Kenosha County places limits on Kemper Center work, moves to hire paid president; restoration and chapel work planned

County supervisors said this week they will stop informal project requests at the Kemper Center and require projects to go through the Kemper building and grounds committee and the Kemper board before public-works staff proceed.

The action followed supervisor remarks that county staff had been carrying out work at the historic Kemper Center without that prior review. The committee also discussed several ongoing and planned restoration efforts at Kemper, including a facility condition assessment, chapel repairs and separate work on stained-glass windows that may trigger review by the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO).

Why it matters: the Kemper Center is on the National Register of Historic Places, and supervisors said some prior repairs were done without appropriate historic-preservation oversight. Committee members said the county will move more deliberately and expect the assessment and repair specifications to inform any bids.

Director Billingsley for public works and other staff discussed the change in process at the committee meeting. Staff said they will instruct employees not to request actions directly from Director Moore regarding Kemper projects until the building and grounds committee and the Kemper board have reviewed proposals. A supervisor said the county will advertise a paid president role (instead of an executive director) to manage the facility after a recent private donation increases available funding for management.

Committee members also reviewed specific project updates. Staff said Insight (the consultant) will prepare bid specifications for chapel repairs and that the facility condition assessment and a square-footage study are being combined. Supervisors asked for the consultant’s opinion on which repairs require SHPO review and urged staff to remove any stained-glass work from the immediate bid package because that will require a separate assessment and specialized work.

Facilities staff said doors manufactured by Bayne Nelson have arrived and installation is scheduled for the following week. Staff also outlined that some interior furniture is owned by Kemper Center Inc., and that historic-preservation rules may require conservation rather than replacement for original elements.

The committee heard an update on Pike River Phase 3, where staff said tree removal and site preparation are complete and dewatering of the first section is expected to begin the following week. Staff said removed trees were primarily invasive or dead and that new plantings will be placed strategically.

Ending: Supervisors asked staff to provide the assessment and specifications to the committee once available so members can confirm which repairs will trigger SHPO review and which can proceed with standard bidding.