Pingree looks to build new public works facility

Pingree Grove is looking to construct a new public works building to make the department more efficient. A committee has been empaneled to discuss how to make that a reality.

The public works department — in charge of all maintenance of streets, parks and village-owned buildings — currently works from a facility in Elgin and has two more years on the lease.

A new facility would require a lot of space for storage because the equipment won’t last long outside, Public Works Supervisor Pat Doherty said. The most valuable improvement would be the ability to respond to the snow and plow the streets faster. When the last blizzard hit, workers needed to travel to and from Elgin before they got started on clearing the roads. “The benefit would be to have a building in town,” he said.

The village board is trying to think ahead and start the research now. The committee — with Trustee Steve Wiedmeyer as chairman, and Trustees Robert Spieker and Brian Paszkiewicz — will determine whether a new building is necessary and, if so, head the research and construction plans, Spieker said.

“I don’t know what it would cost the village, or if it’s even worth it,” Doherty said. The Elgin building has an inexpensive lease compared to the cost of a new building, he said. “It fits our needs for now; if we have to do that for a few years it will be OK.”

During the next meeting the board plans to discuss preliminary budgets and a five-year plan.

The new facility would not be built for a few years, but if the lease is not renewed the construction plans would have to start sooner, Spieker said.

There is a possibility that the water department and the public works department would share such a facility. The two departments could share some equipment, but currently the water department currently has storage for just one pickup truck, Doherty said. Its building does not have showers, training rooms or space to keep the maintenance equipment. If a new building is made it would need those improvements, he said.