Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
LEESBURG - Without representatives from GRW Engineers present, residents were left to give their views on the sewer issue during the Leesburg town board meeting Monday.
Town Clerk-Treasurer Carolyn Beatty read a letter sent by engineers Joe Tierney and Julia Graham giving an update of where matters stood.
It was stated that Maple Leaf Farms decided to no longer share a forced main sewer system with Leesburg. The town council previously discussed sharing a sewer system with Maple Leaf to help make the monthly bill more affordable for Leesburg residents.
The letter also stated Indiana Rural Development currently is reviewing the Leesburg project and that they were waiting on a letter from the Army Corps of Engineers.
GRW also was commissioned by local business owners to study the possibility of a gravity sewer system along Ind. 15. Tierney and Graham said they will have more information at the next town board meeting.
During a public meeting Oct. 19 of local business owners, Leesburg residents and representatives from Warsaw, including Mayor Ernie Wiggins, the Ind. 15 plan was discussed. Leesburg town board member Jay Weaver was present at the meeting and gave a recap to the rest of the board. Weaver said there were "seven or eight property owners really pushing to go down 15."
Michael Aylesworth of the Indiana Department of Environmental Management was present at the public meeting as well as Monday's board meeting.
Aylesworth said he recently talked to the state highway department and was told Ind. 15 is slated for expansion to a four-lane road. The timetable for the expansion is uncertain, as there is currently no funding for the project.
A concern of running Leesburg's sewer system along Ind. 15 is that, should the road be expanded, it would force the sewer easements to be moved, which would result in cost to residents.
Aylesworth stated that ideally the Ind. 15 expansion project and sewer project would take place simultaneously and praised the proponents of the Ind. 15 project for being proactive.
Leesburg resident and business owner Tom Moore said he had no vested interest but that it " bodes well for everyone involved...that there is a unified effort."
Jerry Kammerer, another Leesburg resident, voiced displeasure at the role being played by the business owners group pushing for the Ind. 15 project.
" It's a sad case when the so-called working group makes the decision for Leesburg," said Kammerer. " Your working group is going to put money in their pockets off of this thing."
Kammerer was skeptical of the state's role in the sewer project.
" They don't know how to put the time in," said Kammerer. " How can they put a sewer in?"
" The town is going to have a sewer, Jerry," said town board president Rick Stookey in response to Kammerer. " I'm sorry. We don't have a choice."
Weaver said he didn't feel like the group of business owners working on the Ind. 15 project was taking over.
Resident Danielle Robertson brought up the only other business discussed during the meeting. Robertson asked whether there was an ordinance about abandoned homes being used as a dumpsite.
Robertson said her neighbor had, " broken down cars and refuse on the property."
Town attorney Vern Landis said the town did have some ordinances are in place and there may be county ordinances. The board also suggested calling the health department.
Board members present are Stookey, Weaver and Ryan Robinson.
