The City of Janesville strives to be the community of choice to realize life's opportunities. Along the way, the City has earned a reputation for service excellence. Below are some of the latest awards and accolades the City has received.

Nationally Top Tap: The Janesville Water Utility was recognized with the Best Tasting Water Award at the fall conference of the American Water Works Association (AWWA) Wisconsin Chapter last year. As a result, the utility was invited to represent of Wisconsin at the AWWA National Conference in California this week. Utility staff was proud to accept the first-place trophy for the People's Choice Award for providing the best-tasting water as determined by conference attendees! (June 2024)

Tree City USA: Wisconsin’s Park Place was named a Tree City USA by the Arbor Day Foundation for the twentieth year running. Janesville, which prides itself on its parks, has received this special designation every year since 2004. According to a spokesperson for the Arbor Day Foundation, “Janesville achieved Tree City USA recognition by meeting the program’s four requirements: a tree board or department, a tree care ordinance, an annual community forestry budget of at least $2 per capita, and an Arbor Day observance and proclamation.” Learn more about the City's tree programs here. (April 2024) 

Financial Storytelling: The Governmental Finance Officer's Association awarded the City of Janesville with the organization's Popular Annual Financial Reporting (PAFR) Award for the City’s 2022 PAFR. This marked the fifth consecutive year the City has received this award. The PAFR is a user-friendly annual companion to the City's Comprehensive Annual Financial Report and summarizes financial information in a format that is accessible to the general public. Municipalities are not required to create a PAFR but the City makes it a priority to maintain an accountable, accessible, and transparent government for its stakeholders. (March 2024) 

Golfer's Paradise: The City's golf courses continue to gain recognition for their excellence. NBC GolfPass announced Riverside Golf Course was the #6 Friendliest Public Course in the nation during their annual Golfers' Choice Awards. A review shared as part of the honor stated, "Come enjoy really good layout, greens, and staff—at an incredibly low cost." The courses' operator, KemperSports, also declared that its Janesville staff had received the Green to a Tee Facility of the Year Award. This accolade acknowledges the staff's excellent commitment to being leaders in environmental stewardship and following best environmental practices at both Blackhawk and Riverside Golf Courses. Additional information on the City courses is available at golfjanesville.com. (March 2024)

30 Years of Excellence in Financial Reporting: The 2022 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report was recognized by the Governmental Finance Officer's Association with a Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting. The award marks the 30th straight year the City of Janesville has received this distinction. This certificate is the highest form of recognition in governmental accounting and financial reporting, and its attainment represents a significant accomplishment by a government and its management. (January 2024) 

A Bird City Community for 11th Straight Year: The City of Janesville has been recognized for sustaining flight for 11 years as a Bird City Community as recognized by Bird City Wisconsin. The mission of Bird City Wisconsin is "Making our communities healthy for birds...and people". The local goal is to increase the healthy habitat for birds and to decrease the hazards they face. Communities that demonstrate how they work to improve bird habitats, manage woodlands, limit hazards to birds, and educate their citizens about birds and environmental health are eligible for this designation. Learn more about Janesville's Bird City program here. (December 2023)  

JATV Receives Several Awards at Statewide Media Festival. Staff from JATV Media Services (JATV) attended the 2022 Wisconsin Community Media's Media Fest and Annual Conference in Madison and accepted several awards for the station's 2021 programming. These accolades included three Awards of Merit and two Awards of Achievement. The public may view these award-winning programs and an extensive JATV programming archive on the station's YouTube page. (May 2022)

Janesville East Town Square Named Statewide Project of the Year. The American Public Works Association-Wisconsin Chapter announced that it had awarded the City's Janesville East Town Square with its 2022 Project of the Year. The City is proud to accept yet another recognition for award-winning downtown Janesville. This honor acknowledges the strong alliance between the City and its partners to complete the project effectively and efficiently. A part of the ARISE Plan, it is the second APWA project award for the Janesville Town Square. (May 2022) 

Recreation Division Accepted Into USA Swimming Foundation Provider Network. After reviewing its curriculum, the USA Swimming Foundation has accepted the Janesville Recreation Division into its network of authorized swim lesson providers. This acceptance signifies that the City's swim lessons meet or exceed industry best practices, utilize trained instructors, and have a low student-to-teacher ratio. The Janesville Recreation Division also provides free and reduced swim lessons and performs targeted outreach to at-risk communities. Learn more about the USA Swimming Foundation on their website. (January 2022)

HPL Named 2021 Educator of the Year. The Hedberg Public Library (HPL) received a community honor when Forward Janesville, Inc. (FJI) announced they had selected the library as their 2021 Educator of the Year. FJI presents the award annually to an individual or group who has actively encouraged partnerships between the business and educational communities. This distinction recognizes the library's efforts towards training, collaboration, and advocacy for education. In 2021, over 15,000 people of all ages attended library classes and programs. Learn more about the HPL's educational offerings on their website. (December 2021)

City Awarded 2021 Community Improvement Award. Forward Janesville, Inc. has selected the City of Janesville as one of four co-recipients of the 2021 Community Improvement Award. FJI presents the award annually to an individual or group who has demonstrated exemplary contributions to the growth and well-being of the community. This year's accolade recognizes the City, Rock Road Companies, R.H. Batterman & Company, and Frank Silha & Sons Excavating, for the collective efforts displayed during the I-39/90 Expansion Project. (December 2021)

Senior Center Achieves Reaccreditation. The Janesville Senior Center  received reaccreditation status through the Wisconsin Association of Senior Centers (WASC). The WASC first accredited the Janesville Senior Center in 2011 and reaccredited it in 2017. Reaccreditation is a lengthy process involving updating and improving policies, procedures, programs, and facilities to a set standard as reviewed by a committee. Their efforts help display the City's dedication to reviewing organizational practices and commitment to professional excellence. Learn more about WASC accreditation on their website. (November 2021) 

JTS Receives Perfect Federal Review. The Janesville Transit System (JTS) received zero findings from their Federal Transit Administration's (FTA) Triennial Review of the agency. Receipt of zero findings indicates the FTA noted no deficiencies in the agency's performance or adherence to federal guidelines. A deficiency-free review is considered a rare and exceptional achievement. The review examined 21 key review areas, including financial capacity and management, technical capacity, ADA and Title VI compliance, among other categories. A deficiency-free review is considered a rare and exceptional achievement. (September 2021)

City Releases Five Years in Review. The City of Janesville is pleased to release its “Five Years in Review”. This document, which will be updated annually, summarizes major projects and accomplishments made by the City over the last five years. The review’s clear and concise format helps provide the City’s stakeholders with accessible information on key milestones. The document provides a variety of insights including financial details, operational information, project updates, and more. City stakeholders can view the “Five Years in Review” on the City's website. (July 2021)

JFD Recognized as Pediatric Champions of the Year. The Janesville Fire Department was recently selected as the 2021 Pediatric Champions of the Year by the Wisconsin EMS for Children Program. This award is granted to an EMS crew or station that has displayed outstanding care for a child in a medical emergency or trauma event, demonstrated exceptional effort in influencing the development of pediatric training or quality improvement programs, or worked toward creating injury prevention efforts. The Janesville Fire Department was nominated along with Footville Fire Department EMS for the skillful assessment, treatment, and transport of a toddler in June 2020. Learn more about this honor here. (May 2021) 

City Awarded United Way Blackhawk Region's Bronze Award for Support. The United Way Blackhawk Region awarded the City of Janesville a 2020 Bronze Award for the City's support of the organization's Community Campaign. This award recognizes the generous donations of City staff who make significant financial contributions to the United Way every year through the City's workplace giving campaign. To read more about the critical United Way-sponsored programs supported by City staff, visit LiveUnitedBR.org/Report. (May 2021)

City Awarded Second Consecutive Popular Annual Financial Reporting (PAFR) Award. The Governmental Finance Officer's Association awarded the City of Janesville with the organization's Popular Annual Financial Reporting (PAFR) Award for the City’s 2019 PAFR. This marked the second consecutive year the City has received this award. The PAFR is a user-friendly annual companion to the City's Comprehensive Annual Financial Report and summarizes financial information in a format that is accessible to the general public. Municipalities are not required to create a PAFR but the City makes it a priority to maintain an accountable, accessible, and transparent government for its stakeholders. (May 2021) 

West Milwaukee Street Bridge Named Statewide Project of the Year. The American Public Works Association-Wisconsin Chapter announced that the City's West Milwaukee Street Bridge project had been awarded its 2021 Small Cities/Rural Communities Project of the Year. This honor is given to a public works project in a city or county with a population of 75,000 or less that demonstrates creativity, ingenuity, and efficiency in the delivery of public works projects that have a profound impact on the community. (April 2021) 

City Receives Bronze-Level Bicycle Friendly Community Award. The City of Janesville has been granted a bronze-level Bicycle Friendly Community (BFC) award by the League of American Bicyclists. The award recognizes Janesville as a community where people of all ages and abilities have access to safe street networks and a local culture is fostered that encourages bicycling for everyone. The award recognizes Janesville’s commitment to improving conditions for all people who bike through investments in bike education programs, regular bike events that promote and encourage people to choose biking, pro-bike policies, and bike infrastructure. To learn more about the BFC program, visit www.bikeleague.org/community bikeleague.org/community. (December 2020)

City’s Performance Dashboard Receives Wisconsin Policy Forum’s 2020 “Salute to Local Government” Award. The City of Janesville was recognized with the Wisconsin Policy Forum’s 2020 “Salute to Local Government” award in the Innovative Use of Data or Technology category. This achievement was awarded to the City for Park Place Performs!, the City’s public, online performance dashboard. In January 2020, the City introduced a refreshed version of the dashboard, focusing on outcome- rather than output-based performance measures. This effort is intended to create more opportunities for the City to establish benchmarks and improve performance, as well as present more relevant and tangible data to the City’s external stakeholders. (October 2020)

City's Department of Public Works First APWA-accredited Agency in State. In August of 2020, Janesville's Department of Public Works became the first agency in the State of Wisconsin to become accredited by the American Public Works Association. The purpose of the accreditation program is to provide a means of formally verifying and recognizing public works agencies for compliance with the recommended practices outlined in the Public Works Management Practices Manual. Read more about our accreditation here. (August 2020)

City of Janesville Becomes a Green Tier Legacy Community. In 2019, the City of Janesville joined other communities throughout the state in entering into an agreement with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources to become a recognized Green Tier Legacy Community. The Green Tier program assists organizations in achieving sustainability goals by helping them use a systematic approach to minimize environmental risk. Green Tier helps align business objectives with environmental stewardship. Read the City's most recent Green Tier Legacy Community report here. (October 2019)    

Janesville Receives Engineering Achievement Award. The City of Janesville received an Engineering Achievement Award from the Wisconsin Section of the American Society of Civil Engineers for the west ARISE Town Square project. The award is given to projects that demonstrate excellence in engineering skills and represent a significant contribution to engineering projects and society. (August 2019)

City Receives Rock River Coalition Award for Monterey Area River Restoration. The Rock River Coalition (RRC) has awarded the City of Janesville its 2019 Protector Award for the removal of the Monterey Dam and Monterey Area River Restoration (MARR) project. This award is presented semi-annually to organizations, businesses, or people that are involved in projects that help to restore the Rock River Basin back to its pristine state. (April 2019)