A facilities study conducted by Tria Architecture told the Peotone Village Board pretty much what they already knew.
Village Hall is in need of quite a few updates to bring it up to code.
What they didn’t know was the price tag.
In just about every scenario, the price tag to repair, remodel, or build new was far beyond the budget.
The $20,000 assessment and space needs analysis for the combination village hall and police department listed more than 140 items that need repair, some could be handled in a five-year plan. The cost to repair everything is an estimated $6.5 million; the cost to repair the five-year plan items was just over $2 million.
Beyond village hall not being disability accessible, the infrastructure is old, the mechanical systems lack centralized controls, electric panels are out of date, there’s no fire alarm system, along with multiple water systems into the building that lack backflow. The roof needs to be repaired. The police department is ill equipped for safety and circulation purposes, plus the police department requires more space for functionality.
The cost to repair the building and renovate the existing building, an estimated $7.6 million.
The cost to renovate, repair, and add on to the existing building, an estimated $14.7 million.
Outgoing Mayor Peter March said the board has some tough decisions to make moving forward, then the board moved on to the rest of the agenda.
The village board added a full time employee to the Public Works department and approved a business registration for the Holiday Inn Express that’s expected to be open late spring/early summer.
An approval for a live scan fingerprint system upgrade for $6,235.50 unanimously was approved. The upgrade was an expected expense in the budget.
The purchase of a new Ford 350 pickup with snow plow from Terry’s Ford also unanimously was approved for $58,931. The expense was budgeted for, as the current plow trucks has more than 185,000 miles.
An extension of the employee lease agreement with MGT Impact Solutions also unanimously was approved for the finance director/treasurer contract. The village is in the midst of the annual audit, and the extension will be applicable till later this year. Village Administrator Nick Palmer clarified that the cost of the contract is hourly, that the village has cut some hours and expense, and the contract does not include the cost of health insurance or retirement benefits.
The board also approved proclamations for Municipal Clerks Week for the week of May 6-10 and National Police Week the week of May 11-17. The Peotone Police Department also will be hosting Cop on a Rooftop for the Special Olympics on May 16, from 5 a.m. to noon. Although the boys in blue likely will be in the lobby or just outside the Peotone Travel Center due to the height of the building. The Police Department and Public Works Cookout will be outside village hall on the same day.
Mayor Peter March thanked the residents for allowing him to serve for the past five years. “I enjoyed it. I think we got a lot done. I especially enjoyed working with the board. I think we got a lot accomplished along with a staff, and I think we have a great team in place. Obviously, there’s more progress that needs to be done, and I look forward to Mayor Chris and the new board getting a lot done. Just looking forward to continued progress for Peotone.”