Unanswered questions in coroner's budget after Kane County Board meeting

GENEVA The future of the coroners building and its closed morgue remained uncertain Friday as Kane County Board members considered Coroner Rob Russells budget request for 2015.

Board Chairman Chris Lauzen, along with members of the Judicial and Public Safety Committee, were reluctant to discuss long- and short-term plans during a discussion in which Russell was absent.

Russell was called away from the meeting before he could present. Ken Shepro, an attorney acting as his financial consultant, spoke to the committee instead.

Preliminary numbers call for a budget of $949,547, which includes 5 percent nonunion staff raises and increases for pathologist fees. It is a 9.4 percent increase over the 2013 budget, which was used as a comparison.

Shepro noted the budget summary doesnt take into account the arrangement with the DuPage County Coroners Office. Forensic operations have been outsourced to DuPage County since mold was found in the Kane County morgue last month.

Russell has said he intends to seek direction from the committee about his options: investing in new equipment for the existing facility or beginning plans for a new building, which could lead to a prolonged relationship with DuPage.

The cost of using DuPage Countys facilities for one year is estimated at $83,050, but savings on morgue supplies could reduce the expense by $50,000, Shepro said.

Meanwhile, capital cost estimates are $75,000 for a new freezer and cooler; $42,000 for a used X-ray machine; $15,000 for a key card security system and unknown costs for an HVAC system, mold remediation, and the demolition and construction related to the new equipment.

In a written report to the committee, Russell said Don Biggs, the countys operations staff executive, and representatives from Mechanical Inc. recently visited his office.

However, the conversation dealt only with the cleanup [remediation] and removal, not a complete plan to reuse this facility, Russell said. Significant financial and policy concerns remain.

Read more from the original source:
Unanswered questions in coroner's budget after Kane County Board meeting