Geneva council adopts facilities master plan to address aging buildings

The Geneva City Council voted unanimously Monday to adopt a proposed facilities master plan that will guide officials as they decide what to do with aging, obsolete buildings.

The draft plan was first presented at the June 23 Committee of the Whole, involving a new police department, City Hall renovation, upgrades to public works and Fire Station No. 1, replacing Fire Station No. 2.

The projected cost for all projects would be $131.6 million to $138.9 million, with the recommendation that they do things in phases, rather than all at once.

City Administrator Stephanie Dawkins said adoption of the plan does not commit the city to do anything specific.

“But rather helps create a road map to achieve the city’s strategic goals for strong governance and quality infrastructure and services related to city facilities and the provision of services to the community,” Dawkins said.

Speaking in support of it, 3rd Ward Alderperson Dean Kilburg said the city’s buildings are aged – with the City Hall itself over a century old.

“Our facilities have become dated, in some instances obsolete, and it’s time we take a look at a very visionary plan that carries Geneva into the next half century,” Kilburg said. “What Council needs to do is really determine a timeline and priority as it relates to these projects ... which need to come first and which may not be as pressing a priority, that can come later.”

Kilburg said a possible timeline could be five to 10 years to get everything done.

“I think for the community to support this plan, they need to know that we have a vision,” Kilburg said. “We’re not pulling a rabbit out of our hat.”

Also supporting it, 2nd Ward Alderperson Richard Marks said the facilities plan – created by FGM Architects and Leopardo Companies Inc. – is the fruition of five or more years of work.

“It’s a plan,” Marks said. “It’s not set in stone. It’s the goals of the city that we’re going for. It’s just a map that the council at this time has decided to take – which buildings should be worked on first – and that’s based upon feedback from citizens.”

The report was intended to show what it would cost to build new and bring other buildings up to code, Marks said.

“This just wasn’t decided in a vacuum,” Marks said. “There’s been citizens’ feedback. And it’s the culmination of years and years of a number of plans that we’ve been working on. I just wanted to tell people it’s not something that we came up with last week.”

Fourth Ward Alderperson Amy Mayer said the report provides clear and concise points about the city’s facilities.

“The main takeaway should be that we’re not saying how this is going to be funded or what we’re going to do,” Mayer said. “It shows a complete understanding of how the facilities need to change over time.”

Fifth Ward Alderperson Mark Reinecke praised the report for its clarity in laying out what needs to be done.

“It’s polished. It’s considered. It’s thoughtful. It’s well-articulated,” Reinecke said. “The question is going to be, how do we put this into action? And the funding and execution of it – that’s going to take some time and consideration.”