COD gives Glen Ellyn an ultimatum
The College of DuPage has given the village of Glen Ellyn an ultimatum: Approve our intergovernmental agreement, or we’ll de-annex.
In an email from college President Robert Brueder to Village President Mark Pfefferman sent Friday, Brueder said village trustees should vote on the same agreement that the college’s board approved Thursday. The deal would allow the college to keep existing signs on campus, even though village officials previously argued the signs violate village code.
What the agreement approved by COD trustees doesn’t include is language that would give the village the ability the enforce “quasi-criminal” regulations, such as health and safety ordinances, according to the village.
College officials say that’s a deal-breaker.
“Mark, with all due respect, we are done,” Brueder wrote to Pfefferman. “I would hope you will lead the village board as I have led the college board. Also know that should the village reject or fail to act on the agreement as currently scripted, the college will also authorize its attorneys to pursue de-annexation.
“Failure by the village to approve this agreement as agreed upon, leaves us with no other choice.”
Brueder said the college board considered the most recent version of the agreement that had been agreed upon by both parties April 19. He also said the college has spent about $250,000 in its legal dispute with the village, but that would “pale in comparison” to what it would spend to solve the matter in court.
“I would think the public would be outraged at the misuse of public funds,” he wrote.
Pfefferman couldn’t be reached for comment.
In other another email obtained by the Daily Herald, Ellen Emery, who represented the village in negotiations, told COD attorney Ken Florey on Tuesday that the term “quasi-criminal” was included in the most recent draft of the agreement the village sent to the college.
“The revisions were on one of my last drafts, and until we saw the words omitted at the board meeting (Monday) night, I had not been advised that the college had nixed that revision,” Emery wrote.
The village board is expected to consider the agreement Monday, May 9.