MILFORD – The Camp Mack sewer feasibility study, as well as parking and snow removal issues along West Emeline Street, were discussed during the Milford Town Council meeting Monday.

The study was commissioned by the council in November at the request of Camp Mack officials, who are weighing various options for handling waste in the future. The town used riverboat casino funds, earmarked for economic development, to pay the $8,500 for the study.

Ryan Brauen, project manager for Wessler Engineering, Bluffton, Ohio, said there are 51 homes along the route from Camp Mack to CR 1150N. He said the current treatment plant has more than enough capacity to handle the project.

He estimated the cost for a 2-inch sewer line that would serve Camp Mack to be $350,000. Of that amount, $265,000 would  be actual construction costs, the remainder going to engineering, design and administrative costs.

The camp would have to flush the line during its off-season to prevent buildup in the pipes from clogging.

A 3-inch line, which would have the capacity to serve all the homes along Camp Mack Road and CR 1150, would cost an additional $30,000. Each homeowner along the route would bear the responsibility of paying to tap in to the line, and Brauen estimated that cost to be $10,000 to $14,000 per connection.

Brauen said for a 3-inch line to operate as designed, at least 19 homes (in addition to Camp Mack) would need to be tapped in during construction.

He also pointed out many of the homes along the route are on lots so small that when the current septic systems reach the end of their life span, there won’t be room to build a second septic system on those properties. Having a sewer line in place would provide those homeowners with an viable option.

“But really, there’s only one shot to get it right,” Brauen said. “I’d encourage people to look five, 10 or 20 years into the future. Septic systems don’t last forever.”



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Milford resident Ken Long cited a state law that would require a homeowner along a sewer line to connect to it. Kosciusko County Health Department Administrator Bob Weaver said that was true but not that simple.

Weaver said the state has given local governments the flexibility to handle each situation on a case-by-case basis, and that if a homeowner had just installed a new septic, they would not be required to tap in to the sewer line until that system had failed. Exceptions would be if a home had a significant remodel or was torn down to build a new home. In those cases the sewer hook-up would be required.

“Nobody’s going to be strong-armed to hook up to the line,” he said. “It’s not like ‘here’s the line; you have 90 days to hook up.’ That’s not the case at all.”

Ronda Neibart, who lives on Shady Banks Lane near Camp Mack, presented the council with a petition with signatures of homeowners who “are not interested in a sewer line and oppose the mandatory hook-up to a sewer line.” She said most homeowners she talked to oppose the line.

Council President Doug Ruch questioned how the petition was presented to those homeowners. He suggested the town have a formal meeting at some point with the homeowners association at Waubee Lake to have a discussion on the issue.

Jay Urbin asked the council how they intended to pay for construction of the line. Council members said they just got the study and wouldn’t know the answer yet.

On the advice of town attorney Jay Rigdon, council members took the study under advisement and will spend time  reviewing the study before the March 12 meeting.

In another matter, Street and Utilities Superintendent Steve Marquart said parking has become an issue along West Emeline Street, west of Ind. 15. He said aside from recent issues with snow plowing along the street, vehicles parked along the road create a bottleneck with school buses and parents dropping off kids at Milford School.

The council asked Rigdon to draw up an ordinance to restrict parking along the street to be presented at the March meeting.

Later in the evening, the clearing of snow-covered sidewalks along West Emeline was brought up. Scott Mast, a Milford firefighter, said he became frustrated when he saw a student walking through snow that went above her books as she walked to school. Mast said he cleared the sidewalks between Main Street and the school himself.

Marquart said the town has the authority to fine people who do not have their sidewalks cleared by 9 a.m. the day after a snowfall. The issue with the town clearing sidewalks is homeowners complaining of torn-up grass, sidewalks and more, according to Marquart.

Councilman Dan Cochran pointed out Milford rarely gets more than a few inches of snow at a time. Ruch said it’s possible some residents along Emeline are not physically able to clear their sidewalks. The council agreed to table the issue until they can discuss options, including subcontracting with a private party to clear sidewalks, the town buying a snowblower and/or enforcing the fines.

In other business:

• Tricia Gall, Milford Lions Club, said sponsorship letters for Milford Fest are going out this week, and those are normally returned by the end of March. Until then she won’t be able to know exactly what the Lions will need from the town for the May 26 festival.

• Police Chief Travis Marsh said officer Brandon Shipp completed his academy training and was back on patrol. The council approved a pay increase for Shipp upon his completing the training.

• Marsh received approval to seek and train three reserve officers.

• Marsh said the town is eligible for a $4,000 grant from the Indiana Department of Homeland Security. He said he would work with the fire department to find the best way to spend the money.

• The council approved the purchase of mosquito spray for $3,509.35, which represents a 10-percent discount for buying before warmer weather comes. The 10 gallons will be enough to spray eight times over the course of the summer.

• The purchase of new flower pots, hangars and flowers for 2018 at a cost of $2,518 was approved. The council also OK’d the purchase of 25 new chairs for the town hall meeting room at $54 each.

• Marquart made a recommendation to stop putting fluoride in the town’s water. It would save $281.70 per month. The council decided to seek feedback from citizens before making such a move.

He also said he’s looking into a mixer for the town’s water tower. The mixer would help remove sediments and prevent the tower from freezing in the event of a prolonged cold snap.

• The council approved the purchase of a storage building at Waubee Lake Park. The 14- by 24-foot building will be built on the concrete pad where a mobile home once sat, and will cost $5,961.25.