Will County’s Capital & Facilities Committee spent the bulk of its meeting discussing a recently received facilities needs report and what the county should prioritize next.

Chair Freeman opened the discussion by asking committee members for feedback on the report. Mike Mahoney, who participated in the discussion as a representative of the executive’s office, told the committee that county services are spread across Joliet and that renovating or replacing aging buildings will require strategic choices. “We are maxed out with what we can do with rental space,” Mahoney said, noting renovations that have created usable space for some departments and warning that mechanical systems in older buildings will require significant capital soon.

Why it matters: The committee framed the master plan conversation around whether to consolidate county services into a single new building or to pursue a mix of renovation, satellite offices and property acquisitions — decisions that could affect capital budgets, property tax or bonding choices and service access for residents across the county.

Members raised a range of priorities: modular design to allow future expansion, a one-stop campus model to reduce confusion for residents, addressing animal protection services’ facility needs and improving access for residents in northern and southern parts of the county. “We need to be a one-stop shop campus kind of situation,” Member Bullock said.

The PACE Building drew sustained attention. Committee member Julie (last name not provided in transcript) requested that the PACE Building be included in the master-plan map. Mahoney and staff said the PACE Building is under a 99-year intergovernmental agreement that currently restricts county use; the county’s vote to acquire the property was referenced and members requested documentation of the agreement. “The PACE Building is under a 99 year intergovernmental agreement, so it's not really space,” Mahoney said; other members disputed whether the property should appear on the plan and asked staff to include county-owned and leased properties on the map.

Committee members also discussed financing approaches. Member Trainer suggested the committee invite Spear Financial to present options on revenue and bonding at a future meeting; several members supported having a financial briefing to explore what is within the realm of possible without committing to a particular funding mechanism.

Other topics included the potential to relocate animal control to a Department of Transportation property in Monee, the value of consolidating downtown holdings to spur redevelopment, and the practicality of creating satellite service centers to reduce travel for residents. Members asked staff to follow up with executive-office staff and to request additional documentation, maps and financing scenarios.

Ending note: The committee agreed to seek outside examples and further information rather than adopt immediate policy changes; members invited staff and financial advisers to return with refined options.