McHenry County Government: McHenry County, Village Of Cary Announce Agreement To Turn Current Village Hall Into Police Training Facility

Press release from the McHenry County Government:

10/08/2021 11:25 AM

WOODSTOCK, Ill. – McHenry County law enforcement’s years-long goal of having a dedicated intergovernmental training facility will be realized under an agreement between the county and the Village of Cary.

Under the tentative agreement, the county would take ownership of the soon-to-be-vacated Cary Village Hall and convert the 20,485-square-foot government center and police station into a multijurisdictional training facility under the control of the McHenry County Sheriff’s Office. The agreement also would cede the county a portion of the village’s 38.7-acre Public Works property for the construction of an indoor shooting range and training facility.

“For years, McHenry County law enforcement has wanted a local site to train and hone their skills to protect and serve their communities – and once again, McHenry County governments worked together to get things done,” County Board Chairman Michael Buehler, R-Crystal Lake, said. “This agreement with the Village of Cary will improve public safety and quality of life, while at the same time saving millions of dollars by repurposing an existing facility.”

A tentative memorandum of understanding would transfer ownership of the 655 Village Hall Drive building no later than Feb. 1, with approval for the indoor range on at the Public Works site anticipated by the end of 2022. Cary is finishing construction of a new Municipal Center, and expects to relocate in December or early January.

The agreement will meet a longtime need for the Sheriff’s Office and other McHenry County law enforcement agencies, none of which have an indoor range or dedicated training facility. Sheriff’s deputies and local police officers often are forced to travel to other counties to complete their weapons qualifications and attend training. The Sheriff’s Office maintains an outdoor range in Hartland Township west of Woodstock, but training opportunities are limited by weather and use restrictions.

Besides the other benefits that will come with having a law enforcement training center in McHenry County, the consolidated facility will further improve public safety by giving local agencies more opportunities to train together, which will improve operations during mutual aid incidents. The facility also will allow for other first responder trainings – such as fire, dispatch, emergency management and others – to be hosted.

“We are excited to partake in an opportunity for the McHenry County Sheriff’s Office, and our sister agencies, to develop and progress training resources. This training facility will serve as a powerful, efficient resource that enhances our ability to serve our citizens,” Sheriff Bill Prim said.

This agreement with Cary is the latest in an ongoing effort to explore cost savings and increased efficiency through sharing services and increasing intergovernmental cooperation. McHenry County and the McHenry County Council of Governments agreed last December to appoint MCOG Executive Director Chalen Daigle as County Coordinator to facilitate collaboration.

While moving to its new Municipal Center will be bittersweet, the Village Board is pleased that its current Village Hall will continue to serve the public, Mayor Mark Kownick said.

“We’re proud of our great partnership with McHenry County, and we’re proud that our building will continue to be in good hands,” Kownick said. “Having the Sheriff’s Office take ownership of the building and repurpose it is a win-win for the community and for the county.”

The County Board and Cary Village Board are scheduled to vote on the agreement at their respective Tuesday, Oct. 19 meetings.

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This press release was produced by the McHenry County Government. The views expressed here are the author’s own.