Sewer Decision Delayed
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By Daniel [email protected]
The County Commissioners voted to table their decision at their Tuesday morning meeting in the courtroom at the old courthouse.[[In-content Ad]]The meeting drew nearly 100 people from the Chapman and Tippecanoe Lake areas.
"To the pleasure of some and dismay of others, we're going to table this issue until we get legal issues clearly answered," said commissioner Ron Truex.
The board decided to table its decision of whether to forward a petition from Chapman and Tippecanoe lakes to the Lakeland Regional Sewer District.
At that point, the Lakeland Regional Sewer District would vote on whether or not to allow them in.
This issue arose after two petitions, one for Chapman and one for Tippecanoe Lake, were presented to the commissioners in 2008.
The commissioners are one of only a couple of entities that can vote on whether to pass those petitions on to LRSD.
Attorney Edward Hearn threw a wrench into the proceedings when he posed some legal questions to the board.
Hearn said he is representing Tippecanoe Lake property owners.
Hearn said that since the commissioners reconvened Jan. 1 the petitions would need to be resubmitted.
He also questioned the legitimacy of the commissioners to make this decision.
Hearn also asked if the LRSD by-laws had been amended.
The commissioners reiterated Tuesday that being entered into the LRSD doesn't mean the areas will end up with a sewer.
A woman in the audience asked the commissioners if the LRSD is a taxing entity.
"No," said Truex. "But that's a great question. It's not a taxing entity."
Kevin Edmonds, from Chapman Lake, said he disagreed with the boundaries that were drawn for the potential sewer district areas.
"They are completely arbitrary," said Edmonds. "It's flawed. I could get hit with a large financial burden. I don't deserve this."
Mark Storr, Chapman Lake, supported entry into LRSD.
Storr said he had concerns about ground water quality in the area and urged those against entry into LRSD to reconsider.
"We need to have a low resistance to change," said Storr.
Don Miller, Chapman Lake, took issue with the appointment of committees to represent the lakes should they enter the LRSD.
"Where is the people's voice in these appointments?" asked Miller. "
"There are hundreds of appointed boards statewide," said Truex later in the meeting. "I tend to disagree with Mr. Miller's point that any board that is appointed is incompetent."
"You'll have a chance to be represented in these committees," said commissioner Bob Conley. "You will have control."
John Durham, Tippecanoe Lake, said he had an issue with those who brought the original petitions to the commissioners.
"What I got a problem with is a couple of people who think they know what I need," said Durham.
Durham then asked the board if there could be a referendum to let people vote on whether they want the petitions forwarded to the LRSD.
The commissioners said they were unsure if that was an option.
"It's something worth looking into," said Durham.
The County Commissioners voted to table their decision at their Tuesday morning meeting in the courtroom at the old courthouse.[[In-content Ad]]The meeting drew nearly 100 people from the Chapman and Tippecanoe Lake areas.
"To the pleasure of some and dismay of others, we're going to table this issue until we get legal issues clearly answered," said commissioner Ron Truex.
The board decided to table its decision of whether to forward a petition from Chapman and Tippecanoe lakes to the Lakeland Regional Sewer District.
At that point, the Lakeland Regional Sewer District would vote on whether or not to allow them in.
This issue arose after two petitions, one for Chapman and one for Tippecanoe Lake, were presented to the commissioners in 2008.
The commissioners are one of only a couple of entities that can vote on whether to pass those petitions on to LRSD.
Attorney Edward Hearn threw a wrench into the proceedings when he posed some legal questions to the board.
Hearn said he is representing Tippecanoe Lake property owners.
Hearn said that since the commissioners reconvened Jan. 1 the petitions would need to be resubmitted.
He also questioned the legitimacy of the commissioners to make this decision.
Hearn also asked if the LRSD by-laws had been amended.
The commissioners reiterated Tuesday that being entered into the LRSD doesn't mean the areas will end up with a sewer.
A woman in the audience asked the commissioners if the LRSD is a taxing entity.
"No," said Truex. "But that's a great question. It's not a taxing entity."
Kevin Edmonds, from Chapman Lake, said he disagreed with the boundaries that were drawn for the potential sewer district areas.
"They are completely arbitrary," said Edmonds. "It's flawed. I could get hit with a large financial burden. I don't deserve this."
Mark Storr, Chapman Lake, supported entry into LRSD.
Storr said he had concerns about ground water quality in the area and urged those against entry into LRSD to reconsider.
"We need to have a low resistance to change," said Storr.
Don Miller, Chapman Lake, took issue with the appointment of committees to represent the lakes should they enter the LRSD.
"Where is the people's voice in these appointments?" asked Miller. "
"There are hundreds of appointed boards statewide," said Truex later in the meeting. "I tend to disagree with Mr. Miller's point that any board that is appointed is incompetent."
"You'll have a chance to be represented in these committees," said commissioner Bob Conley. "You will have control."
John Durham, Tippecanoe Lake, said he had an issue with those who brought the original petitions to the commissioners.
"What I got a problem with is a couple of people who think they know what I need," said Durham.
Durham then asked the board if there could be a referendum to let people vote on whether they want the petitions forwarded to the LRSD.
The commissioners said they were unsure if that was an option.
"It's something worth looking into," said Durham.
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