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Property committee approves multiple facilities projects, adopts 2026 facilities budget
Summary
The McLean County Property Committee approved contractor selections and project proposals for county buildings, adopted the Facilities Management 2026 budget and the capital improvement plan, and tabled one museum HVAC item for further review.
At a meeting of the McLean County Property Committee, members approved several facilities projects and adopted the Facilities Management Department’s recommended 2026 budget and the five‑year capital improvement plan.
The committee voted to select Core Construction for construction management and to approve a preconstruction services agreement for the Fairview building project. Mr. Gaither said the county interviewed firms and "determined that Core Construction would be our preferred company to use for construction management" for the Fairview work.
The committee also approved a proposal from Pipeworks to replace all cast‑iron drain, waste and vent piping at the McLean County Juvenile Detention Center. Scott, a facilities maintenance staff member who led the plumbing review, said, “We have cast iron drain piping throughout the facility at JDC. It's original to the building and we found out it was what's considered a bad batch...so this is a project we've been trying to get going for some time.” The work will replace damaged cast iron with new cast iron or PVC and update venting to current standards.
Members approved a proposal from Ked Bluestone for engineering design for an air‑handler replacement at the Health Department building at 200 West Front Street; Administrator Taylor described that approval as funding design work only, not the construction. When asked about the future cost of the construction work, a staff member estimated "about $800,000." The committee tabled a separate proposal from PIPCO for an air‑handler replacement at the McLean County Museum of History to the November meeting after committee members requested additional information.
The committee approved a proposal from Taylor Glass to replace insulated glass units (IGUs) on the government center’s second floor, replacing existing panes with argon gas‑filled, low‑e glass to reduce leakage and improve efficiency; a member asked and was told those IGUs are expected to last about 30 years.
On budget matters, Administrator Taylor summarized the Facilities Management Department’s recommended fiscal year 2026 budget at $7,402,158 for 10 county properties. She said salaries account for about 30% of the budget and contract services about 61%. Noted capital items included a $1.1 million building automation system upgrade at the Law and Justice Center, $2 million for Fairview design and initial work, and ongoing LED lighting projects. The juvenile detention center has $55,000 budgeted for exterior tuckpointing; government center work includes $200,000 for an HVAC replacement and two elevator modernization projects.
Committee members questioned line‑item anomalies in 2025 actuals; staff identified a billing coding error that had charged a Law and Justice Center expense to the Old Courthouse line and said they are working with the city to resolve it. Staff also said overtime costs rose because the facilities team remains short‑staffed; one hiring offer was pending for a Mechanic I position.
The committee approved the Facilities Management 2026 recommended budget, and later approved the capital improvement plan, which lists about $4.6 million in projects for the committee’s jurisdiction in FY2026 and $81,078,000 across all funds over the five years. Committee members discussed how the department prioritized urgent work for the next 12 months and pushed lower‑risk items to later years.
The meeting also recorded routine procedural votes (consent agenda, minutes, bills) and a motion to allow remote attendance for Member Bell under County Board rule 20‑20; the remote attendance motion passed.
The committee did not take final action on the museum HVAC proposal; that item was tabled and set for the November meeting so staff could provide the additional requested information.
Ending: The Facilities Management approvals and budget adoption lay groundwork for multiple building upgrades in 2026; several projects will move next to design and procurement stages and some items will return to the committee for further review.
