County Hears Questions, Concerns About Sewer Annexation
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By Tim [email protected]
The LRSD currently includes the Barbee lakes area. The two annexation petitions are from groups of property owners in the Chapman and Tippecanoe lakes areas, but, by law, must be carried by an elected political entity to the sewer district board for consideration.[[In-content Ad]]More than 100 people attended Tuesday's meeting; about half indicated they were there to support the requests for the commissioners to carry the petitions. A few indicated they were opposed to the installation of sewers in their area, and about 50 indicated they wanted the commissioners to slow down the process so they could have answers to some of their questions, most of which centered on cost and environmental impact.
"If they come in with a sewer system, what's it going to cost, what are rates going to be?" said John Durham, of Tippecanoe Lake. "Right now, they're talking about a heavy burden, a heavy cost. With what's going on in the United States, it's not a good time."
LRSD Board President Dave Doctor commented on the questions concerning cost. "Everybody wants to know cost," he said.
Doctor said several things have to happen before accurate cost estimates can be reached - a sewer district and board must be formed, the district must develop a plan, which includes an engineering study and rate study, and the plan must be approved by the Indiana Department of Environmental Management. After the district's plan is approved, the district can pursue state and federal grant money to assist with project costs.
"The goal is to get as much grant money as possible to minimize the cost to the customer," Doctor said.
After the results of grant applications are received, a final cost rate can be set for the district.
Attorney Ed Hearn, representing a group of Tippecanoe Lake residents called Clear Choice Tippy Lake Association, said most of his clients want to know what impact a sewer system will have on the lake. Hearn said he would like to see an impact study completed before the commissioners decide whether to carry the annexation petitions.
Commissioner Ron Truex said he agrees with Hearn that an impact study should be completed.
"Who'd done a study that says the sewer is going to make this lake better?" said Truex. "The law said it has to prove need. If the need for the sewer to improve the groundwater is going to threaten the lake long-term, that makes you question the need."
The commissioners tabled their decision Tuesday. Truex said the plan is to bring Hearn together with Dave Tyler and Dan Lee, representing the property owners petitioning for annexation of the two lakes areas, to pursue an impact study and bring the information to the commissioners.
Karen Bedwell, Tippecanoe property owner, said Tuesday's discussion impacted her perception of the sewer district issue.
"I came here today fully in support of a sewer system," Bedwell said. "Hearing some things today, I have some reservations."
Bedwell said she still thinks sewers might be a good idea, but she wants more information.
"I really think that a sewer system is something we need to do ecologically. What concerns me, is the sewer system going to truly eradicate some of the problems? I think there's not enough public information."
Lee, representing the Chapman Lake group, said he was happy with the commissioners' action.
"I think it's a good thing," Lee said. "We will sit down with anybody anytime anywhere."
Tyler, representing the Tippecanoe Lake group, said he wasn't pleased with the commissioners' move.
"We're disappointed because the issue before them seemed pretty cut and dry," Tyler said. "I think the public meeting and public input was a really good thing, but this is not a popularity contest, this is a technical issue. It has been studied at the expense of our county for 15 years and the results have shown there is a clear need for sewer systems in the lake areas."
Tyler said most of the relevant questions on the issue of need for sewers in his area have been answered within the annexation petitions.
"We feel that it was unfortunate that the local press didn't put much effort into exploring the merits of our petition," he said. "Therefore, people were uninformed as to the needs. We feel that we did a really good job of studying the issue and documenting the need for central sewage treatment in the Tippecanoe area."
Tyler said, in an effort to provide information to those affected by the potential sewer district annexation, the Lake Tippecanoe Property Owners Inc. mailed information about the issue and advising them of Tuesday's meeting. He said the LTPO also posted a complete copy of the Lake Tippecanoe annexation petition on their Web site, ltpo.org
No timeline has been set for the pursuit of additional information by Hearn, Lee and Tyler, but Truex said he does not want the tabling of the issue to translate to a delay of the issue.
"I don't want to be part of putting this off another 15 years," he said.
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The LRSD currently includes the Barbee lakes area. The two annexation petitions are from groups of property owners in the Chapman and Tippecanoe lakes areas, but, by law, must be carried by an elected political entity to the sewer district board for consideration.[[In-content Ad]]More than 100 people attended Tuesday's meeting; about half indicated they were there to support the requests for the commissioners to carry the petitions. A few indicated they were opposed to the installation of sewers in their area, and about 50 indicated they wanted the commissioners to slow down the process so they could have answers to some of their questions, most of which centered on cost and environmental impact.
"If they come in with a sewer system, what's it going to cost, what are rates going to be?" said John Durham, of Tippecanoe Lake. "Right now, they're talking about a heavy burden, a heavy cost. With what's going on in the United States, it's not a good time."
LRSD Board President Dave Doctor commented on the questions concerning cost. "Everybody wants to know cost," he said.
Doctor said several things have to happen before accurate cost estimates can be reached - a sewer district and board must be formed, the district must develop a plan, which includes an engineering study and rate study, and the plan must be approved by the Indiana Department of Environmental Management. After the district's plan is approved, the district can pursue state and federal grant money to assist with project costs.
"The goal is to get as much grant money as possible to minimize the cost to the customer," Doctor said.
After the results of grant applications are received, a final cost rate can be set for the district.
Attorney Ed Hearn, representing a group of Tippecanoe Lake residents called Clear Choice Tippy Lake Association, said most of his clients want to know what impact a sewer system will have on the lake. Hearn said he would like to see an impact study completed before the commissioners decide whether to carry the annexation petitions.
Commissioner Ron Truex said he agrees with Hearn that an impact study should be completed.
"Who'd done a study that says the sewer is going to make this lake better?" said Truex. "The law said it has to prove need. If the need for the sewer to improve the groundwater is going to threaten the lake long-term, that makes you question the need."
The commissioners tabled their decision Tuesday. Truex said the plan is to bring Hearn together with Dave Tyler and Dan Lee, representing the property owners petitioning for annexation of the two lakes areas, to pursue an impact study and bring the information to the commissioners.
Karen Bedwell, Tippecanoe property owner, said Tuesday's discussion impacted her perception of the sewer district issue.
"I came here today fully in support of a sewer system," Bedwell said. "Hearing some things today, I have some reservations."
Bedwell said she still thinks sewers might be a good idea, but she wants more information.
"I really think that a sewer system is something we need to do ecologically. What concerns me, is the sewer system going to truly eradicate some of the problems? I think there's not enough public information."
Lee, representing the Chapman Lake group, said he was happy with the commissioners' action.
"I think it's a good thing," Lee said. "We will sit down with anybody anytime anywhere."
Tyler, representing the Tippecanoe Lake group, said he wasn't pleased with the commissioners' move.
"We're disappointed because the issue before them seemed pretty cut and dry," Tyler said. "I think the public meeting and public input was a really good thing, but this is not a popularity contest, this is a technical issue. It has been studied at the expense of our county for 15 years and the results have shown there is a clear need for sewer systems in the lake areas."
Tyler said most of the relevant questions on the issue of need for sewers in his area have been answered within the annexation petitions.
"We feel that it was unfortunate that the local press didn't put much effort into exploring the merits of our petition," he said. "Therefore, people were uninformed as to the needs. We feel that we did a really good job of studying the issue and documenting the need for central sewage treatment in the Tippecanoe area."
Tyler said, in an effort to provide information to those affected by the potential sewer district annexation, the Lake Tippecanoe Property Owners Inc. mailed information about the issue and advising them of Tuesday's meeting. He said the LTPO also posted a complete copy of the Lake Tippecanoe annexation petition on their Web site, ltpo.org
No timeline has been set for the pursuit of additional information by Hearn, Lee and Tyler, but Truex said he does not want the tabling of the issue to translate to a delay of the issue.
"I don't want to be part of putting this off another 15 years," he said.
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