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MILFORD - The Milford Town Council meeting Monday was well attended.
Although the council had several items on the agenda, the main concern of the crowd was the ethanol plant proposed for the Milford area.
Council President Douglas Ruch opened the discussion with a brief overview of the events leading up to the present.
"Last week, a member of the Milford Town Council was invited to attend a meeting with Verasun Energy, which is the company proposing a site here in Milford. This meeting was a forum at the Kosciusko County Courthouse," he said. Clerk-Treasurer Charlotte Siegfried accompanied him to this meeting.
Ruch said Verasun officials requested public comment be submitted to them. The public is invited to offer all opinions, for or against the ethanol plant, in writing to the clerk's office, which will then fax the information to the company.
"This is so they can be prepared to come to town at a later date to a public meeting, to answer these questions," Ruch said. "I would encourage all of you to go to their Web site (www.verasun.com). It's very informational. In meeting with them ... they seem very committed to the communities they're located in. The property in question is currently in the county, therefore the town is doing more than extending a hand to get information.
"Along these same lines, when asked by the county treasurer's office if they were requiring a tax abatement or tax phase-in, they said no. They will fund what they need up front," said Ruch. It also was mentioned that Verasun would participate in a tax increment finance district.
The meeting was then opened up for public comment. Bob Bowerman, a grain buyer for Maple Leaf Farms, addressed the council with various concerns regarding the proposed site. Bowerman said his remarks were made as a private citizen, and while they did reflect the views of many present, were not necessarily the opinions of his employer.
"One of the things that concerns me," Bowerman said, "... is that whenÊI looked at the minutes for the Claypool proposal when it was passed, I found the comment: 'More and more, location near a residential community like this ... is looked at by the board, the board seldom votes against the recommendations of the governmental body of that community.'
"Although this plant is outside of Milford, it is for all practical purposes in the residents' of Milford back yard," Bowerman said. "I can't help but think ... that they are going to listen to us. I would like to know, does our board have a position on this? We should be able to come to a consensus on this.Ê
"I'd like you to consider that. I have encouraged people to get the facts, which I have done myself.ÊÊHaving done that, my position is that I don't think this is what we want in our back yard."
Further discussion involved the impact that an ethanol plant would have on property values, the use of water to produce ethanol (it takes three gallons of water to produce one gallon of ethanol), the related impact on the aquifer, and the economic impact on local agriculture businesses. Other residents expressed concern regarding impact on the infrastructure and services of the town, and whether or not any problems at an ethanol plant would affect the local school.
"We as a community deserve to know what's going on, " said Milford resident Will Linnemeier. "How do you get the town of Milford to say, 'no, we don't want this'?"
Joe Cousins, owner of an engineering company working with pumping systems, said in his work he has dealt with the ethanol industry. "I'm usually on the other side of the table," he said. "I have friends all throughout this industry, and they all say the same thing - 'I wouldn't live within 10 miles of the things we build.' These companies follow the legal letter of the law, but that's it. Indiana is ill-prepared for this industry. They have no regulations; they have no inspectors. They're going to present it in a positive light, but it's very evident that these things have a lot of problems."
Cousins also made reference to lawsuits that the ethanol industry has lost, that can be found on the Web site, www.epa.gov
After considerably more debate, the council approved writing a letter to the county officials stating that locating an ethanol plant near the Milford would not be in the best interest of the citizens of this area.
It was pointed out that a great deal of information will need to be included with the letter, but several citizens in attendance have volunteered to provide what is needed.
One final suggestion was that a zoning attorney be hired to work with the citizens of Milford. It was reported that Verasun allegedly has obtained the services of local attorney Steve Snyder.
Bowerman was adamant concerning local resolve to firth the proposed ethanol plant. "The battle will go on," he said. "We're putting committees together, getting organized, and petitions will go out."
In other business:
• The council approved the budget as set for 2007.
• A 4-percent across-the-board pay increase was approved for Milford town employees for 2007.
• Fire Chief Todd Haines invited council members to the County Fireman's Association meeting Sept. 21 at the fairgrounds.
Also, pump tests were done on both the town and township fire trucks.ÊBoth passed and certification will be forthcoming. October 13 is scheduled as fire prevention for the school.
• It was announced the parks department is looking for a caretaker.
• It was announced by Dallas Winchester, Milford utilities department superintendent, that fall cleanup is scheduled for Sept. 21-23. All items that residents wish to dispose of should be brought to 600 North Main St.
• Trick-or-Treat night is Oct. 31 from 6 to 8 p.m.
• The October council meeting will be held Oct. 16 instead of Oct. 9.
Milford Town Council members are Douglas Ruch, Robert Cockburn and Gary Hurd.
