Ken, parks staff, told the LaSalle County Property Committee at its Oct. 24 meeting that he plans to buy two standby generators for county park facilities to protect plumbing and keep buildings functional during extended power outages.

Ken said the modular building will receive a 60-kilowatt generator that he said “will power the entire building,” and that a second, smaller generator will be installed for the new restroom primarily to run heat to prevent pipes from freezing. He told the committee he has multiple estimates and money remaining in a grant to fund the purchases.

The modular building is currently equipped with two HVAC units, Ken said, and county staff concluded that running only half the building’s heating in winter would place undue stress on equipment. “The chances of us losing electricity for 3 weeks … are really, really slim, but the stress we’re gonna put on that unit … maybe it wasn’t the best idea,” he said.

Ken also updated the committee on park operations: a cross-country meet held Oct. 15 went “pretty good,” and a smaller recruiting run is scheduled for Nov. 11. He said about 18 hunters are signed up for the county hunting program, roughly the same as last year.

On staffing, Ken said part-time employee Jonas will finish next week and that park maintenance will be handled by Ken and another employee, Travis, after Jonas leaves. He reported routine leaf blowing to keep trails and turf clear through the next month to six weeks.

Ken said the park’s restroom water system has passed most tests but that three final samples remain before the water source can be fully released. He described the restroom as being treated under a public-water standard because it is accessible to the public and said the county is evaluating chlorination or a UV system; cost estimates were not yet available.

He also confirmed that cameras at the site are solar/battery powered and independent of the building electrical circuit.

Why it matters: County staff said the generators are intended to limit costly freeze damage to plumbing and equipment in the event of prolonged outages and to preserve the functionality of facilities used for events and by staff.

Committee context: The committee raised questions about whether generators would run continuously (Ken said they would run only during outages) and about how much power the heating systems draw; Ken said the 60-kilowatt size was recommended by contractors and that he had three vendors out for estimates.

Ending: Ken said he planned to move forward with both generators and wanted committee members to know before purchase. He did not give firm delivery dates or final vendor selection at the meeting.