Thirty years ago, the Village of Palatine's Public Works Department was relishing all the space provided by their new public works building which boasted accommodations for 13 employees and enough storage area to see them well into the future. The Palatine Park District, with only 20 part-time employees on its payroll, had yet to see the arrival of a full-time director, but it served a steadily growing community of 15, 000 people.

By the late 1980s, however, the Village of Palatine had experienced unprecedented growth and now found themselves with over 47, 000 people to serve. The public works building which had served them so admirably thirty years ago was now woefully inadequate for the 80 employees who now worked there at peak times. The Park District had watched the number of its residents rise to more than 60, 000, and the number of full-time park district employees had swelled to 58, with 350 part-time employees during peak seasons.

The imaginative solution to the growing pains experienced by the Village and the Park District has now been in development for nearly four years and is nearing completion today. It promises to set the standard for future intergovernmental cooperation for other communities. When Palatine's new Combined Services Facility goes into full swing this summer, it will be fulfilling the requirements of both the Village's Public Works Department and the Park District's Parks & Planning Department to expand their operations.

The Village of Palatine and the Palatine Park District have already gained first-hand knowledge of the benefits of working together to better serve their residents, thanks to an earlier show of intergovernmental cooperation in the 1970s. It was at that time that they jointly purchased the former Palatine High School, which today serves as Village Hall, Community Center, and Police Station. The Community Center houses the Park District's administrative offices and their Parks & Planning department; the Village's Public Works Department has continued to work at another site out of that building which was constructed in 1957.

In 1987, the Village of Palatine began the process of studying various alternatives to alleviate the space crunch that their Public Works Department was facing. It was determined that to minimally renovate the existing Public Works facility would cost them nearly $3, 000, 000 and would only be a temporary solution.

At the same time, the Park District was investigating ways to increase recreational space at the Community Center, plus their Parks & Planning staff were severely over-crowded with no room to expand. "We are putting 10 pounds of potatoes in a 5-pound bag," was the way Executive Director Fred Hall described the situation. According to Board President Dennis Hanson, "We knew the solution to our space problem. We needed to build a new maintenance facility that would adequately house our personnel and equipment today and in the future. But, the problem remained of where would we

... modern . . . efficient. .. cost effective . . . attractive

June 1991 / Illinois Municipal Review / Page 13

get the funds needed to construct such a facility, our 'Impossible Dream'?"

It was then that the Village approached the Park District about the possibility of constructing a shared facility — a facility which offered the potential of saving taxpayers nearly $300, 000 annually in operating costs by sharing space, equipment and materials, and personnel. For example, the Public Works staff could make use of the Park District's fully equipped carpentry shop, while park district staff could take advantage of Public Works' vehicle maintenance shop, welding shop, and electrical shop. "We did not want to find ourselves duplicating facilities in the future, making two of everything that the Village and Park District happened to have in common," remembers village mayor Rita Mullins. According to Andrew Radetski, Director of Public Works, a Combined Services Facility also offered the opportunity to "mesh the skills possessed by both work forces", although combining the Village's and Park District's and the work groups raised difficult issues that had to be resolved.

A feasibility study performed by A. M. Kinney Associates evaluated various sites, identified public concerns, determined the space and design needs of the Village and the Park District, and ultimately estimated the cost of a 78, 000 square foot facility at around $7 million. It was agreed that the Village would finance three-quarters of it, the Park District the remainder.

Criteria for selecting the site of such a facility included a central location within the service area, access to major streets, compatibility with surrounding uses of land, adequate size, and an acceptable land value (one which would not be eliminating a potential source of tax revenue). After evaluating 14 sites, the 5.5 acre site of the existing Public Works facility was chosen. The Village already owned 3.5 acres at that site, and the Park District was willing to purchase the additional land needed. Located also at that site were a Fire Station, water storage tank, and pumping station.

The next step was to place the concept of a Combined Services Facility on an advisory referendum in November of 1989, at which time voters were asked to approve financing of the facility by means of a park district $2 million bond issue which would increase tax rates by less than 3.5 cents per $100 assessed value and the issuance of $5 million in general obligation bonds by the Village which would have no effect on tax rates.

Prior to the referendum, an intense effort was made by Village and Park District personnel to let their community know how beneficial the Combined Service Facility could be. Mullins stressed the concept that the new facility could only improve the quality of life in Palatine, that an attractive and award-winning design was being sought to beautify the Village. Dozens of presentations to civic groups and leaders, targeted mailings, a Combined Services Facility newsletter and video, and extensive local media coverage all brought the facts of the facility to the public's attention. "We went anywhere that at least three or four people were gathered and would listen to us," remembers Mullins.

Palatine residents learned that their Village and Park District could save considerable money by the sharing of equipment and personnel and the purchasing of materials and fuel in bulk. "We pointed out, also," continued Mullins, "that less land would be taken off our tax roles by the sharing of facilities. The taxpayer only has one pocket, and there are so many hands going into that pocket as it is." Taxpayers were informed that equipment worth millions of dollars was being stored outside year 'round, that the existing facilities were inefficient and in violation of environmental regulations, labor standards, and building codes. Voters were assured that the Combined Service Facility's low, campus-style buildings would be residential in nature, presenting a warm, red brick exterior and lush landscaping which would camouflage the buildings' nature. Vehicle and other storage would be concealed within the interior of the property.

Waldon Degner, then Park Board president, shared with residents the significant improvements in recreational opportunities, parking, traffic flow, and appearances that could be made at the Community Center if the Parks & Planning Department were to be moved to another location.

The referendum passed — one of the few to pass in the northwest suburbs in this off-year election, and the architectural firm of Sente & Rubel Ltd. was retained. Construction of the Facility began in May of 1990. Carol Sente, marketing director for Sente & Rubel, found that one of the greatest challenges her firm faced was dealing with two clients and trying to satisfy their sometimes differing interests.

"We tried to put the requirements of two organizations into one and to interface them together to end up with savings," said architect Ted Sente. "Both agreed, however, that one of our highest priorities was to satisfy the neighbors' needs, to protect their property values." To achieve this, the Village and the Park District encouraged the neighbors living around the facility to

Page 14 / Illinois Municipal Review / June 1991

participate in an advisory group which would monitor the design and construction process. "They knew what they were looking for," said Mr. Sente, "and we accomplished it."

The concerns and suggestions of the neighbors were each addressed at frequent meetings, and as a result such recommendations as erecting the surrounding brick wall early in the process to conceal construction, adding dormers to further underscore the residential feel, and planning a bike trail around the property were acted upon. The landscaping budget was increased to allow for berming and considerable plantings.

The Village kept a full-time inspector on the job site daily to ensure that construction was proceeding smoothly, although there were still some unforeseen challenges to be met. The Park District encountered some difficulty purchasing the remainder of the land needed for the site, including considerable press coverage, but eventually an agreement was reached with the former owners. Contaminated soil from leaky tanks was discovered, and ground water had to be pumped back into the area to clean the soil.

Today, however, the new 7 Combined Services Facility stands ready to receive its new tenants. "The neighbors are very pleased with the appearance of the facility," reports the mayor. "In fact, my greatest thrill is seeing an existing eyesore removed."

Common areas shared by the Village and the Park District make up about 15 percent of the total square footage; the remaining areas are clearly identified as to their purpose. The Park District is responsible for approximately 28% of the yearly operating costs, with the Village accountable for the remainder.

There are five buildings: the main building, which houses administrative offices, maintenance areas, and vehicle maintenance bays; a vehicle storage building with heated work areas; salt storage; open raw materials storage (dirt and gravel); and a closed material storage building. Common areas shared by the Village and Park District include the welding shop, salt storage, parts storage, and the lunch room. Over 245 pieces of equipment with a value of over $3 million will be securely stored. The facility today can accommodate 120 employees, but was designed in such a way that it can easily be expanded to fit the needs ten years from now, and even further into the future to the ultimate estimated need.

Public Works personnel have begun to move in and will continue to do so throughout the summer; park district staff will be moving into the facility at the end of the summer. The mayor reports that she is looking forward to the grand opening: "I hope that the public will come out to visit the facility that day. It's very eye-opening to see what goes on in a public works facility. For example, most people don't realize the expense of the equipment alone."

"Palatine is a pioneer in this area," concluded Ted Sente. "The future is for governmental bodies to work together. It's an idea that is here to stay. Other governments should look into this same method of saving space and money." •

June 1991 / Illinois Municipal Review / Page 15