Webster Approves Wastewater Upgrades

NORTH WEBSTER - Approximately $235,000 in upgrades to the town's wastewater treatment system were approved Tuesday night.

Utilities superintendent Dennis Reafsnyder recommended the town go ahead with three projects - an export flow meter at Epworth Forest, a fine screen auger at the headworks and recycle pumps and controls.

Reafsnyder said the upgrades will help the plant stay in compliance with increasingly stringent Indiana Department of Environmental Management regulations.

The council previously approved engineering studies for the project, which have been completed.

"All the engineering is done," Reafsnyder said. "We just need your approval to get bids."

He said the project could be completed by the end of October.

Reafsnyder asked the council for approval to look into the purchase of a video camera. The camera would have many uses, most notably the inspection of sewer lines.

Lines in the Epworth Forest area are in need of inspection, Reafsnyder said, adding that it would cost approximately $18,000 to hire an outside firm to complete the work.

The town could purchase a video camera for $7,000 to $10,000 and his department could do the work.

Then the town would have the camera available for future inspections and other uses, such as the county's Geographical Imaging System.

The board instructed Reafsnyder to bring all the needed information to the next meeting.

Reafsnyder also reported that spring leaf collection will begin next week. Residents are asked to rake leaves to within four feet of the street, but not into the street.

E. coli testing has begun, Reafsnyder told the board, and is going well. "We're right where we're supposed to be," he said.

Town marshal Greg Church requested permission to hire former North Webster officer Darrell Sopher on a part-time basis.

Church said a part-time officer is necessary because officer Candy Smyth is on medical leave and is not expected to be able to return to work for five months.

He expected Sopher would work approximately 16 hours per week.

Sopher graduated from the Law Enforcement Academy and has had all the necessary training. He worked as a North Webster officers for approximately three years before taking another job outside law enforcement.

The only purchases necessary to outfit Sopher would be a duty belt, holster and shirt. Cost of those items would be between $200 and $300, Church said.

The board decided to conduct an executive session at 3 p.m. Monday to discuss the matter more fully, including an hourly pay rate.

A decision will be announced at a special meeting immediately following the executive session.

Church told the board the North Webster Fire Department is interested in his department's old patrol car. The cars normally are sold by sealed bid or at auction and usually bring around $500.

No representative of the fire department was at the meeting so the board made no decision, pending a discussion with the fire department.

Town attorney Jack Birch told the board of threatened litigation regarding the sewer rates a Joyland Mobile Home Park.

Jay Clutter owns and operates the park. Clutter, through his attorney, Rick Helm, of Warsaw, has asked the council to review its utility rate structure as it applies to a facility such as Clutter's.

Clutter believes the campground's rate is excessive because the rate structure assumes each lot is equivalent to a residence.

Helm said he is not sure his client's facility could legally be called a mobile home park since it is not inhabited five months out of the year. It's more like a campground, he said.

At that time, the council decided that to be fair, it would have to look at all sewer rates - not just Clutter's.

The council told Birch to look at the facts surrounding the case and make an initial contact with Umbaugh and Associates regarding a review of the utility rate structure.

Birch made the inquiry, but the council made no decision on whether to review the rates.

The council will discuss the issue at Monday's executive session.

Last month, the council approved a lease with Larry Mock to land-apply waste from the sewage treatment plant on Mock's land. Mock signed the leased and it was returned to the council last night.

The council also approved an expenditure of $6,950 to codify the town's code book. Birch explained that the code book - a book of town ordinances - needs to be periodically re-organized by code instead of chronologically.

The last time the code book was re-organized was in 1996.

American Legal Publishing Corp. was low bidder and will allow the town to spread payments over two years.

The council also passed an ordinance to eliminate a position from the park board. The board formerly required five members, one of whom was an ex officio member who was also a member of the Wawasee School Board.

That position was eliminated, making the park board a four-member board.

North Webster Town Council members are Jon Sroufe and Jane Shepherd. Council president Kay Andrews resigned and moved to Florida during the past month.

The council's next meeting is May 11 at 6 p.m.