Capital Imp Committee: Health Dept Elevator Repair Costs Significantly Lower Than Estimates

Will County Capital Improvements & IT Committee Meeting | Jan. 6, 2026

Article Summary: A malfunctioning elevator at the Will County Health Department has been repaired for approximately $18,000 to $20,000, avoiding a potential replacement cost of over $1 million. Facilities staff confirmed the unit is suitable for the building’s needs.

Facilities Key Points:

• Repair Cost: The final repair bill is estimated between $18,000 and $20,000.

• Cost Avoidance: Initial fears suggested a full replacement could have exceeded $1 million.

• In-House Projects: Facilities staff saved money by framing and hanging judge photos at the courthouse internally.

• Efficiency: The department completed over 750 work orders in the last month with a 98% completion rate.

JOLIET — A potentially budget-breaking elevator issue at the Will County Health Department was resolved for a fraction of the feared cost, Facilities Director William Fern reported to the Capital Improvements and IT Committee on Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2026.

During a facilities update, Chair Mica Freeman (D-Plainfield) requested the final cost for the elevator repair, noting that previous discussions had raised concerns about the unit’s suitability and the potential need for a total replacement.

“I think it was about $18,000 to $20,000,” Fern said.

Freeman noted this was significantly under the $30,000 to $40,000 estimates discussed previously, and far below the cost of a full replacement.

“Or the over million to replace, right?” Fern added. “So I think they got to the root cause of the issue from the initial install and were able to repair it.”

Fern confirmed that the existing elevator was deemed suitable for the space, eliminating the need for major construction.

In other facilities news, Fern highlighted a project at the Will County Courthouse where maintenance staff framed and hung photos of current and past judges on the third floor.

“Originally, we got a quote. It was pretty expensive. It was over like $18,000 for a contractor to do it,” Fern said.

By utilizing the Sheriff’s carpentry staff and county facilities personnel, the project was completed in-house for a “fraction of the cost.” However, Fern noted that a few photos were hung out of order and will be corrected.

Fern also reported that the department continues to operate efficiently, saving the county over $118,000 in evaporation credits on cooling towers at the courthouse to date.