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Homer Glen trustees reject waiver of roughly $9,700 in review fees for township civic center
Summary
Trustees debated a request by Homer Township to waive $9,707.12 in professional review fees for a new township civic center annexed into Homer Glen. Supporters cited a referendum and community benefit; opponents cited the village's standard operating procedure excluding third‑party review fees. The motion to waive the fees failed on a roll call.
The Village Board considered and denied a request from Homer Township on Jan. 23 to waive $9,707.12 in professional review fees tied to the Homer Township Civic Center at 15744 West 150th Street.
Supporters of the waiver — including Trustee Thomas Clawson (speaking for township supporters in the public comment period) — said the civic center was authorized by a township referendum and will serve thousands of residents in both the township and the village, provide park‑style facilities the village lacks and support organized youth sports and community programming. Trustees and a township representative argued the township has already given parks and facilities to the village and that waiving the fee was a modest concession that reflected long‑standing cooperation under the annexation agreement.
Opponents said the village’s standard operating procedure for sister‑government fee waivers explicitly excludes third‑party professional review costs such as engineering and legal plan review. Trustee comments repeatedly referenced Section 8 of the village SOP, which says those third‑party costs are not eligible for waiver. Trustee comments also raised concerns about precedent and about long‑term operating costs the village may inherit if it assumes maintenance or expanded programming tied to the facility.
After discussion, a trustee moved to waive the professional review fee; the motion was seconded. The clerk called the roll; the motion was defeated on a roll call and the waiver request failed.
Why it matters: the civic center project has been a point of recurring debate in Homer Glen. The annexation agreement and related PUD documents tie the township and village together on development, use and certain fee obligations; trustees said the agreement itself contains language that must be respected and that certain provisions may be unenforceable or subject to judicial review. Opponents suggested the village should negotiate a clarified intergovernmental agreement (IGA) documenting use, maintenance, and cost responsibilities before approving additional waivers.
What the board did: the board voted not to waive the $9,707.12 professional review fee. No other fee changes were approved at the same time.
Ending: several trustees urged a joint meeting or workshop with Homer Township to clarify the annexation agreement and to negotiate a new IGA that would spell out permissions, fee responsibilities and facility access, and the mayor indicated staff would work to schedule follow‑up discussions.
