Will County Board Graphic.03

Veterans Assistance Commission Buildout Complete, Body Scanner Installed at Juvenile Center

Spread the love

Will County Capital Improvements & IT Committee Meeting | April 7, 2026

Article Summary: The Will County Facilities Department announced the successful completion of the Veterans Assistance Commission (VAC) building renovations and the installation of a new full-body scanner at the River Valley Justice Center.

Facilities Update Key Points:

  • The VAC buildout at 1300 Copperfield is officially complete, and staff have moved in.

  • A new full-body scanner was successfully installed in the visitation area of the River Valley Justice Center.

  • The Facilities Department completed over 550 work orders in March, averaging $15 per order with a 98% on-time completion rate.

  • Will County met its 100% Demand Response energy reduction goal for peak shaving.

The Will County Board Capital Improvements & IT Committee on Tuesday, April 7, 2026, received an extensive operations update from the Facilities Department, highlighting the completion of a major renovation and significant security upgrades.

Director of Facilities William Fern and Ken Rogalski presented the April 2026 Facilities Update, announcing that the Veterans Assistance Commission (VAC) buildout at 1300 Copperfield is fully complete. The project included a total roof replacement, glass replacement, and interior space renovations. The ribbon-cutting ceremony was held recently, and staff have officially moved into the owned facility, successfully eliminating another county lease.

Security and safety upgrades were also a major focus for the month. Rogalski reported the successful installation of a new full-body scanner in the visitation area of the River Valley Justice Center (3200 W McDonough St).

“It was like a two-day project. It turned out really good,” Rogalski noted.

Additionally, Life Safety Specialist Aaron Kozlowski has been touring county buildings to update emergency evacuation plans and conduct CPR and AED training. The county’s Finance Department recently completed the life-saving training, and “Stop the Bleed” classes are scheduled to begin soon.

In general maintenance news, the Facilities Department completed over 550 work orders in March, representing over 300 hours of labor. The department maintained a highly efficient average cost of $15.00 per work order and achieved a 98% on-time completion rate. Rogalski also highlighted that the county successfully hit its 100% Demand Response energy reduction goal for summer peak shaving electrical curtailment.

The committee also took a moment to honor Facilities Team member Dan Shields, who recently celebrated his 35th anniversary working for Will County.

Leave a Comment





Latest News Stories

Illinois quick hits: Education tax benefits available; Giannoulias orders license plate reader to shut off access to CBP

Illinois quick hits: Education tax benefits available; Giannoulias orders license plate reader to shut off access to CBP

By Jim Talamonti | The Center SquareThe Center Square Education tax benefits available As students across Illinois return to the classroom, Gov. J.B. Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Revenue...
WATCH: Trump order withholds funds over no-cash bail policies like Illinois'

WATCH: Trump order withholds funds over no-cash bail policies like Illinois’

By Greg Bishop | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – Taxpayer resources should not be used to support jurisdictions with cashless bail policies, according to a new...
Trump eyes First Amendment showdown with order to prosecute flag burning

Trump eyes First Amendment showdown with order to prosecute flag burning

By Brett RowlandThe Center Square President Donald Trump signed an executive order Monday requiring federal prosecutors to investigate and prosecute people for burning the American flag, a practice the U.S....
Trump strikes positive tone with South Korean president

Trump strikes positive tone with South Korean president

By Morgan SweeneyThe Center Square Onlookers braced for another tense, confrontational meeting in the Oval Office between President Donald Trump and another world leader when, Monday morning, Trump posted to...
House Oversight Committee to investigate D.C. police over crime data

House Oversight Committee to investigate D.C. police over crime data

By Sarah Roderick-FitchThe Center Square In response to allegations that Washington, D.C.’s Metropolitan Police Department manipulated its crime data, the U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform is launching...
Twenty years later, Katrina still among Atlantic’s most deadly, costly

Twenty years later, Katrina still among Atlantic’s most deadly, costly

By Alan WootenThe Center Square Twenty years ago this Friday, Hurricane Katrina – once a Category 5 beast – made landfall as a Category 3 first in southeastern Louisiana and...
CBO says tariffs could raise $4 trillion over next decade, raise prices

CBO says tariffs could raise $4 trillion over next decade, raise prices

By Brett RowlandThe Center Square The Congressional Budget Office's estimated that President Donald Trump's tariffs could bring in $4 trillion over the next decade, but will raise consumer prices and...
IL Treasurer to work with lawmakers after Pritzker's veto of nonprofit bill

IL Treasurer to work with lawmakers after Pritzker’s veto of nonprofit bill

By Jim Talamonti | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – Illinois Treasurer Michael Frerichs is promising to discuss next steps with lawmakers after Gov. J.B. Pritzker vetoed...
Democratic AGs decry 'political retaliation' against James

Democratic AGs decry ‘political retaliation’ against James

By Chris WadeThe Center Square A group of Democratic attorneys general has circled the wagons around New York Attorney General Letitia James, accusing the U.S. Department of Justice of waging...
Trump says he plans to rename Department of Defense

Trump says he plans to rename Department of Defense

By Brett RowlandThe Center Square President Donald Trump said Monday that next week the U.S. Department of Defense could once again return to an earlier name: War Department, a moniker...
WATCH: Trump moves to end cashless bail in D.C., nationwide

WATCH: Trump moves to end cashless bail in D.C., nationwide

By Sarah Roderick-FitchThe Center Square Two weeks after declaring “Liberation Day” in Washington, D.C., to combat crime, President Donald Trump signed executive orders to end cashless bail in the nation’s...
Five incidents of swatting college campuses drawing concern

Five incidents of swatting college campuses drawing concern

By Alan WootenThe Center Square Four times since Thursday major college campuses along the Atlantic Seaboard have been brought to a halt. Four times, they’ve all been a hoax, or...
WATCH: Chicago reacts to Trump’s public safety push; AI in schools; rural health care

WATCH: Chicago reacts to Trump’s public safety push; AI in schools; rural health care

By Greg Bishop | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – In today's edition of Illinois in Focus Daily, The Center Square Editor Greg Bishop delves into the...
Will County Recorder Graphic.1

Will County Board Approves New Fee Schedule for Recorder of Deeds

Article Summary: The Will County Board has approved a revised fee schedule for the Recorder of Deeds office, which will take effect on October 1, 2025. The changes, based on...
Illinois expands campus abortion access, shields doctors from legal risk

Illinois expands campus abortion access, shields doctors from legal risk

By Catrina Barker | The Center Square contributorThe Center Square (The Center Square) – Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed new laws expanding abortion access on public college campuses while vowing to...