ELBURN – The village of Elburn has taken the first step in its plans for a stand-alone police department building by choosing a firm to conduct the needs assessment study.
The Village Board on Feb. 3 approved the selection of Wheaton-based McClaren, Wilson and Lawrie to conduct the study. The firm, one of seven that responded to the request for proposals and one of three considered seriously, came in with an estimate of $11,070, well under the village’s budgeted amount of $22,000.
Elburn Police Chief Nick Sikora said McClaren, Wilson and Lawrie has a good track record as a well-known firm in the specialty area of law enforcement and fire protection facility planning and design. According to its website, the architecture firm does work across the country as well as in Canada, and Sikora said this includes local police departments in Oswego, Montgomery and Aurora.
The firm has committed to complete the study and present the results to the Village Board on or before April 20.
In a memo to the board, Sikora wrote that the need for a new police facility was based on “the current and future growth of the village, as well as the need to provide improved and safer services for the community and the police department staff.”
The current police department space could be used for expansion of village hall services in the future.
Village approves purchase
of Metra Station video cameras
The Village Board on Feb. 3 also approved the selection of Future Link IT to replace Metra Station video cameras. Sikora said the purchase is being considered because of the age of the current system (10 years) and the loss of function of several of the cameras. In addition, review of the video with the current system requires being on-site and conducting the reviews from the electronics house in the station house.
The new system will be capable of remote access viewing and downloading of the video, as well as the capacity to provide 30-plus days of video storage. Of the three firms considered, Future Link was the only vendor that included the necessary internet connection with the installation.
Although Future Link’s estimate for the project is $6,113, Sikora’s recommendation was for the board to approve an amount not to exceed the $12,000 budgeted for the project to allow for additional expenses due to the possibility of unknown conditions. Sikora said the biggest concern is the condition of the buried conduit that carries the cabling and the additional cost that its repair could entail.
Village approves withdrawal
of funds for purchase of land
for Anderson Road extension
Also at the Feb. 3 meeting, the Village Board passed a resolution to withdraw an amount of a minimum of $52,000 and not to exceed $100,000 for the acquisition of two pieces of land through eminent domain at the intersection of Keslinger and Anderson Roads in order to complete the Anderson Road extension from Keslinger Road south into the Blackberry Creek subdivision. The acquired land also will be used for a bike path, sidewalks and the completion of the intersection.
Source: The Daily Chronicle
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