Buffalo Grove delays expanding public works building

A sluggish economy, with the possibility of declining village revenues, and concern for the plight of taxpayers led the Buffalo Grove village board this week to delay taking a key step toward expanding its Public Service Center.

The 13,300-square-foot expansion on the north side of the building at 51 Raupp Blvd. would serve the Fleet Services Division, which maintains village vehicles. Right now 65 employees work on the site, and 95 vehicles are stored there. Village officials say the expansion is needed because space is tight, making it difficult and even hazardous for vehicles to maneuver.

The village has already spent nearly $100,000 designing the addition. But trustees balked at spending another $113,000 to get the $4.85 million project ready to bid, or shovel-ready.

Village revenues - hurt by, among other things, the disappearance of car dealerships - are expected to drop and taxpayers are having enough trouble paying their bills without having even the slightest tax increase added to their financial burden, trustees said.

Village Manager William Brimm outlined a financing plan that calls for issuing a $4.5 million, 20-year bond with an interest rate of 5 percent. The annual debt service is estimated at $358,500. The plan called for an increase in the village tax rate of 1.9 cents per $100 of assessed value. The impact would be $57 for one year, based on a home with a market value of $300,000.

Village President Elliott Hartstein said although times are economically challenging, there are advantages to moving forward now. For one thing, construction bids are 10 percent lower in today's economy.

"Every day that we wait, this economic benefit will keep slipping away," Hartstein said.

But trustees were uncomfortable with both spending the $113,000 and taking on debt that would increase taxes even slightly.

"If it costs more a number of years down the road when people can afford it, that's the better approach," said Trustee Jeffrey Braiman.

The original 20,000-square-foot building was built in 1976. A 17,000-square-foot addition was built in 1988 and a nearly 5,000-square-foot addition was constructed in 2002.

The latest addition would provide six bay areas for employees to work on vehicles and additional storage room. The project would also include improvements to the garage's nitrous oxide detection and exhaust system and a new fire alarm system.