The Homer Glen Village Board denied a request Wednesday by Homer Township to waive fees related to the township’s civic center project after officials disagreed who was responsible for the payment under its sister government agreements.
The township is building a civic center on the Trantina Farm property, 15774 W. 151st St., that it plans to use for community activities, events for seniors and recreation opportunities for individuals with special needs.
The township asked the village to pay for $9,720 worth of outside professional service fees from the engineering and consulting firm HR Green, based on the annexation agreement the two governments signed in 2022 when the farm was annexed into the village.
Village officials, however, said their sister governmental agreements call for waiving permit fees the village charges, but not any third-party professional service fees, including legal, engineering, professional review or consulting fees. Last July, the village waived nearly $4,000 in permit fees, board documents said.
The civic center project has been debated in the community for several years.
Township officials said they are respecting voters’ wishes from a 2020 referendum approved to pursue grant funding for building a multipurpose pole-barn style structure for educational, environmental, recreational and social community events.
“This building is something that Homer doesn’t have,” Homer Township Trustee Michael Clausen said. “It is an awesome addition.”
Some residents have stated their opposition to the plan, saying the referendum was to explore grants and was for a more modest structure. Residents also complained the township didn’t seek out their input during the planning stages. Others questioned whether the building was an appropriate use of dedicated open space.
In July, the Homer Glen Village Board narrowly approved the civic center by a vote of 3-2 with Trustee Curt Mason abstaining.
The Village Board Wednesday declined paying the professional service fees by a 4-2 vote with Trustees Dan Fialko and Jennifer Consolino voting in favor of paying the fees.
“This is a small price to pay … to work together as a community and provide all these things that the whole community will benefit from,” Fialko said.
Fialko noted ways the partnership with the township has benefited Homer Glen. He said the township agreed to have the village annex the farm property to help it protect its western boundary. The civic center would also act in a similar way to a park district, which the village doesn’t have, he said.
Clausen said the township isn’t planning to charge Homer Glen for using the building.
“The fee is pretty petty in consideration of how long the structure is going to be operating in the community,” he said. “The participation from the community has been super positive.”
Trustee Rose Reynders said while she supports the civic center, her first obligation is to the village and its residents. She said there was nothing in their intergovernmental agreements that said the village, its Parks Department or sports teams would be able to use the building at no cost.
“I see all the concessions this village has made for the township,” Reynders said. “I think I would feel more comfortable if there was something guaranteeing this board and this community that this would be beneficial to us and how it was going to benefit our residents.”
Trustee CJ McNaughton said third-party fees are explicitly excluded in village policies, and waiving the township fees would set an unfair precedent for other entities.
Mason said he feels the township is shifting its cost burden to the village.
“It shouldn’t be on the back of Homer Glen residents,” Trustee Sue Steilen said.
Board members suggested reviewing the village’s agreements with the township after the Feb. 25 primary in which two slates of candidates are running and all township offices are on the ballot.
Wastewater treatment
The Village Board also moved forward Wednesday on plans to build a wastewater treatment plant within the next several years.
The board approved hiring HR Green to complete a facilities plan at a cost of $64,320. The village wants the plant to be functional by 2030 when its intergovernmental agreement with the city of Lockport for wastewater treatment services expires.
The facilities plan, which is expected to be completed by September, will provide insight into the plant’s overall design, its size, service area and a cost estimate before the village moves into a design phase, village engineer Brett Westcott said.
The plan is needed to use the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency’s low-interest wastewater loan program that will help finance construction, Westcott said.
The treatment plant is likely to serve the area between Cedar and Gougar roads and 159th and 151st streets.
Last year, the village bought about 30 acres of land for $4 million at 159th Street and Gougar Road to use for its future wastewater treatment plant.
Westcott said the plant will utilize energy-saving features, green initiatives and be a model for other communities.
Michelle Mullins is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.
