Leesburg Continues Discussion Of Sewer System
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
LEESBURG - The Leesburg Town Council met Monday and the issue of a sewer system in the town once again was at the forefront.
Joe Tierney and Julia Graham of GRW Engineers in Indianapolis presented several options for sewer systems.
Michael Aylesworth, who was appointed to director of the Northern Regional Office of the Indiana Department of Environmental Management June 1, also was present.
Aylesworth, an appointee of Governor Mitch Daniels, said the goal of Daniels' administration was for entities like IDEM to take a more hands-on approach to small town issues such as Leesburg's sewer dilemma.
The board noted it was the first time a representative of IDEM's Northern Regional Office was present at a town board meeting.
The town signed an agreed order Jan. 10 that puts into action steps towards having a sewer on-line by 2008 and in operation sometime between April and September 2009.
The town looked at the pros and cons of building a treatment plant in Leesburg, transporting to Warsaw and teaming with Maple Leaf Farms in transporting waste to Warsaw. Maple Leaf Farms is currently exploring the option of building its own sewer system and working in conjunction with Leesburg.
With each of the three proposed options, there are three different sewer systems, which can be used.
A gravity sewer system is the most expensive of the three but requires the least amount of operation and maintenance. A vacuum sewer system is what Tierney described as a "middle ground" solution but along with a gravity system possesses a set of problems.
Both a gravity and vacuum system would force open trenching of streets and property throughout the town.
The third system presented was a low pressure grinder pump system (LPGPS). The issue for the LPGPS is operation and maintenance but can be fairly non-disruptive in terms of inconvenience to residents compared to the other two systems.
The cost of a gravity system ranges from $5,287,000 to $5,581,00; vacuum systems range from $4,931,360 to $5,237,000; and LPGPS systems range from $4,029,000 to $4,503,060.
After the routes and estimates were reviewed, board members were shown a questionnaire, survey and letter package that will be distributed to residents.
The council then set a tentative date of July 25 at 4 p.m. for a public work session meeting with John Knox, compliance case manager for IDEM, to discuss the matter further.
Aylesworth then offered support from IDEM to explain to the public the need for a sewer system, acknowledging the public's resistance to previous plans due to the high cost per resident for a sewer system.
Town board president Rick Stookey then signed a rural development application that Tierney said would help expedite the process of getting in line for funding.
The board also discussed using the town's next board meeting, Aug. 8, as a time to have a public meeting. Rural development requires a public meeting prior to loan or grant approval.
Tierney also said he would send in a preliminary engineering report and an environmental report to rural development the week of Aug. 15.
The board also discussed the need to schedule a meeting with GRW and HS Umbaugh, a financial firm, to discuss the financial analysis of the project.
Tierney stated that the exact cost per resident for each proposal had not been figured.
After GRW's presentation, the board discussed the 2006 budget but nothing was approved.
Town council members present were president Rick Stookey, board members Ryan Robinson and Jay Weaver and clerk-treasurer Carolyn Beatty. [[In-content Ad]]
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LEESBURG - The Leesburg Town Council met Monday and the issue of a sewer system in the town once again was at the forefront.
Joe Tierney and Julia Graham of GRW Engineers in Indianapolis presented several options for sewer systems.
Michael Aylesworth, who was appointed to director of the Northern Regional Office of the Indiana Department of Environmental Management June 1, also was present.
Aylesworth, an appointee of Governor Mitch Daniels, said the goal of Daniels' administration was for entities like IDEM to take a more hands-on approach to small town issues such as Leesburg's sewer dilemma.
The board noted it was the first time a representative of IDEM's Northern Regional Office was present at a town board meeting.
The town signed an agreed order Jan. 10 that puts into action steps towards having a sewer on-line by 2008 and in operation sometime between April and September 2009.
The town looked at the pros and cons of building a treatment plant in Leesburg, transporting to Warsaw and teaming with Maple Leaf Farms in transporting waste to Warsaw. Maple Leaf Farms is currently exploring the option of building its own sewer system and working in conjunction with Leesburg.
With each of the three proposed options, there are three different sewer systems, which can be used.
A gravity sewer system is the most expensive of the three but requires the least amount of operation and maintenance. A vacuum sewer system is what Tierney described as a "middle ground" solution but along with a gravity system possesses a set of problems.
Both a gravity and vacuum system would force open trenching of streets and property throughout the town.
The third system presented was a low pressure grinder pump system (LPGPS). The issue for the LPGPS is operation and maintenance but can be fairly non-disruptive in terms of inconvenience to residents compared to the other two systems.
The cost of a gravity system ranges from $5,287,000 to $5,581,00; vacuum systems range from $4,931,360 to $5,237,000; and LPGPS systems range from $4,029,000 to $4,503,060.
After the routes and estimates were reviewed, board members were shown a questionnaire, survey and letter package that will be distributed to residents.
The council then set a tentative date of July 25 at 4 p.m. for a public work session meeting with John Knox, compliance case manager for IDEM, to discuss the matter further.
Aylesworth then offered support from IDEM to explain to the public the need for a sewer system, acknowledging the public's resistance to previous plans due to the high cost per resident for a sewer system.
Town board president Rick Stookey then signed a rural development application that Tierney said would help expedite the process of getting in line for funding.
The board also discussed using the town's next board meeting, Aug. 8, as a time to have a public meeting. Rural development requires a public meeting prior to loan or grant approval.
Tierney also said he would send in a preliminary engineering report and an environmental report to rural development the week of Aug. 15.
The board also discussed the need to schedule a meeting with GRW and HS Umbaugh, a financial firm, to discuss the financial analysis of the project.
Tierney stated that the exact cost per resident for each proposal had not been figured.
After GRW's presentation, the board discussed the 2006 budget but nothing was approved.
Town council members present were president Rick Stookey, board members Ryan Robinson and Jay Weaver and clerk-treasurer Carolyn Beatty. [[In-content Ad]]