DuPage County’s Public Works Committee approved several contracts and bid awards at its Dec. 9 meeting and heard from staff about a potential supplemental appropriation to cover higher-than-expected ComEd energy costs.

The committee, convened by Speaker 1, approved a second amendment to an existing architectural and engineering contract to extend the term through May 31, 2026, with no change to the contract amount. The motion was approved by voice vote.

The committee then approved a joint purchasing agreement (PWP3225) to HD Supply Inc. for maintenance, repair, operating and cleaning supplies for public works facilities for the period Dec. 9, 2025, through June 30, 2027, for a total not to exceed $45,000. A separate motion approved a software licensing and authentication contract with Brightly Software Inc. for Dec. 1, 2025–Nov. 30, 2026, for a total not to exceed $23,613.50, per the quoted price.

The committee also awarded a contract to Helm Mechanical to supply and install a domestic hot-water storage tank for the county jail for the term Dec. 10, 2025–Dec. 9, 2026. The amount is transcribed in the record as “107, thousand $558” (see clarifying details); the committee approved the award by voice vote.

During new business, Speaker 3 (staff) told the committee the county expects an additional appropriation will be needed to cover final bills from ComEd. “We’re thinking it could be as high as 650,000 would be the additional appropriation,” Speaker 3 said, and staff indicated the expense would be drawn from the contingency line item. Staff said the 2026 budget incorporates these higher energy numbers but that the county did not anticipate them when the 2025 budget was adopted. The item may be brought back to the committee as early as next week or at the first meeting in January for formal action.

There was no public comment at the meeting. The committee adjourned after routine business and approval of the meeting minutes from Nov. 18.

Clarifying details: the architectural/engineering contract amendment was described in the meeting as item "25 29 0 2" in the transcript; the Helm Mechanical bid figure is transcribed as "107, thousand $558" and could not be verified from the audio transcript alone. Vote outcomes were recorded as voice votes; individual roll-call tallies by member name were not recorded in the transcript.