County Tables Sewer Petition
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By Tim [email protected]
But that's just what they got Tuesday from a crowd of more than 100 as the commissioners tabled a decision on whether to carry petitions from two local lake areas requesting annexation to the Lakeland Regional Sewer District.[[In-content Ad]]It was the second time the commissioners tabled the decision. The commissioners received the petitions Sept. 30 from Dan Lee, representing property owners calling themselves the Chapman Lakes Environmental Watch, and David Tyler, representing a group identified as the Lakeland Environmental Task Force, seeking the inclusion of the Chapman and Tippecanoe lakes areas to the LRSD. At that meeting, the commissioners tabled the issue for about a month to seek further public input.
Tuesday, Lee and Tyler reiterated their requests, which focus on the overdevelopment, small lot sizes, adjacent flood plains and poor soil types found in the lake areas as conditions demonstrating the need for a sewer system as opposed to the private septic systems currently used.
"Expansion of the LRSD to include the Chapman Lakes may well be the most important environmental issue decision we've faced in more than a quarter century," said Lee.
He said he knows the issue of sewers in the lake areas is divisive.
"I'm a retired guy on a fixed income," Lee said. "I don't need another bill, but folks, it's the right thing to do."
Lee referenced studies and reports dating back as far as 1993 and as recent as 2006. Each report, he said, supports the need for centralized sewers in the lake areas.
Attorney Ed Hearn, representing a group of Tippecanoe Lake area property owners called the Clear Choice Tippy Lake Association, presented a petition to the commissioners asking them to deny the Lakeland Environmental Task Force's request to carry their petition. Hearn submitted about 300 signed petitions from area residents asking the commissioners not to carry the annexation petitions.
"My clients are not necessarily opposed to public sewers, but they think the effect needs to be examined," said Hearn.
He said, while Tyler's group has, through an engineering survey and study, provided a description of the territory they want annexed into the LRSD, they have not met the other requirements including demonstrating that a public sewer is necessary, will support public health and that it is practical and feasible.
Hearn questioned whether the installation of a sewer system would improve the quality of lake water and referenced a 1997 Lake Tippecanoe Diagnostic Study by J.F. New and Associates which is cited by the annexation petitions. Hearn said a 1998 follow-up feasibility study evaluated the potential effects of the study's recommendations, which included detention basins, sediment raps and wetland filters being installed in targeted areas to reduce the influx of phosphorous deposits and sedimentation into the lake. Hearn said the feasibility study showed that a sewer system would help reduce the phosphorous and nitrogen influx, but would not help reduce the sedimentation. He said he has doubts as to whether a sewer system is the best way to improve area lake water.
Lee and Tyler said their petitions are focused on ground water, not lake water. Tyler said old or failing septic systems pose the biggest threat to ground water in the lake areas where the majority of soil is not suitable for septic systems.
"We've never been talking about lake water," said Lee. "The issue is ground water. Ground water in this entire area is a difficult situation. That's what our petition is all about. Soil conditions in the entire region will not change and conditions point to an increase in potential environmental threats to groundwater pollution from residential growth."
Several residents of the two lake areas spoke at Tuesday's meeting, expressing support, opposition, concerns and questions about annexation into the LRSD.
The commissioners called for a survey of those present Tuesday, asking those in favor of the requests to annex Chapman and Tippecanoe to the LRSD, those wanting the process slowed down and those opposed to public sewers to stand. About 50 people indicated they supported the annexation petitions, about 50 stood in favor of slowing the process and 15 indicated they were opposed to sewers in their area.
If the commissioners carry the annexation petitions to the LRSD board, the board will have 60 days to take action on the requests. Commissioner Ron Truex said he doesn't think 60 days is enough time for the public to get more complete information on the possible effects of a sewer system in the lake areas.
"I've called people at the state agencies, they've agreed our lakes are in good shape and that the majority of septic systems are in jeopardy of failing," said Truex. "The fact comes down to, we need to look at the long-term effect of sewers. I do believe there's time, we should take the time."
The commissioners unanimously passed Truex's motion to table the decision.
For more on Tuesday's meeting, see Thursday's Times-Union.
The next meeting of the county commissioners is Nov. 10 at 9 a.m.
But that's just what they got Tuesday from a crowd of more than 100 as the commissioners tabled a decision on whether to carry petitions from two local lake areas requesting annexation to the Lakeland Regional Sewer District.[[In-content Ad]]It was the second time the commissioners tabled the decision. The commissioners received the petitions Sept. 30 from Dan Lee, representing property owners calling themselves the Chapman Lakes Environmental Watch, and David Tyler, representing a group identified as the Lakeland Environmental Task Force, seeking the inclusion of the Chapman and Tippecanoe lakes areas to the LRSD. At that meeting, the commissioners tabled the issue for about a month to seek further public input.
Tuesday, Lee and Tyler reiterated their requests, which focus on the overdevelopment, small lot sizes, adjacent flood plains and poor soil types found in the lake areas as conditions demonstrating the need for a sewer system as opposed to the private septic systems currently used.
"Expansion of the LRSD to include the Chapman Lakes may well be the most important environmental issue decision we've faced in more than a quarter century," said Lee.
He said he knows the issue of sewers in the lake areas is divisive.
"I'm a retired guy on a fixed income," Lee said. "I don't need another bill, but folks, it's the right thing to do."
Lee referenced studies and reports dating back as far as 1993 and as recent as 2006. Each report, he said, supports the need for centralized sewers in the lake areas.
Attorney Ed Hearn, representing a group of Tippecanoe Lake area property owners called the Clear Choice Tippy Lake Association, presented a petition to the commissioners asking them to deny the Lakeland Environmental Task Force's request to carry their petition. Hearn submitted about 300 signed petitions from area residents asking the commissioners not to carry the annexation petitions.
"My clients are not necessarily opposed to public sewers, but they think the effect needs to be examined," said Hearn.
He said, while Tyler's group has, through an engineering survey and study, provided a description of the territory they want annexed into the LRSD, they have not met the other requirements including demonstrating that a public sewer is necessary, will support public health and that it is practical and feasible.
Hearn questioned whether the installation of a sewer system would improve the quality of lake water and referenced a 1997 Lake Tippecanoe Diagnostic Study by J.F. New and Associates which is cited by the annexation petitions. Hearn said a 1998 follow-up feasibility study evaluated the potential effects of the study's recommendations, which included detention basins, sediment raps and wetland filters being installed in targeted areas to reduce the influx of phosphorous deposits and sedimentation into the lake. Hearn said the feasibility study showed that a sewer system would help reduce the phosphorous and nitrogen influx, but would not help reduce the sedimentation. He said he has doubts as to whether a sewer system is the best way to improve area lake water.
Lee and Tyler said their petitions are focused on ground water, not lake water. Tyler said old or failing septic systems pose the biggest threat to ground water in the lake areas where the majority of soil is not suitable for septic systems.
"We've never been talking about lake water," said Lee. "The issue is ground water. Ground water in this entire area is a difficult situation. That's what our petition is all about. Soil conditions in the entire region will not change and conditions point to an increase in potential environmental threats to groundwater pollution from residential growth."
Several residents of the two lake areas spoke at Tuesday's meeting, expressing support, opposition, concerns and questions about annexation into the LRSD.
The commissioners called for a survey of those present Tuesday, asking those in favor of the requests to annex Chapman and Tippecanoe to the LRSD, those wanting the process slowed down and those opposed to public sewers to stand. About 50 people indicated they supported the annexation petitions, about 50 stood in favor of slowing the process and 15 indicated they were opposed to sewers in their area.
If the commissioners carry the annexation petitions to the LRSD board, the board will have 60 days to take action on the requests. Commissioner Ron Truex said he doesn't think 60 days is enough time for the public to get more complete information on the possible effects of a sewer system in the lake areas.
"I've called people at the state agencies, they've agreed our lakes are in good shape and that the majority of septic systems are in jeopardy of failing," said Truex. "The fact comes down to, we need to look at the long-term effect of sewers. I do believe there's time, we should take the time."
The commissioners unanimously passed Truex's motion to table the decision.
For more on Tuesday's meeting, see Thursday's Times-Union.
The next meeting of the county commissioners is Nov. 10 at 9 a.m.
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