GLENWOOD | A special Village Board meeting has been scheduled for 7 p.m. Tuesday to address Glenwood's water supply situation.
"What we're going to discuss is the issue of water with Chicago Heights and our Chicago Heights contract," Village Attorney John Donahue said.
Donahue said last month that Glenwood receives water through a pipe the village owns and built with Chicago Heights.
Chicago Heights pays Hammond for water supplied and Glenwood pays Chicago Heights for the village's share.
But the water contract between the two cities expired, and Chicago Heights and Hammand are now fighting in court over rates to be charged for water by the Illinois city.
Caught in the middle of this fight is Glenwood. Village President Kerry Durkin has said Glenwood would come to its own agreement with Hammond if the two cities can't come to a resolution.
Further complicating the situation is a dispute over ownership of the line that brings water to Illinois from Indiana. Durkin said it is the village's position that Glenwood is a part-owner of the water line.
"Chicago Heights doesn't recognize our ownership position at all," Durkin said. "So if we want to enforce on them that we're an equity owner, we may have to take litigation and that's what this meeting is going to be about."
Durkin is also seeking direction from the Village Board regarding a rate increase that would be needed to pay for the inevitable increase in the cost of water.
In other village news, the board decided on Tuesday to seek bids for the construction of a storage building for the village-owned Glenwoodie Golf Club.
Trustee Terry Campbell made a motion to approve an item on Tuesday's board agenda that called for the construction of a 30-foot by 80-foot building at a cost not to exceed $80,000.
Campbell amended his motion after Trustee Rich Nielsen suggested the project go out for bids.
"It should have gone out to bid in the first place," Trustee Tony Plott said.
Durkin said the project wasn't required to go out to bid and that doing so would delay completion.
"I need to get the concrete in the ground before the winter to have the building built over the winter," Durkin said.
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