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Authorizing an Addendum to the Kane County Courthouse Bench Project to Include Gallery Benches and Amending the Authorized Project Amount (RFP# 26-037-TL)
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WHEREAS, there is an urgent need to perform a construction project that directly affects the safety and security of Judges and court personnel in three (3) courtrooms at the Kane County Courthouse in Geneva, Illinois (“Kane County Courthouse Bench Project”); and
WHEREAS, the Kane County Courthouse Bench Project will address the size and placement of the benches in Courtrooms 120, 210, and 220, which are currently not constructed to accommodate computer equipment and offer no barrier between the Judge and litigants in often highly charged cases involving foreclosures, debt collection, private citizen disputes, and others; and
WHEREAS, the Kane County Board previously authorized the Chief Judge to award and execute a contract with the lowest responsible bidder for the Kane County Courthouse Bench Project (Resolution #26-219) in an amount not to exceed Eight-Hundred Fifty-Thousand Dollars ($850,000); and
WHEREAS, the Judiciary has determined that the scope of the Kane County Courthouse Bench Project should be amended to include gallery benches in Courtrooms 120 and 220; and
WHEREAS, KWCC Inc. has submitted a proposal dated August 18, 2026, for the Gallery Bench Project at the Kane County Courthouse, including wood bench seats and backs, wood base uprights, steel angles and hardware, and wood end retainers for Courtrooms 120 and 220; and
WHEREAS, the Gallery Bench Proposal provides for material and fabrication, freight, and site visits, with a total material cost of Forty Thousand Three-Hundred Sixty-Two Dollars ($40,362), and an additional Nineteen Thousand One-Hundred Forty-Seven Dollars ($19,147) for union installation, for a total project cost of Fifty-Nine Thousand Five-Hundred Nine ($59,509); and
WHEREAS, the Judiciary has determined that the gallery benches should be designed and installed as movable benches and shall not be permanently secured or anchored to the courtroom floor, in order to provide reasonable flexibility for compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”) and applicable accessibility requirements; and
WHEREAS, , the ability to move and reposition the gallery benches will permit the Court to accommodate individuals with disabilities, including the appropriate placement of wheelchairs and other mobility devices, and will allow the Court to modify courtroom configurations as operational, security, scheduling, or other courtroom needs may require; and
WHEREAS, the movable design of the gallery benches will provide the Court with greater flexibility to maintain accessible and functional courtroom layouts without requiring permanent modifications to the courtroom floor or other fixed structures; and
WHEREAS, adequate funds are available in the Judicial Facilities Construction Fund for the additional work, and the project will have no impact on the County’s General Fund.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Kane County Board hereby approves and authorizes an addendum to the Kane County Courthouse Bench Project to include the Gallery Bench modifications in Courtrooms 120 and 220, substantially consistent with the proposal submitted by KWCC Inc. dated August 27, 2026, at a cost not to exceed Fifty-Nine Thousand Five-Hundred Nine ($59,509); and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED by the Kane County Board that the previously authorized project amount of Eight-Hundred Fifty-Thousand Dollars ($850,000) is hereby amended to a total authorized amount not to exceed Nine-Hundred Nine Thousand Five-Hundred Nine Dollars ($909,509), inclusive of the Gallery Bench modifications; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED by the Kane County Board that all other provisions of the original resolution authorizing the Kane County Courthouse Bench Project shall remain in full force and effect.
Passed by the Kane County Board on October 13, 2026.
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John A. Cunningham, MBA, JD, JD Corinne M. Pierog MA, MBA
Clerk, County Board Chairman, County Board
Kane County, Illinois Kane County, Illinois
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