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Instead of just reconstructing an arm of the Shatto Cattell drain as originally petitioned, the Kosciusko County Drainage Board decided Thursday to look at expanding it by 2,000 feet to the north and adding another drain arm.
The expansion potentially could more than double the projected cost of the project, which is approximately $33,616.
The original Shatto Cattell arm reconstruction starts at Ind. 25 going south on the property of Norene Norris and Garwin Eaton, across CR 800W onto the Kris Hile property and ends at the property line of Bernard Kuhn. Hile is the petitioner for the reconstruction.
"I think it will be a major improvement for this area," County Surveyor Dick Kemper said of the reconstruction.
The original reconstruction would affect only eight property owners, including the Indiana State and Kosciusko County highway departments. Several of the other property owners were concerned, however, about the potential of the reconstruction flooding their property.
Bernard Kuhn, a property owner in favor of the reconstruction, said he wants the work on the drain but doesn't want to harm anyone else's property.
Aaron Norris, property owner, said he was opposed to the original reconstruction project as proposed because he isn't sure there's a return benefit for his property. Kemper said the board does need to look at benefit versus costs in their decision.
He said the project could be paid for in 10 installments over a five-year period. However, after the first year, a 10-percent interest rate is charged. In addition, he said the maintenance fund for the drain is $16,000 "in the hole" and the drainage board will have a hearing sometime to raise the drain's assessment rates.
Since several of the property owners seemed opposed to the original petition, plan A, the drainage board looked at expanding the project to include more of the drain to the north, plan B, which may provide more benefit for all the property owners. The costs for the project will be refigured and a new meeting scheduled.
The drainage board then held a public hearing for the proposed reconstruction assessment for the Shatto Cattell drain railroad project. Until more is known about the Shatto Cattell arm reconstruction project, the board voted to put the railroad project on hold.
About four landowners are affected by the railroad project, including the county highway. Kemper said the drain is plugged up underneath the railroad and it needs replaced. The estimated costs for the project is between $9,800 and $10,800 and the railroad is only legally responsible to pay half the cost, leaving about $5,900.26 for the landowners.
Steve Stiffler said he was glad to see the county was going to do something about the drain but can't understand why his family and the Latimer Family were the only ones paying for the project.
Kemper said the yearly maintenance fund doesn't have any money to pay for the project as it is already $16,000 in the hole. No one else benefits from the project except the Stifflers, the Latimers and county highway and the law requires those who benefit from a reconstruction project to pay for it.
He said the railroad project could be done separately this fall or could become part of the overall reconstruction project of the Shatto Cattell drain. Either way, the Stiffler and Latimer families will share in the costs for both projects.
"We'll get hit from both ends no matter what we do," said Stiffler. Kemper agreed, and said if the railroad project became part of the bigger Shatto Cattell project, they may pay less.
After the board voted to put the railroad project on hold, Kemper said of the Shatto Cattell drain reconstruction, "This could turn into a really big project."
In other business, the drainage board:
• Approved a variance request for Paul and Betty Vanscoik to reduce the 75 feet drainage easement on the west side of their property to 35 feet.
The property is on the Northeast side of Waubee Lake next to Camp Mack. While the drain is a county drain, there is no assessment on it at this time and it is not maintained. The Vanscoiks want the variance so a house can be built on it and so they can sell the property in the future.
• Approved to set a flat rate of $1.55 per acre for the Cauffman drain maintenance fund with a $20 minimum assessment.
• Asked the county surveyor's office to investigate how much the railroad companies are in arrears on ditch assessments.
Members of the drainage board are chairwoman Avis Gunter, Donald Goon, Dorris Harrold, Maurice McDaniel and Eldon Watkins. They meet at 9:30 a.m. on the fourth Thursday of every month in the county courthouse, Warsaw.
