COD had no other options on lease

I am writing in response to the Jan. 24 letter to the editor, “Why so long to cancel lease, COD?” In her letter, Ms. Wallace states that the College of DuPage Board of Trustees was “long past due” in its decision to end a 10-year lease of Indian Prairie Unit District 204 space.

Ms. Wallace is incorrect in her assertion that the college could have left the lease earlier than it did. In fact, the early termination clause that the board exercised was not available until the sixth year of the lease. So it was not a case of our board being lax in its oversight, but rather a simple matter of not having that option until this year.

It should also be noted that the decision to enter into a long term lease with Indian Prairie at the Frontier Campus was a decision made by a previous COD board of trustees. No member of the current COD board voted on the lease, as all seven members were elected after the agreement was signed.

Not long after the lease was agreed to, the bottom fell out of the real estate market, but the college was contractually obligated to pay the negotiated rent. Fortunately, the previous board included an early termination clause that has now allowed the college to exit the lease, thereby saving the college (and District 502 taxpayers) approximately $1 million.

College of DuPage values its continuing partnership with Indian Prairie Unit District 204, and we appreciate the district working with us to renegotiate a fairer lease. The COD board takes its charge of fiduciary responsibility very seriously and will continue to scrutinize college spending to ensure that tax and tuition dollars are spent wisely.

Dave Carlin

Chairman

COD board of trustees