Glen Ellyn Adopts Policy on COD

The Village of Glen Ellyn put the final touches on its policy toward the College of DuPage’s desire to de-annex from the village Monday night.

The policy states that it does not believe COD’s de-annexation is in the interest of anyone, but unless provoked, Glen Ellyn will not legally block the college.

Upon passage of the policy, Village Board President Mark Pfefferman said he was proud of what the village accomplished. He held out hope that the policy will lead to a better relationship between Glen Ellyn and COD.

“Some people call me ‘naïve,’ but I am excited about this,” Pfefferman said. “It accomplishes a framework or a foundation for a new beginning.”

The policy passed Monday is similar to the one Pfefferman introduced at a special board meeting June 6. Some of the changes include more options in regards to how Glen Ellyn sells water to the college, and whether inspections on the four new buildings COD is building can be expedited.

At the June 6 board meeting, questions were raised on how water would be sold to COD once it de-annexed. The policy gives the village and college two options: COD can pay for water and sewage at the village’s unincorporated rates, or it can sign an annexation agreement with Glen Ellyn.

 Village trustee Carl Henninger said he wanted to see flexibility in the water option, and he raised the possibility of wanting to raise rates on COD’s water if the de-annexation process becomes expensive.

 The other major change is the village’s willingness to find “mutually agreeable” architecture firms with the college. The inspection process has been a point of contention between the village and the college.

The village has insisted that the college use independent, certified third-party inspectors. Joseph Moore, COD associate vice president of external relations, said that the college already uses third party inspectors as a part of its three-tiered inspection process.

The village has disputed this, however, insisting that inspectors COD uses are trained in design, not code. But the policy adopted Monday sought to bridge this rift. Pfefferman said in the 2007 Intergovernmental Agreement between COD and Glen Ellyn, the two entities had a list of firms that both sides agreed were reputable enough to inspect the college’s buildings. Pfefferman said it could expedite the inspection process.

Like the June 6 meeting, COD also did not attend Monday’s meeting. Pfefferman said he hoped that the college will react positively to the village’s policy statement. Moore said on Thursday that the college’s attorneys were reviewing the village’s at-the-time policy draft.