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Will County facilities report: Ottawa building finished, elevator outage still under investigation
Summary
Facilities staff told the Will County Capital Improvements Committee that the Ottawa building and annex are nearly complete, crews repaired a gas leak and leaking water main, lighting upgrades generated utility credits and the health department elevator remains under manufacturer inspection, affecting ADA access.
Will County facilities staff gave the committee an update on recent capital-work projects, reporting building completions, emergency repairs and a staffing addition for life-safety oversight.
Facilities director Mr. Fern said the Ottawa building reached substantial completion in November and the annex has been repurposed into office space; the county plans a mid-January grand opening but said contractor scheduling could shift the date. The VAC (noted as the old Copperfield building) is also near completion but staff declined to commit a final occupancy date.
Mr. Fern described an incident in which staff discovered a gas leak near a loading dock. “Somebody had a little whiff of gas,” he said; the county engaged the gas company, rerouted piping, installed a new meter and added redundant bypasses and shutoffs to meet modern standards. The repair required a short, nighttime shutdown of service and did not affect public operations.
Staff also reported an in-house repair to a leaking water main at older joints; mechanics and the Craftsman at the ADF replaced degraded pipe, added bypasses and shutoffs, and said the outage lasted only a few hours. Members discussed the age of components (an estimated 40 years at the River Valley Justice Center) and countywide improvements in water-management and chemical usage.
Facilities noted cosmetic and maintenance projects as well: an information kiosk at the Will County courthouse was repaired (epoxy, repaint, wiring) and LED lighting conversions across buildings produced roughly $7,000 in utility credits for a single building. Chair introduced Aaron Kozowski as the new life-safety specialist (a retired Joliet Fire Department employee) who will coordinate fire drills, AED/CPR training and safety inspections across departments.
The health department elevator remains a concern. Mr. Fern said the elevator is a proprietary hydraulic build and the manufacturer will return to evaluate leveling problems; staff expect the manufacturer on-site to investigate and promised a follow-up once the inspection concludes. Committee members asked that affected departments and the county board’s executive office be notified to help displaced visitors and ensure ADA accommodations while repairs continue.
The facilities update concluded with no formal actions beyond the committee’s review. Chair thanked staff and moved the meeting into the AI policy discussion.
