Lakeland Sewer Board Votes to Bypass 35 Properties
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By Jordan Fouts-
Members voted to have DLZ Indiana LLC revise its plan of the system to bypass those parcels of land for which the district has no easements. Sewer lines will go under the road where roadside easements haven’t been given, and those property owners will be forced to hook up to the system at a later date, at their own expense.
Once the system is in place, those property owners will receive a letter telling them they must install a grinder pump at their land, board President Jim Haney said. But they cannot be assessed a penalty fee and their monthly rates will be the same as other users.
Haney recommended the board no longer invest time and money in requesting easements of those 35 parcels of land, for which he said either a refusal or no response was received from calls and certified letters.
Before the vote, member Brad Jackson supported the idea of installing T connections in front of the properties that will be bypassed, to prevent having to tear the road up further when they eventually do connect. But members observed that may create more expense for the district, and district attorney Andrew Boxberger said some users may have to pay more for connection than others, which they could construe as a penalty.
Also during the meeting, board Vice President Bob Marcuccilli told members that the cost for users to hook up their own electricity to run their grinder pumps may range from less than $500 to $2,000. He said cost will depend on how far electric lines and outdoor trenches have to go and how difficult the trenches are to dig, and observed the higher figure is a worst-case scenario of those factors.
The board voted last month on the plan – one of two options presented – to have property owners provide electricity to grinder pumps. The savings to the district are expected to lower users’ monthly bills by about $8.
And the board established a committee of several members to interview firms that could run the sewer system. The committee will eventually return to the board with a recommendation.[[In-content Ad]]
Members voted to have DLZ Indiana LLC revise its plan of the system to bypass those parcels of land for which the district has no easements. Sewer lines will go under the road where roadside easements haven’t been given, and those property owners will be forced to hook up to the system at a later date, at their own expense.
Once the system is in place, those property owners will receive a letter telling them they must install a grinder pump at their land, board President Jim Haney said. But they cannot be assessed a penalty fee and their monthly rates will be the same as other users.
Haney recommended the board no longer invest time and money in requesting easements of those 35 parcels of land, for which he said either a refusal or no response was received from calls and certified letters.
Before the vote, member Brad Jackson supported the idea of installing T connections in front of the properties that will be bypassed, to prevent having to tear the road up further when they eventually do connect. But members observed that may create more expense for the district, and district attorney Andrew Boxberger said some users may have to pay more for connection than others, which they could construe as a penalty.
Also during the meeting, board Vice President Bob Marcuccilli told members that the cost for users to hook up their own electricity to run their grinder pumps may range from less than $500 to $2,000. He said cost will depend on how far electric lines and outdoor trenches have to go and how difficult the trenches are to dig, and observed the higher figure is a worst-case scenario of those factors.
The board voted last month on the plan – one of two options presented – to have property owners provide electricity to grinder pumps. The savings to the district are expected to lower users’ monthly bills by about $8.
And the board established a committee of several members to interview firms that could run the sewer system. The committee will eventually return to the board with a recommendation.[[In-content Ad]]
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