NORTH WEBSTER – The Lakeland Regional Sewer District has received its construction permit from the Indiana Department of Environmental Management, the district board heard Thursday. Board President Dave Doctor made the announcement at the outset of the meeting. “It’s another milestone we’ve reached. It makes me feel like there’s light at the end of the tunnel,” he said. Another milestone is the receipt of 90 percent of requested easements and the recording of 87 percent with Kosciusko County records, he said. The next major milestone will be project approval from USDA Rural Development, which is needed in order to begin bidding out project work. The board hopes to submit a list of about 20 documents by May 28, such as the results of an archeological study at the sites of pumping stations 1 and 2. The board approved an $878 fee for the study Thursday. The USDA approval process is expected to take about 30 days. Umbaugh and Associates certified public accountants is also expected to prepare a preliminary user rate study in May. One part of ongoing user fees will be a $5 monthly assessment per user by the Kosciusko County Drainage Board, for discharge of treated water into the watershed – one board members noted will add up to $9,000 to $10,000 a year. Andrew Boxberger, an attorney with Carson Boxberger LLP, remarked that $5 per user is “a pretty good deal.” Doctor questioned whether their 1,850 users would affect the watershed much, but said assenting to the fee is the easiest thing to do now – but also that they should be prepared to protect themselves against any possible fee increase. Another initial cost the board will have to decide on is how far from the road they are willing to pay to install grinder pumps for users. Board member Bob Sanders raised the question during the meeting, noting expenses could add up significantly on some properties. Doctor observed grinder pump distance could affect ongoing costs as well as the up-front, due to maintenance and accessibility issues. He added the board has already decided not to charge a hookup fee, which other sewer districts may charge around $1,000 for. Board member Jim Haney stressed fairness in their decision, observing that the board has communicated to the public that it won’t charge a hookup fee and has shown a willingness to work with users on deciding grinder placement. “Fairness, that’s the mantra we’ve had for the past two to three years, and the thought of going back on that gives me heartburn,” he said. But Doctor noted it could be an area to keep their costs down and keep monthly rates close to where they said they would be. “We’ve been told by the USDA that the district’s obligation is to provide service, that’s it. If we want to put the grinder 10 feet from the road or 100 feet from the road, that’s a board decision,” he said. “It’s a question of how much the district is willing to pay.”
