Facilities manager Bob and county engineering staff updated the LaSalle County Property Committee on Oct. 24 about several ongoing maintenance projects at the Criminal Justice Center and related county buildings.

Bob said the jail experienced “a major flood in our basement in the boiler room downstairs,” and that the discharge from a laundry room — including lint — clogged old cast-iron piping, causing a rupture near the pit. “Water was coming out all the way into the hallways,” he said, describing on-site cleanup and subsequent sanitizing.

Staff reported an engineer’s re-estimate for a planned conversion from a two-pipe to a four-pipe HVAC system in 2026; the engineer updated pricing, and the county included the revised estimate in its capital needs materials.

On masonry work, Bob said the contractor found that some original shelf angles shown on drawings are absent but that the existing brickwork is performing. The contractor will provide a credit because shelf angles were not needed in some sections. County staff proposed using some of that credit and a $10,000 allowance for on-site brick repair to address spalling and tuckpointing on exterior stairs and sign bases while the masonry crew is available.

Committee members and staff also discussed operational constraints: masonry crews must stop noisy work at 9 a.m. to avoid interfering with courthouse proceedings and can resume at 12:30 p.m.; crews have used Saturday mornings to advance noisy demolition work and minimize courtroom disruption.

Security and systems work in progress include testing and annual maintenance of multiple generators on the campus (six currently, with a seventh added), requests for about 18 security fobs for access control, and planned testing and reports from contractors on generator condition and recommended repairs.

New facilities staff were introduced: Weslyn, who said she joined county maintenance two weeks earlier, is assisting on-site with projects; Kurt Remley, identified as an engineer, is working on HVAC design and estimates.

Why it matters: The flood required immediate cleanup and repair and revealed aging cast-iron piping that may require broader infrastructure work. The HVAC conversion and masonry repairs are part of a multi-year capital plan with implications for building function, safety and court operations.

Ending: Staff said they will continue to coordinate with judges and court staff on scheduling noisy work, pursue contractor credits for masonry work already avoided, and proceed with engineer-updated HVAC cost estimates for budgeting.