MILFORD – Most people in attendance at Milford’s town council meeting Monday wanted to hear about the much-discussed sewer line to Camp Mack, but there wasn’t any significant news to take home.

Many questions centered around who would bear the financial responsibility for such a project.

Camp Mack representatives approached the council late last year about the feasibility of running a new sewer line from the camp, located south and east of the town limits.

Using its riverboat gambling allotment from the state, the town commissioned a study to determine if its wastewater treatment plant could handle the additional load (it can) and to determine the cost for such a project. The estimated cost for a 2-inch line that serves only Camp Mack is $350,000, but a 3-inch line that all the residents along the way could tap in to would cost $380,000.

There also was a question about how many homes would have to tap into the line to make it feasible. At the February council meeting, Ryan Brauen, of Wessler Engineering, said 19 of the 51 homes would need to tap in.

On Monday, Clerk-Treasurer Joellen Free said that the results of a recent questionnaire showed most residents along Camp Mack Road didn’t want the sewer line, but 12 indicated they would tap in as soon as a line was available. Council President Doug Ruch said he knew of several homeowners who didn’t return the questionnaires, but told him they would be willing to tap in.

Several residents wanted to know why progress, one way or another, had come to a halt. Ruch said the next move belongs to Camp Mack. Gene Hollenberg, the camp’s executive director, has said the camp is having its own study done to see what its options are. There was no representative from the camp at Monday’s meeting.

Council members heard a proposal from Ross Hagen, of Umbaugh & Associates, on a water and sewer rate study. Because a rate increase had recently been phased in, people in the audience objected to looking into another increase.

Hagen said there is data available that would show where Milford rates are compared to similar-sized towns throughout the state. The rate study was tabled until next month to give council members and the public a chance to study that data.

Utilities Director Steve Marquart asked the council for some guidance regarding meter reading. He questioned the accuracy of the current system from Master Meter, which is relatively new, and said the company has been slow to respond to his requests for assistance.

Marquart added that a Badger brand system, which is what the town had before installing the Master meters, has been installed in Fort Wayne, Kendallville and Huntertown, among other places. That system would be cellular based, meaning the town could handle all billing issues from its office. Currently, someone has to drive around with a laptop and pick up a signal from the meter.

Marquart added that Badger wants the town’s business again, and is willing to pay $3 per meter replaced. It would take a while to replace all 606 of the town’s meters. The cost to replace one meter is $170, but Marquart said it was likely the town was losing revenue because of the inaccuracy of the current system.

Councilman Dan Cochran said he would get in touch with the Master company to see what the deal is, and also talk to representatives from Badger.

Marquart also thanked the Ben Wilson family for its help in getting the park ready for the season.

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In other business, the council:

• Heard from Richard Miotto Jr., who introduced himself as the new owner of Lizards Bar. He is the son of former Town Marshal Rich Miotto.

• Heard a request from Emily Bishcof, 511 N. Section St., regarding an garage expansion on her property. She said the county’s area plan commission told her the new construction did not meet setback requirements, and that she needed to approach the council. The board didn’t have any objections to the garage.

• Listened to Lamar Bost, who is interested in purchasing a now-vacant lot at the corner of Higbee (Ind. 15) and Fourth streets.

A laundromat was torn down on the site in the spring, and Bost would build storage units on the site. He said the setback would be equal to the offices to the west of the site on Fourth, and a church across the street to the north. The council had no objections to that use, but Bost would need a variance from the county plan commission to put storage units on land zoned commercial.

• Approved Milford police officer Derek Kreider as a school resource officer at Milford School and the final wage increase for new officer Brandon Shipp.

• Changed the hours at Waubee Lake Park. The park will be open 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. May to September, and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. October to April.

• Heard the first reading of the town’s $1,854,188 budget for 2019. A public hearing on the budget will be held in September and it will be up for adoption in October.

The next meeting of the Milford Town Council will be at 7 p.m. Aug. 13 at the town hall, 121 S. Main St.