Parks Administration Office Expansion Put On Hold

Parks and Recreation Department has put on hold plans to double the size of the administration building with an addition this year.

Maralee Britton, director of Parks and Recreation said property tax shortfalls could lead to a $100,000 dip in revenues.

“While we would like to see the building expanded, we don’t want to push ourselves beyond capacity,” she said.

She said if tax revenue doesn’t come in, the parks department might have to look toward money slated for capital projects just to run the department. The St. Charles City Council is scheduled to discuss city revenues in a work session set for 6 p.m. Tuesday.

The Parks and Recreation Department had gone out for bids on the addition, which would have added another 4,000 square feet of space. The additional space is needed because some department heads who oversee many employees don’t have their own offices and have to conduct interviews in small cubicles, Britton said.

The lowest bid from came in at $619,000.  The department had budgeted $589,000 for the project.

“If we start a project that’s gong to cost $600,000, and the tax revenue is going down, we’re going to be open to criticism, especially if we start cutting services,” Parks Board member John Walendy said.

Parks Board member T.J. Slattery said the cost of construction won’t go down as material costs go up. He suggested the department look at ways to reduce cost by changing the design.

Britton said the department looked at getting lower-grade materials on some things like windows, but said she didn’t think those reductions would be enough.

The department is planning to replace the office chairs which are falling apart and a bid to add a parking space in the parking lot, Britton said.