Motorists in Chesterton should be on the lookout for culvert work.

At the Stormwater Management Board meeting Monday night, Street Commissioner John Schnadenberg said that crews are right now replacing some old culverts—20 to 30 years old—which have rusted out in the area of Washington Ave. and 19th and 20th streets.

A pair of culverts slated to be replaced on 11th Street, on the other hand—designed to equalize wetlands in the area—will require some road closures, he said. One of them, south of Westchester Intermediate School, will be especially “time consuming” and will necessitate the closure of both lanes. “It going to be a big job.”

Not necessarily an expensive one, however, as all the work will be done in-house, Schnadenberg said.

Five storm drains at various locations in town are also going to be replaced.

Dunelanders who live in unincorporated Porter County—in Westchester, Liberty, Jackson, or Pine townships—and who are having drainage problems will have the opportunity, later this spring, to make their opinions known to the Porter County Drainage Board.

From 5 to 8 p.m. Monday, May 3, at the Library Service Center at 100 W. Indiana Ave. in Chesterton, the Drainage Board will be holding an open house. “No presentations,” Chesterton MS4 Operator Jennifer Gadzala said. “They’re just collecting information.”

“It’s mostly for folks who don’t live in Chesterton,” she added.

But the Drainage Board would like a member of the Stormwater Management Board to be in attendance, Gadzala said.

The Drainage Board does meet at an inopportune time for most folks: on the first Monday of the month at 8:30 a.m. at Porter County Administration Building at 155 Indiana Ave. in Valparaiso.

Meanwhile, Gadzala gave the board an update on her public-education projects, among them the following:

•This week is WaterSense Fix-a-Leak-Week, sponsored by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, which is encouraging residents to check their plumbing fixtures for leaks. Sealed leaks, Gadzala said, can save a household more than 10 percent on its water bills. For more information, read Gadzala’s column on the subject published in the March 11 edition of the Chesterton Tribune.

•The Street Department, with Gadzala’s assistance, has applied to Coca Cola/Keep America Beautiful for 12 outdoor 30-gallon recycling bins, which would be placed in the Downtown, at select parks, and at the town hall.

•Chesterton High School art students are helping design a logo for this year’s Keep Chesterton Beautiful campaign. They will also be writing and producing a video for it. As part of that campaign, Republic Services has provided funding for the purchase of “ChicoBags,” which—packaged in their own little holder suitable for a purse—can be used while shopping to replace plastic store bags.

The Stormwater Utility ran a surplus of $14,676 and in the year-to-date is running a deficit of $3,232.

A final work from President Tom Kopko, who urged residents with stormwater drains on their property to keep them clean and free of debris. “It’s that time of the year for a lot of rain,” he said. “Please make sure your drains aren’t plugged.”