Reason Given For Rare La Grange Closed Meeting

LA GRANGE, IL — The La Grange Village Board held a rare closed session after its meeting Monday. An official explained why.

Village President Mark Kuchler said the board was planning to discuss its pending litigation with the Hanson Aggregates quarry in McCook, which officials blame for flooding on the village's south side. The village was set to hold a mediation with Hanson on Tuesday.

"We are participating in good faith. We are hoping that the quarry will do the same. Maybe we can move forward," Kuchler told the audience. "Regardless of what happens, we'll continue to update the community on our efforts and any progress."

Hanson Aggregates has not returned Patch's messages for comment.

Last spring, the village hired a new firm, Tabet, DiVito & Rothstein, to handle the litigation in Cook County Court. Officials say the firm specializes in trials.

Over the summer, an attorney from the firm told the Village Board that he hoped to get the case to trial in the first quarter of next year.

In 2015, the village's voters approved going into debt for the 50th Street storm sewer project, but that hinges on a successful outcome in the litigation. Some residents are upset that the village is relying on the legal matters to solve the flooding problem, contending that officials should consider short-term solutions.

The village is trying to install a drainage pipe across the quarry's property, alleging the quarry cut the former pipe in the early 1990s in violation of an easement.

In late June, flooding in town prompted the formation of a new group, Dry Up La Grange, which is pushing for the village to take quicker action.