LaSalle County orders aluminum access ramp, readies Caitlin visitor center for summer use

LaSalle County parks staff said the county has ordered an aluminum handicap ramp for the new modular visitor center at Caitlin and expects installation to begin within weeks.

The ramp order and related site work matter because they will complete accessibility improvements and allow the county to open the visitor center for public programming during the summer months.

Ken, a LaSalle County parks staff member, told the Property Committee the county approved an aluminum ramp after evaluating wooden, concrete and metal options and that the supplier has the ramp in stock. "So it'll be shipped out. So you're talking the next couple weeks, they'll start putting that ramp up, maybe even next week," Ken said. He said Illinois Valley will install the ramp and that the concrete parking pad for handicap-compliant parking is a separate expense that was not part of the original bid.

Staff also described recent seedings and site restoration at park locations. Ken said he borrowed a Truax seeding machine from John Garrity of Pheasant Forever to seed warm-season and cover-crop oats; the cover crop popped up quickly. He reported a truck used to pull the seeding trailer developed a bad wheel bearing while returning from work and is in for repairs, delaying the machine’s return to its owner.

A concrete bench installation at the site was completed some time ago but the county had not yet received the contractor’s invoice. Ken said the vendor emailed and the invoice should arrive; he planned to issue payment as soon as the invoice was received but noted finance is discouraging handwritten payments.

Ken said the new modular building’s warranty covered leaks discovered after water was turned on; the manufacturer repaired the leaks and the building’s water remains on to monitor for additional problems. He said the visitor center will be a multiuse, open facility with storage for educational materials if schools or groups schedule recurring visits. "It should be ready by mid‑summer," Ken said, adding the county expects to have tables, chairs and picnic tables in place by the end of summer.

Staff described outreach to potential partners and volunteers. Ken said he has contacted University of Illinois Extension, Illinois Valley, the community college and local naturalists and invited community groups such as the Star Rock Walkers to use the facility. He said some groups have already expressed interest in picnics or programs once the facility is ready.

On restrooms, Ken said two pit toilets near the new bathroom will be removed and their cesspools pumped out; two other remote pit toilets (near the horse trailer and a wooded area) will remain to serve visitors who are farther from the new building. Illinois Valley will handle the septic pumping and demolition as part of the site work.

County IT staff member John told the committee the Cradlepoint router for park connectivity arrived and staff plan to install and test it on site next week.

Committee members asked for timing and budget clarifications throughout the discussion; Ken said most site activities — ramp installation, parking work and debris removal — should ramp up in the next two to three weeks. No formal vote was recorded on the ramp or park contracts during the meeting.

Next steps: staff will accept the ramp delivery, coordinate Illinois Valley’s installation and process any outstanding contractor invoices. The parks staff expects to continue outreach to schools and community groups as the site work completes.