The Palos Heights City Council approved over $50,000 in renovations to the buildings at Lake Katherine Nature Center at its Sept. 1 meeting.
The city council voted unanimously to approve four contracts for improvements at the clubhouse and nature center buildings.
The clubhouse’s second-floor deck and its support joists will be repaired under a contract with Morfin Construction for a cost of $15,460. The contract includes labor only, not materials, the cost of which was not included in the board documents.
The nature center will also receive two renovations, new carpeting and a new staircase.
Landmark Flooring was contracted to install new carpeting in the nature center’s offices for a cost of $6,541, while DNA Fabrication, the same company which created the new bridge at Lake Katherine, will build and install a new outdoor steel staircase for the building.
The staircase will be treated to ensure erosion protection and will cost $9,242.
Finally, both building will also be receiving security improvements with new security cameras and key fobs being stalled by JMH Networks.
The key fob system will match the one currently in use at city hall, and is reportedly not being done because of any specific threat.
“These are all just basic upgrades and maintenance type issues,” said Alderwoman Heather Begley. “There have been no problems, the cameras are just to improve safety.”
The cameras will have the ability to record audio and use AI-based facial recognition software and footage can be recorded for 30 days, according to board documents.
The security improvements will be installed for a total cost of $20,316, which includes training of employees for the new door security systems.
The four projects amount to a total cost of $51,559.
