Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
MILFORD -ÊLiving without running water isn't easy.
Just ask Darrell and Kelly Krugman, 290 E. Beer Road, Milford. Their home has been without running water for three weeks and they've had to stay somewhere else until their problem is solved.
Monday, Kelly asked the Milford Town Council to turn their water back on. She said they have fixed the broken water line that was damaged when they put in a pool, and have even improved the line.
Utilities Department Head Dallas Winchester said he was against turning their water on. He said the Krugmans need to reroute the water line on their property and the town easement first because the water line runs under the property of an adjacent property owner, Worth Packer. The town was unaware that a water line ran under Packer's property until the water line broke on the Krugmans' property. If the water line should break under Packer's property, the town would be held liable.
"I'd be glad to turn it on if the water line was rerouted," Winchester said.
Or, he said, the Krugmans could ask the Kosciusko County Health Department for a well permit. If the Krugmans put in a well, he said, Milford would have no jurisdiction over a well. The Krugmans live just outside the corporate limits of Milford.
Councilman Robert Beer II said he discussed the possibility of a liability release with the property owners and with council attorney Jay Rigdon. A liability release signed by Packer would not hold the town liable if the water line breaks under Packer's property.
However, Rigdon said, a liability release would only be in effect as long as Packer owns the property. Once Packer sells it, the new property owner would not be bound by the liability release. Rigdon said Packer will probably sell the property soon.
The only way a new property owner would be bound to the liability release, Rigdon said, is if the release became part of the deed of the property, and that is unlikely to happen.
Councilman Donald Wolferman said, "I really feel you need to come along to the town system and hook up to it." He made a motion that the water be turned on only if the Krugmans run the water line on their property and the town easement. Councilman Douglas Ruch seconded and the motion passed. Beer abstained.
"It's unfortunate when you purchase an older house like that and you find problems like that," Winchester said.
Ruch said, "The issue is this is not an in-town property. This is outside the corporate limits of the town. There's a different kind of thinking with property outside of corporate limits."
In other business, Winchester told the council he received a bid from Phend & Brown Inc. for reconstruction of storm sewer and catch basins along Emmeline Street as well as repaving. The bid was $23,370 and was unanimously approved.
A bid from Lipid-Force Sewer Services was also approved.
They will clean out and videotape sewers from the redlight at the corner of Main and Emmeline streets westbound to Milford School. The sewer is the main trunk in town.
Their bid is for $1.29 per linear foot. There are 4,200 linear feet along the sewer and the total cost will be $5,418.
"There's really no one comparable to them in this area," Winchester said.
Ten town entrance signs will also be bought by the utilities department at $46.70 each.
"I'd like to order 10," Winchester said, "because once you put up nine, someone's going to hit one of them."
Clerk-Treasurer Charlotte Siegfried said the budget meetings for the departments needed to be set before July 16 to give her time to prepare them for the state tax board commission representative. She will meet with the representative Aug. 2.
The council set the time and dates at 6 p.m. June 28, 30 and July 13 and 14.
• Todd Haines, fire department, said the rescue truck is having trouble with its suspension. The cost to repair it will be $750 and firefighters will do the labor themselves.
• Kent Sawyer, EMS, said the new ambulance made an appearance at the Milfordfest parade over the weekend. The ambulance will be taken to Columbia city to have a new radio installed. He said they hope to have it in operation beginning this weekend.
He also said residents need to be reminded of the increased train traffic. Trains run every 15 minutes now and will soon reach speeds of 75 mph.
