Sidney Residents Quiz Engineer Regarding Sanitary Sewer Project
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
SIDNEY - No one went away happy about the prospect of a sanitary sewage project in the town.
More than 40 residents heard about a proposed system from town council members Kenny Koontz and Harold Lent, who turned the meeting over to Benjamin Adams of Schnelker Engineering Inc., Fort Wayne, in the fire station Saturday morning.
Adams has designed a sanitary sewage collection and treatment system with a capacity of 15,600 gallons per day. The effluent would be discharged to the Koontz ditch.
The central collection system proposed is to be of the gravity flow type with pump discharge of the sewage to the treatment facility, a waste stabilization pond.
The council has an option on 53 acres southwest of town to build the treatment pond. The property is at Ind. 13 and CR 900.
"It's not a negative thing," Adams said of the project. He said such a system would increase property values and allow the town to grow.
A resident said many townspeople already have trouble paying their taxes and an increase in property values would not help them.
The cost of the collection and treatment system is $1.537 million. It is anticipated the financing will be secured from the Indiana Department of Commerce through a Community Focus Fund grant in the amount of $500,000, and a loan and grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture - Rural Development of $1.037 million.
Most of the residents protested the individual costs, which were given at more than $60.50 per month, plus installation fees and costs to close out their septic systems.
Some citizens said they have efficient septic systems which would run well for many more years.
Adams said that is true, but others have nonfunctional systems and others may have 55-gallon drums.
"IDEM has found groundwater contamination," Adams said. "If you wait five or 10 more years, the system will be more expensive and there may not be grant money available and you'll be forced to have a system anyway."
Adams was asked why the county sanitarian hasn't informed residents of violations.
"Just because you haven't heard from the sanitarian doesn't mean you're in compliance," Adams said. "It may mean the sanitarian doesn't care necessarily."
He said some county sanitarians are very proactive, send letters and enforce the law; others don't.
"Well," said one resident, "we put people in power to do these things to us, not for us." He said 40 years ago the town was twice the size and thriving.
"Then they took away our post office and our school," a woman said.
"We sat around and let it happen," the man continued, "and we have no one to blame but ourselves."
The town council meets again tonight at 6:30 p.m. at the fire station. Application for the IDOC grant will be discussed further. [[In-content Ad]]
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SIDNEY - No one went away happy about the prospect of a sanitary sewage project in the town.
More than 40 residents heard about a proposed system from town council members Kenny Koontz and Harold Lent, who turned the meeting over to Benjamin Adams of Schnelker Engineering Inc., Fort Wayne, in the fire station Saturday morning.
Adams has designed a sanitary sewage collection and treatment system with a capacity of 15,600 gallons per day. The effluent would be discharged to the Koontz ditch.
The central collection system proposed is to be of the gravity flow type with pump discharge of the sewage to the treatment facility, a waste stabilization pond.
The council has an option on 53 acres southwest of town to build the treatment pond. The property is at Ind. 13 and CR 900.
"It's not a negative thing," Adams said of the project. He said such a system would increase property values and allow the town to grow.
A resident said many townspeople already have trouble paying their taxes and an increase in property values would not help them.
The cost of the collection and treatment system is $1.537 million. It is anticipated the financing will be secured from the Indiana Department of Commerce through a Community Focus Fund grant in the amount of $500,000, and a loan and grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture - Rural Development of $1.037 million.
Most of the residents protested the individual costs, which were given at more than $60.50 per month, plus installation fees and costs to close out their septic systems.
Some citizens said they have efficient septic systems which would run well for many more years.
Adams said that is true, but others have nonfunctional systems and others may have 55-gallon drums.
"IDEM has found groundwater contamination," Adams said. "If you wait five or 10 more years, the system will be more expensive and there may not be grant money available and you'll be forced to have a system anyway."
Adams was asked why the county sanitarian hasn't informed residents of violations.
"Just because you haven't heard from the sanitarian doesn't mean you're in compliance," Adams said. "It may mean the sanitarian doesn't care necessarily."
He said some county sanitarians are very proactive, send letters and enforce the law; others don't.
"Well," said one resident, "we put people in power to do these things to us, not for us." He said 40 years ago the town was twice the size and thriving.
"Then they took away our post office and our school," a woman said.
"We sat around and let it happen," the man continued, "and we have no one to blame but ourselves."
The town council meets again tonight at 6:30 p.m. at the fire station. Application for the IDOC grant will be discussed further. [[In-content Ad]]