Public Accountability • Civic Literacy • Common-Sense Conversations
Vol. 1, Issue 37 | November 14, 2025, An eight-minute read (1347 words)
A Plea for Truth Before Progress
By the Editorial Board of Hypothetically Speaking
“We want to believe again — but belief requires proof, and proof requires light.”
Introduction: The Hope That Still Lives Here
There is nothing this community wants more than to believe again — to believe that City Hall is being straight with us, that a major project like the proposed data-center campus can mark a genuine turning point for Janesville.
We want to believe this deal will finally bring back life, jobs, and confidence to a site that has symbolized loss for far too long. Hope still lives here. But hope cannot grow in the dark.
When Hypothetically Speaking began looking into the Letter of Intent (LOI) between the City of Janesville and Viridian Acquisitions LLC, the goal wasn’t to find fault — it was to find facts. We wanted to verify what city officials had publicly claimed, and ideally, to put skepticism to rest.
Nothing would make us happier than to move on, to tell a story about renewal rather than doubt. But what we found in the document — and the contradictions surrounding it — make that impossible, at least for now.
This is not cynicism for its own sake. It’s the exhaustion of a community that has seen too many big promises dissolve once the cameras are gone.
Janesville deserves better than half-truths, delayed disclosures, and selective transparency. Every clause, every condition, every number matters when the stakes are this high — and yet, those details were not made clear until citizens demanded to see them.
Finding 1: The Public Story vs. the Paper Trail
The city publicly described the Letter of Intent as a nonbinding agreement to explore redevelopment — a simple step toward due diligence. But the actual document paints a more complex picture.
While it is indeed “nonbinding,” it nonetheless commits the city to a path of exclusivity and structured negotiation — one that could tie the community’s hands if better opportunities arise.
Discrepancy:
Public statements suggested a low-risk, exploratory partnership. The LOI, however, grants Viridian a period of control that limits alternative proposals.
Recommendation:
The city should release a clear, side-by-side summary of every commitment contained in the LOI, including timelines, rights of first negotiation, and the obligations triggered if progress stalls. Transparency is not optional; it’s the foundation of consent.
Pull Quote:
“You can’t rebuild trust in the dark.” Transparency isn’t a courtesy — it’s a duty.”
Finding 2: The Numbers Don’t Add Up
Public remarks from city officials emphasized that no taxpayer funds were at risk. Yet the LOI includes language on potential infrastructure commitments, environmental coordination, and site access, all of which imply future public expense.
Nowhere in the public presentation were these implications fully explained. If the city intends to pursue grants or allocate funds for site preparation, the public has a right to know — before momentum becomes a mandate.
Discrepancy:
“Zero taxpayer impact” was the talking point. But the LOI anticipates a framework in which the city will play an enabling financial role.
Recommendation:
Before proceeding further, the city should produce a detailed fiscal impact analysis and a projected range of municipal costs — even in draft form — so the public can weigh potential benefits against potential liabilities.
Finding 3: Environmental Shadows
The GM brownfield site carries a complex environmental history. Yet LOI’s references to environmental coordination appear to place much of the burden for remediation and compliance on future agreements, leaving ambiguity over who bears responsibility.
Discrepancy:
Officials spoke as though environmental risk was behind us. The document suggests the opposite — that substantial work remains and that the cost-sharing arrangement is unresolved.
Recommendation:
Release the full environmental status summary, including current DNR communications and cleanup milestones. Public confidence can’t grow from half-informed optimism.
Sidebar: Ethics & Accountability in Public Agreements
1. Disclosure before decision. Citizens should never learn the details of a deal after the vote.
2. No selective transparency. If one side of the story is shared, the supporting document must follow.
3. Honor the public’s stake. Public land and taxpayer exposure mean public scrutiny is not just fair — it’s required.
4. Correct errors swiftly. When information turns out incomplete or inaccurate, trust is rebuilt only through prompt correction.
Finding 4: The Developer’s Footprint
Viridian Acquisitions LLC, according to city briefings, was portrayed as a major Colorado-based firm with extensive experience in complex developments. But research into Viridian’s public footprint shows a limited record of completed projects and a business history that raises legitimate questions about capacity and credibility.
That doesn’t automatically disqualify the firm. Startups and newcomers can absolutely deliver major projects — but due diligence should be clear and documented. The city’s willingness to anchor a multi-hundred-million-dollar redevelopment narrative on such limited public data feels premature.
Discrepancy:
Public portrayal: a proven, well-capitalized national developer.
Paper reality: a newer firm with minimal visible portfolio and opaque ownership details.
Recommendation:
The city should disclose the results of its background verification, including financial standing, references, and project track record. In matters of this magnitude, the public deserves to see the receipts.
Finding 5: The Timeline of Secrecy
For weeks, residents, journalists, and even some council members asked to see the LOI. Each time, the response was a familiar refrain: “It’s still being finalized.”
Yet the version ultimately released appears to have been largely complete well before the council’s vote. The delay deprived the community of its right to review — and debate — the terms in real time.
Discrepancy:
The city framed the LOI’s release as a gesture of transparency. But it came only after public pressure, and only after approval had already been granted.
Recommendation:
Janesville should adopt a mandatory public release policy for all draft development agreements at least 72 hours before council votes. If transparency is truly a value, it must become a rule, not a reward.
Pull Quote:
“Trust isn’t restored by press releases. It’s earned, line by line, in daylight.”
Finding 6: The Missing Metrics
Nowhere in the LOI are there clear benchmarks for jobs, wages, or community reinvestment — only aspirational statements about the potential scale of investment. Without measurable outcomes, even the best intentions become hollow.
Discrepancy:
Public messaging emphasized thousands of potential jobs. The LOI sets no binding expectations for employment or wage standards.
Recommendation:
Future negotiations must include specific, enforceable performance targets tied to incentives and public support. Hope needs metrics.
Finding 7: Lessons from the Past
We’ve been here before. Janesville has lived through waves of optimism — a new anchor, a new deal, a new promise that “this time will be different.”
But each time, the community’s goodwill has been taken for granted. When city processes move faster than public understanding, when documents are shielded until votes are cast, the result isn’t efficiency — it’s erosion.
Transparency isn’t just good government. It’s good business. Investors, residents, and potential partners all watch how a city manages disclosure. A city that respects its public earns credibility that can’t be bought with marketing.
The Broader Question
If the facts are on the city’s side, why not show them in full?
If the project is sound, why not let it withstand scrutiny?
And if public confidence truly matters, why let secrecy linger as the first impression of a new beginning?
The answers, in the end, will define more than a deal — they’ll define the tone of civic life for a generation.
Conclusion: Turning on the Lights
We still believe a great project can rise on the old GM site. We still want to celebrate a win for Janesville — but celebration requires trust, and trust begins with full light.
The city has a choice: to double down on its own narrative or to open the books and let the record speak.
“We don’t want to be critics forever. We want to be witnesses to something real.”
That’s the heart of it. Hypothetically Speaking wants to move forward. We want to tell the next story — about rebuilding, resilience, and renewal. But first, this chapter must close properly: with honesty, clarity, and accountability.
Janesville can’t afford another chapter written in shadows.
We’re ready to believe again — once the lights are on.
🗞️ Hypothetically Speaking
Independent Civic Journalism for Common-Sense Governance
Because in a democracy, people always deserve the last word.
🧩 Closing Reflections
Democracy isn’t lost in one bad meeting.
It erodes one closed door, one withheld record, one unanswered question at a time.
But every citizen still holds the bat.
If we choose silence, we stay in the stands.
If we choose action, we can still change the scoreboard.
Let’s not let Strike Three end the game.
Let’s make it the inning where the people of Janesville step up and bat cleanup. 📝
Submit your letters, ideas, or civic frustrations to: ✉️ editor@rockcountycivicsacsdemy.org
Online: 🌐 www.rockcountycivicsacademy.org
Hypothetically Speaking
A civic forum of the Rock County Civics Academy
📬 From Wisconsin’s Heartland to America’s Horizon
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Thinking of running for public office? Ready to seriously consider your options: Here is an easy read that can guide you through the decision-making process. Check out our Ten Steps to Public Service Excellence on our website: rockcountycivicsacademy.org.
— RCCA Editorial Team
☕ Community Spotlight: Havana Coffee
If you are looking for a place to reflect on your civic journey—or just fuel up before a council meeting—stop by Havana Coffee at 1250 Milton Avenue. It is a true Janesville gem, where espresso meets engagement.
With hearty food, warm service, and a strong commitment to local journalism, Havana Coffee proudly supports the Rock County Civics Academy and all who believe in informed participation.
We are grateful to Daniela and her team for creating a space where ideas percolate and conversations matter.
⚖️ Welcome Nowlan Law Firm and Attorney Tim Lindau
We also extend our thanks to Attorney Tim Lindau and the Nowlan Law Firm for their support of civic education and democratic renewal. Tim’s encouragement—and his belief in the power of our mission.
Together, with partners like Havana and Nowlan, we are building a culture of engagement that honors both tradition and transformation.
HYPOTHETICALLY SPEAKING: Where ideas meet action—and citizens shape the future.
What if transparency was the norm, not the exception?
What if civic engagement became Rock County’s defining strength?
Every movement begins when someone decides “now is the time.”
That someone could be you.
🪩 A CALL TO LEADERSHIP
Leadership isn’t about ego—it’s about service.
It’s showing up, listening deeply, and acting with purpose.
Three ways to begin:
• Volunteer with a civic group
• Serve on a local board or commission
• Run for public office and lead the change.
“If not you, who? If not now, when?” — Hillel the Elder
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FINAL THOUGHT
Democracy is a skill—one that strengthens with practice.
Stay curious. Stay engaged. Stay connected.
Because the next chapter of Rock County’s story is being written—right now.
©2025 Rock County Civics Academy
Produced in partnership with the Rock County Civics Academy to promote open dialogue, ethical leadership, and civic participation across Wisconsin’s heartland.
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