Glen Ellyn holds off on deal with COD

Little more than a week after College of DuPage trustees voted to approve an intergovernmental agreement with Glen Ellyn, village trustees voted Monday to table their decision on the matter.

The two sides have been arguing over whether the village can enforce its ordinances on campus since 2007, when the college began a major building construction program.

Under the proposed agreement, the village would pledge not to enforce certain ordinances at the college, such as those involving building codes and permits. But a major sticking point continues to be whether the village should be able to enforce health and safety regulations.

On Monday, residents filled the board room of Glen Ellyn village hall, many expressing reservations with the agreement and asking for more time for public input.

The board had been set to consider the same agreement approved by COD trustees, along with an amendment that would give the village authority to enforce health and safety ordinances. Those include rules on waste collection and disposal, air pollution, weeds, anti-littering, parades and offenses against public peace.

Village Attorney Stewart Diamond said the village wouldn’t sign the agreement until the amendment was approved by the COD board.

He said the deal was a “two-year truce” and was the best both sides could negotiate.

The college has indicated it would pursue de-annexation from the village if the board didn’t approve the same deal.

Trustee Peter Cooper urged residents to attend the college board’s next meeting May 23. He said he would have voted against the deal since it only addresses five planned buildings on campus, but not four under construction.

Director of Planning and Development Staci Hulseberg confirmed the village had not yet reviewed fire protection and alarm systems for those buildings.

Cooper said he wants the college to submit to the same review process that private citizens and area school districts have to.

“No one is suggesting (those buildings) are unsafe. But we don’t have mechanisms in place to ensure their safety,” Cooper said. “We are asked to trust, but our obligations are not in trusting, but verifying.”

Trustee Carl Henninger said he was “slightly leaning” toward approving the agreement but agreed with tabling it to bring the public up to speed on the issue.

Now two new trustees will have a say, after Diane McGinley and Robert Friedberg were sworn in at the end of Monday’s meeting. They replace Michelle Thorsell and Jim Comerford.