Editor, Times-Union: Regional sewer districts are much in the news these days. The issues of projected connecting fees and monthly sewer rates in Granger were recently reported in newspapers and on television. And should the Granger project fail, property owners there would be responsible for as much as $600,00 in costs.
One doesn’t have to go to Granger to experience the controversy over regional sewer districts. The Lakeland Regional Sewer District is right here in Kosciusko County and currently encompasses the Barbee Lakes Chain and some adjacent areas. While some of the residents in the lakes area were at one time in favor of sewers and still understand the advantages of having them, the manner in which the LRSD is proceeding with their plans is questionable, both morally and legally.
Two informational meetings, sponsored by Indiana Freedoms in conjunction with Indiana Farm Bureau, were held in this area recently to discuss operational abuses by regional sewer districts throughout the state, and what citizens can do to curb these abuses. These were not secret meetings, as was suggested by a member of the LRSD board, but were, in fact, publicized, albeit not as much as they could have been, and open to the public. Issues brought to the attention of those in attendance included, but certainly were not limited to:
1. Sewer district boards should be elected, not appointed. All members of the LRSD were appointed. 2. Home owners should not be required to hook up to a sewer system, particularly when they have a properly functioning septic system. There are sewer districts in Indiana that give residents the option of hooking up. 3. There is pictorial documentation of the damage done and the raw sewage released to lake waters during the draining of septic systems by the Twin Lakes RSD in Carroll County, Ind. 4. The economic impact on many home owners can be devastating. Again, sighting Carroll County, several home owners had to sell their homes.
The Lakeland Regional Sewer District board meets the first Thursday of each month at 6 p.m. at the North Webster Community Center. The next meeting is Thursday, Sept. 1. It is imperative that home owners in the LRSD attend this meeting, whether or not they are in favor of sewers. The board does allow for a public question-and-answer period at the end of their meeting. This is an opportunity to ask questions that were not allowed at the July 16 “informational only” meeting.
Mark your calendar for Thursday, Sept. 1 at 6 p.m. at the North Webster Community Center.
