Riverwoods trustees weigh $10,000 repair or broader door-operator work to improve restroom access

Mayor and trustees discussed accessibility at Village Hall after staff reported problems with the automatic door operators at the public restrooms outside the boardroom.

"When the building was built, none of those doors had operators on them," said Trusty Jamerson, describing the facility's history and the presence of an operator currently stored in the building. Director Wick told the board that "we got two quotes to have the work done and they range between 10 and $11,000 because the operators themselves are several thousand dollar a piece." He said one operator on the women's restroom is malfunctioning and that an operator in storage may be repairable and reinstalled.

Trustee Trusty Clayton argued that code compliance alone did not ensure practical access, saying, "The fact that they're code compliant doesn't make them usable. And it’s impossible for someone in a wheelchair to get into the door get into either washroom." Several trustees including Trusty Smith and Trusty Raph signaled agreement that improving access was the preferred outcome.

Director Wick summarized options for the board: repair the existing women's restroom operator, leave the men's door as-is, or invest to put operators on both doors so entry is equitable. He noted operators previously installed sometimes rely on batteries that must be recharged by frequent use and that wireless pad options could avoid extensive wiring.

The board did not take a formal motion to authorize the work during the meeting; trustees asked staff to gather more precise cost and parts information and to present options to the board for a future decision. The matter was referred to staff follow-up and to the building/maintenance review process.

The board moved on to other agenda items; no formal funding decision was made at this meeting.