COD pursues deannexation after village rejects agreement
College of DuPage announced that it will pursue de-annexation from the Village of Glen Ellyn after the Village Board voted last night to table an intergovernmental agreement previously reached by both parties on April 19. The COD Board of Trustees unanimously approved the Agreement at its April 28 meeting. COD President Robert L. Breuder informed Village President Mark Pfefferman in an April 29 communication that failure by the Village to act on the Agreement would result in COD pursuing de-annexation.
“We are very disappointed by the Village's decision not to keep its end of the Agreement reached by both negotiating teams on April 19,” Dr. Breuder said. “They attempted to change their minds after the fact and add additional language at the last minute, which we declined to do. Even more disingenuous, Village leadership is now pretending to the public that an agreement was never struck at all. Sadly, this is what we have faced with Village leadership again and again throughout this process.
“The College has spent $25,000 negotiating this Agreement in good faith, and a similar amount was spent by the Village, per Village President Mark Pfefferman. It is unfair and unethical to continue business on behalf of taxpayer in this manner. We remain open to further overtures from the Village, but at this point we must respectfully withdraw from further negotiations and pursue de-annexation.”
Pending the Village's approval of the April 19 Agreement, the College has offered to meet with Village officials to discuss changes requested by the Village and negotiate an addendum. Some of the issues the Village now wishes to address include parades, weeds, anti-littering and air pollution.
“The College is a multi-jurisdictional district governed by laws and regulations of the state of Illinois,” said COD Board of Trustees Chairman David Carlin. “Where the College is to comply with local codes and ordinances, we do so. The Village continues to argue that all it simply wants is to protect the health, safety and welfare of the public. The Agreement already reached by both parties and approved by the COD Board provides for this. No one is more concerned for the safety of our students, visitors and employees than the College. It would be wise for Village leadership to live up to its end of the existing Agreement. The alternative is more work and the further expenditure of taxpayer dollars. That is not an attractive option during difficult economic times.”
“As all documentation has shown, the College has been a fair and transparent negotiating partner,” said President Breuder. “We‘re asking the Village, as should every taxpayer, why won't you live up to your end of the Agreement you struck with the College on April 19? The Village has never issued the College a health, safety and welfare citation since its establishment in 1965. The College has exceeded all industry standards in terms of safety codes. We have been and would continue to be an excellent partner with the Village.”
If approved by both parties, the Agreement would conclude an ongoing legal dispute between the College and the Village stemming from construction on the COD campus. The Agreement would be in effect for two years, after which both parties could negotiate an extension.
The agreement can be viewed in the April 28, 2011, Board Packet (Item 06. B. 3): home.cod.edu/Media/Website%20Resources/board/20110428REGULARBdPacketOUTGOING%20Trustees.pdf.