$5.4 million brings short-term space solution for Kane County
Nearly $4.3 million from now, Kane County will have a temporary solution to the long-term problem of overcrowding at the county judicial center.
County board members approved the expenditure this week to address space needed for new judges and courtrooms, which will reduce the county's backlog of cases. The county already spent $1.13 million for architectural design work and the hiring of a construction manager, IHC Construction Companies LLC of Elgin. The additional $4.3 million will pay for the actual construction.
The county is dipping into the $5.42 million it has in leftover capital bond money, which can only legally be spent on construction. There is also surplus money from the county's general fund placed into the account during more robust economic times.
Once the construction is complete, the county will have a new traffic court facility at the old Montgomery Ward building on Randall Road in St. Charles. Circuit Court Clerk Deb Seyller and her staff will continue to occupy the remaining part of the Randall Road facility.
The county plans to build the new traffic courtroom in a fashion that will allow the county to use the space as a conference center on evenings and weekends. The money also pays for aesthetic and restroom improvements at the Third Street Courthouse in Geneva.
County board member Barb Wojnicki requested public display of the individual budgets for the two construction projects. That would allow the county board to keep closer watch on the actual costs of the projects to ensure they stay on budget, Wojnicki said. County staff promised to make those detailed budgets available.
The county board will eventually begin a more in-depth discussion about a long-term solution to space needs at the judicial center. A task force already identified a $100 million solution to add a new wing and a parking lot to the judicial center. Chief Judge F. Keith Brown already warned that census results will bring even more new judges to the county within the next five years.