By Stephen Nelson
At the Bourbonnais Village Boarding Meeting on Monday, August 19, trustees approved a settlement agreement with a contractor who abruptly stopped work on the extension of the sewer system to the northern-most reaches of the village.
When the contractor, M&J Underground, Inc., of Monee, stopped work, Bourbonnais fired the company from the project. M&J asserted the project could not be completed according to the original engineering design. The two parties then sued each other, with Bourbonnais seeking damages for the work stoppage, and M&J seeking damages for improper termination of contract.
While the legal battle was underway, Bourbonnais hired another contractor, R&R Construction of Bradley, to complete the project, which they were able to do in the context of the original design. The two parties agreed to an out-of-court settlement, where M&J has until March 2025 to pay $250,000 to Bourbonnais.
In other business, Bourbonnais Police Chief Jim Phelps conducted a swearing-in ceremony for a new patrol sergeant. Bourbonnais native Ignacio Czako, 41, is a 13-year veteran of the department.