is providing legal counsel to Snow Janesville, arguing that the fee may violate state law, which mandates that fees reflect the lowest-paid qualified employee. MEA emphasizes that public records should be easily accessible, not the government's property, and has called the city's high fee unusual. They also noted the city's opportunity to waive fees for public interest. The situation has escalated with the Rock County District Attorney's Office becoming involved, threatening legal action against the City of Janesville if it fails to comply with open records law. MEA is now demanding a fee waiver and immediate release of the records, while the City of Janesville states it remains in communication with the group's legal counsel.