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E. Dundee businessman, village negotiating reimbursement

East Dundee leaders are taking a more active role in making sure that a local businessman, who had to shut down for two weeks, is made whole again.

Randy Klemm, owner of Dundee Automotive, met this week with Village Administrator Bob Skurla and Trustee Lael Miller to discuss whether he can be reimbursed for $150,000 in repairs to his parking lot and for the “tens of thousands” of dollars in lost business.

“The village is working behind him, we’re supporting him and the village isn’t standing in his way or slowing anything down at this point,” said Miller, who has kept tabs on Klemm throughout the process. “He’s a valuable part of our town and we want to keep him happy.”

Last summer, Klemm’s parking lot as well as building itself were sinking into the ground.

Nobody is sure what caused the problem, but Klemm blames it on a water main break that occurred nearby — he said everything was fine after the village fixed the break, but the village has not admitted liability.

Either way, Klemm’s insurance company and the one that represents the village are discussing how to handle the $150,000 bill, Miller said.

Klemm also needs to come up with an exact estimate for how much business he lost from the issues and present that to his insurance company, which would in turn, contact the village’s insurance.

Klemm was closed the last two weeks of November while the work was completed. And, he said, there were other times he had to refuse customers because he was limited as to how many he could help in his shop’s condition.

The village is working with Klemm to see whether he can, in fact, get compensation for both inconveniences — it’s Klemm’s belief that it’s either one or the other.

Klemm had been critical of the village’s response in the past but now he’s confident everyone is finally on the same page.

“They’re trying to help me, they really are,” Klemm said. “They’re all talking. Everybody’s trying to work together.”

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