Barbee Conservancy District May Suspend Activities Prior To Next Election
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
Barbee Lakes Conservancy District will decide Saturday on whether to temporarily suspend progress on its sewer project until after the upcoming election.
The district board scheduled two special meetings after an opposition group filed a lawsuit seeking a court injunction to block further progress until after an upcoming district board election.
The board will meet in a closed session at 1 p.m. and then meet at 2 p.m. in a public session to formally decide its course of action.
The board will conduct both meetings at the Barbee Lakes Conservation Club.
District board president Jack Maule said the only subject that will be discussed in either meeting will be a course of action involving the possible injunction.
Maule said the board may very well decide to voluntarily suspend major monetary-related decisions until after the election. The other option would be to fight the court request.
A Kosciusko Circuit Court hearing is set for Nov. 10 to consider the request for an injunction. The board's regular meeting is Nov. 11.
Maule said even though the lawsuit is "frivolous," he and others are wary of spending public tax money on a court battle.
Quality Network President Scott Fox said they were hoping the suit would spark some cooperation from the district board. If the district agrees to voluntarily avoid entering into contracts until after the election, the network would consider dropping its suit, Fox said.
"I think we would take that under serious consideration," Vox said.
The lawsuit alleges the district board has misled the public, that the need for a sewer hasn't been fully documented and that a secret campaign has been concocted to deprive former board member Barry Hecker - a member of the quality network - from needed information.
The quality network wants to prevent any cost-inhibiting decisions until the election because they believe the entire sewer project could be killed if enough of their supporters are elected to the district board.
The district is awaiting approval by the state on its facilities plan. Afterward, the district would begin preliminary design plans. [[In-content Ad]]
Barbee Lakes Conservancy District will decide Saturday on whether to temporarily suspend progress on its sewer project until after the upcoming election.
The district board scheduled two special meetings after an opposition group filed a lawsuit seeking a court injunction to block further progress until after an upcoming district board election.
The board will meet in a closed session at 1 p.m. and then meet at 2 p.m. in a public session to formally decide its course of action.
The board will conduct both meetings at the Barbee Lakes Conservation Club.
District board president Jack Maule said the only subject that will be discussed in either meeting will be a course of action involving the possible injunction.
Maule said the board may very well decide to voluntarily suspend major monetary-related decisions until after the election. The other option would be to fight the court request.
A Kosciusko Circuit Court hearing is set for Nov. 10 to consider the request for an injunction. The board's regular meeting is Nov. 11.
Maule said even though the lawsuit is "frivolous," he and others are wary of spending public tax money on a court battle.
Quality Network President Scott Fox said they were hoping the suit would spark some cooperation from the district board. If the district agrees to voluntarily avoid entering into contracts until after the election, the network would consider dropping its suit, Fox said.
"I think we would take that under serious consideration," Vox said.
The lawsuit alleges the district board has misled the public, that the need for a sewer hasn't been fully documented and that a secret campaign has been concocted to deprive former board member Barry Hecker - a member of the quality network - from needed information.
The quality network wants to prevent any cost-inhibiting decisions until the election because they believe the entire sewer project could be killed if enough of their supporters are elected to the district board.
The district is awaiting approval by the state on its facilities plan. Afterward, the district would begin preliminary design plans. [[In-content Ad]]