Webster Settles Sewer Bill

NORTH WEBSTER - The sewer line issue between the Kosciusko County commissioners and the town of North Webster has been settled.

Town councilman Jon Sroufe said the town will not be paying for the relocation of a sewer line under the South Street Bridge.

"It's resolved," he said.

At the February meeting, Sroufe said he received a letter from Kosciusko County Commissioner Brad Jackson. The letter contained a bill for $20,000 for relocation of a sewer line under the South Street Bridge. Sroufe said it was the first time anyone had contacted the town regarding any bridge costs.

"We were consistently told there would be no cost to the town with regard to this project," Sroufe said.

North Webster had no money allocated for the expense and were not involved in the project. The town just received the bill. The work was done by Good Excavating and Hauling, as contracted by the county. Town attorney Jack Birch advised the town not to pay it. Sroufe said at the February meeting he would call Jackson and tell him the council doesn't think the town is obligated.

At the Tuesday meeting, Sroufe also said it's a misconception that the bridge is North Webster's bridge, it is not. It is a county bridge.

Sroufe also encouraged residents to continue writing letters to politicians regarding the post office.

At the February meeting, Sroufe told council members the project has been stalled by federal bureaucracy. For various reasons, from funding problems to Hurricane Katrina to a change in "real estate specialists" - the project now is in limbo.

In late January, a federal "utilization specialist" was in North Webster to determine ways to "buy two to four years" in delays for the project. Options included placing mobile offices behind the existing post office or establishing a retail outlet somewhere in town.

Tuesday night, Sroufe presented a copy of a letter from U.S. Sen. Evan Bayh to the postmaster general giving the town "very good support" in the post office matter.

In other business:

• Street Superintendent Dennis Reafsnyder said the Kosciusko County Health Department in cooperation with the Kosciusko County Solid Waste Management District will be accepting tires once a month for the next eight months at 220 S. Union St., Warsaw. Tires only will be accepted between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. on March 11, April 8, May 13, June 10, July 8, Aug. 12, Sept. 9 and Oct. 14. Reafsnyder has vouchers for North Webster residents who may want to dispose of any tires. With the vouchers, a resident may recycle up to 10 tires for free. Tires must be off their rims.

If a person has more tires than permitted with the voucher, the KCSWMD costs are $1.25 to dispose of each additional car tire, $5 for each additional large truck tire, or $15 for each additional tractor tire.

"The reason they do this is to eliminate the breeding ground for mosquitoes," said Reafsnyder.

Mosquitoes breeding in standing water and may carry diseases such as the West Nile Virus.

• Town Marshall Greg Church gave his February police report.

In February, officers worked 660.25 hours, drove 2,558 miles and used 239 gallons of fuel.

The police department took 195 calls, of which 34 were citizen assist, 14 were other agency assist and 52 were speed violations.

Church also said one of the police vehicles had $540.31 in repairs.

Officer Marcus Hygema graduated police academy March 3 and is back on duty.

Through Kosciusko Coalition on Drug Education grants, the NWPD received four pairs of binoculars and a new digital camera.

"It's greatly appreciated," said Church.

• Resident Chuck Lawrance told the board he wants to talk to the park board sometime about a seawall he has that is going downhill and how he wants to fix it.

Sroufe told Lawrance that the park board will meet sometime next month and he will make sure they notify Lawrance of when they will meet.

North Webster councilmen are Sroufe, Jane Shepherd and Travis Marsh. Marsh was absent Tuesday.