After overlooking permits needed by Hinsdale and Darien, the high school district recently ponied up more than $20,000 in fees to pursue turf fields — but now is asking for a refund.

City and village officials, however, do not appear too warm on the idea.

Crews installing synthetic turf at practice fields at Hinsdale Central and Hinsdale South high schools were back on the job this week, after delays due to misunderstanding with the city and village. Now, with the permit process in gear and fee payments in the bank, Nicholas Wahl, Hinsdale Township High School District 86 superintendent, said the target date for turf installation remains Nov. 20, weather permitting.

“We are back going full bore,” Wahl said at a Monday School Board meeting.

District 86 is installing synthetic turf at existing practice fields at both schools, and intends to install competition turf fields at both schools next summer.

The district has also applied to the Village of Hinsdale and City of Darien to reimburse more than $20,000 in permit fees, Wahl said.

“We’ve paid the fees, but have asked both to waive them. We hope the two municipalities will reimburse the fees on completion of the project,” he said.

Hinsdale officials said the waiver request will be reviewed, but Darien officials said a full waiver will not be granted.

“The Zoning and Public Safety Committee is expected to review the waiver request Sept. 29, and it could come up to a board vote Oct. 6,” Hinsdale Village Manager David Cook said.

Darien officials said the city could refund a portion of the fees, but the request as submitted will likely be denied.

“By ordinance we are allowed to rebate a percentage of fees based on a specific formula related to how much equalized assessed value of the requesting district lies within the city’s boundaries,” said City Administrator Bryon Vana. “But the district applied for a full waiver and will not receive a full waiver.”

Vana said the district can still apply for a partial refund but has not done so to date.

The contractor for District 86 broke ground on the $3.9 million project Sept. 8, but work was temporarily halted the same day by both municipalities regarding a lack of permits.

District 86 officials said they were under the impression they had received approval to move forward with construction by the DuPage County Regional Office of Education and did not require permission from the municipalities.

But both municipalities said the work-required permits were related to storm-water management and ordered the project shut down until permits were obtained.

School officials and contractors moved quickly to obtain permission to continue the project by filing the appropriate paperwork, Wahl said.

“We have since received authorization to proceed and are going full bore,” Wahl said.

Administrators from both municipalities confirmed Wednesda the district had been authorized to continue work on the turf fields.