Hopkins Township Supervisor Mark Evans told his board colleagues Monday night that the township has received bills from the Hopkins District Library, a process that has been a source of contention for more than a few years.
“We’ve got bills from the library, for one month, he reported. “We’re making headway.”
The lack of resolution of a bill payment issue has lasted for a long time and relations between the two organizations have been strained. The township uses the library building for its board meeting and Evans uses a portion of the building to conduct business as supervisor.
Things became more than strained several years ago when Library Director Natalie Bazan contended the township owes the library for use of the building and costs for utilities and maintenance. She applied interest over 23 years of alleged underpayments and concluded the township could owe as much as $245,000, a figure no longer bandied about in discussions.
The township’s statement in 2014 was, “Our Board believes this matter has dragged on long enough, so if we are not in receipt of a letter indicating the contrary, along with spread sheet and copies of original bills requesting cost share payment, by the above the date, our board is willing to forgive your unsubstantiated accusations and start at a zero balance for 2014.”
The township has insisted it has paid all bills submitted.
Another sore spot has been the Library Board’s rejection of Evans’ proposal to have the library connected to the nearby Village/Township Hall in order to create more space for township offices.
But recent developments include the departure of Bazan as director of the Hopkins District and Dorr Township libraries. She is now living in Illinois, but there has been no word as to whether she has accepted a similar position there.
When Evans announced that utility bills had been submitted, Treasurer Sandra Morris said, “It took getting a new librarian. That’s what it took.”
The Township Board last month decided to approve a plan in which Morris receives monthy utility bills, but the bills will not be paid until the Library Board President and Morris recommend they be paid.
