UPDATE: Village Trustees Vote to Hold Off On Dispute With COD

Update: The College of Dupage announced that it will pursue de-annexation from the Village of Glen Ellyn, following the board's decision to table the intergovernmental agreement at Monday night's village board meeting.

In a statement released by the college on Tuesday afternoon president Robert Brueder stated, “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,” 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."

First report: 

Glen Ellyn Village Trustees decided to table the intergovernmental agreement with the , despite the college's threats to separate from the village if the board failed to approve the agreement at Monday night's meeting. 

With murmuring from the crowd to table the decision, the board did just that and unanimously voted to hold-off on the agreement until residents are given more time to weigh in on this issue. 

"I think it's important to hear what the residents have to say," said Michelle Thorsell, an outgoing trustee. 

COD and the village of Glen Ellyn have been disputing an intergovernmental agreement for about a year and it all boils down to who has jurisdiction on the campus. 

The dispute began when the college wanted to add $2 million worth of signs to the campus. College officials believe they should have the autonomy to make certain decisions--like adding the signs--without having to receive a stamp of approval from the village. 

To avoid litigation, the two came up with an intergovernmental agreement. COD trustees signed off on that agreement on April 28 but refused to add "last-minute" changes from the village.

Then COD President Robert Brueder told village officials that he would move forward with de-annexation plans if the village failed to ratify the agreement at Monday's board meeting. In a response to Pfeffermann, Brueder wrote, “As has been stated so many times, we had an agreement on April 19. Subsequent to the negotiated agreement, which the COD Board approved, your attorney presented additional changes. We rejected the same and suggested the village approve the same agreement."  

Village trustees didn't reject the plan but they didn't agree to it either. The members unanimously voted to delay a decision until residents were presented with more information so they could see how the decision would impact them. 

Even though the debate has lingered on for a year it recently picked up speed because both boards--the village and COD's board of trustees--wanted to make sure a decision was reached before outgoing members were replaced with the newly elected members. Some village trustees felt that the rushed process is the reason why so many residents are confused about the dispute and how it will impact them. 

"I'm very curious, how much financial benefit does Glen Ellyn derive from the fact that the College of DuPage is within our community rather than be annexed? I understand that a lot of people come from all over the place and they do spend money, they go to restaurants, they buy stuff, so there's sales tax. I'm not thinking about that. I'm thinking about what direct financial benefit does Glen Ellyn gain. I'm just wondering if letting them de-annex wouldn't be such a bad thing?" asked resident and Glen Ellyn Park District Commissioner Kathy Cornell.  

Although exact numbers were not provided, Mark Pfeffermann, village board president, explained that COD pays the village a five percent utility tax in addition to water rates and any sales tax from purchases at the book store. 

But these questions highlight why the board tabled the agreement. "The residents do not know all those aspects that we had to weigh back and forth," said Thorsell. 

Even though some board members were comfortable moving forward with the agreement in front of them, all agreed that residents should be brought up to speed, even though some residents were ready to see a final decision.

"It's horrifying to me," said John Mulherin. "Frankly, I think it's time for Glen Ellyn to stand up and say no."