By PAULENE POPARAD

Regional Industries, the town of Porter’s contracted garbage hauler, has been sold to Allied Waste, one of the nation’s largest waste services.

Porter Town Council members Dave Babcock and Jon Granat were asked to meet with Chris Kentopp, Allied general manager for hauling, to discuss the town’s contract, which runs through Dec. 31. Although the contract states RI can’t sell without Porter’s approval, Allied took over RI as of Jan. 1 and is doing the garbage pick-up.

Kentopp told the Town Council on Tuesday that he hasn’t read their contract. However, “Our legal (advisor) did and we’re confident we can fulfill our contractual obligations to the town of Porter” at the same cost RI was charging.

Kentopp said Allied will not leave the town high and dry, and it can rebid if it wishes. He invited town officials to visit Allied’s facilities. “We’re an open book.”

Kentopp said Allied will provide monthly reports on the volume of Porter trash and recyclables collected, something RI manager Jeff Jones said his company had not been doing, and that Allied will pay the town the contractually stipulated percentage of the income Allied makes from selling Porter’s recycleables.

Jones said RI was giving its recyclables to the city of Valparaiso and not selling them so no income was due Porter.

According to Babcock, “We could use a better recycling system in this town (to) make it so it’s easy for people to do this.” The current recycling pick-up using town-provided bins is every two weeks. Kentopp said it’s cheaper and the trend is to co-mingle trash and recycleables destined for a transfer station where the waste stream is separated.

Clerk-treasurer Carol Pomeroy asked if the current waste contract can be extended; Kentopp said that depends on its language.

On another matter, Pomeroy and Police Chief James Spanier were asked to research and report on possibly changing municipal telephone service at the town hall, police and Public Works buildings from Verizon to Comcast. Pomeroy said doing so could save about $55 per month and provide free long-distance service.

Spanier said Comcast has an eight-hour battery back-up if phone service is interrupted, and the computer lines would be three times faster than with the current DSL. Any changeover would affect land lines only and not muncipal cellular phones.

Weather response praised

Town officials and employees were commended for responding to Monday’s unseasonal rainfall, which council president Bill Sexton said totalled just under 5 inches at the Beam Street Public Works building.

Addressing firemen in the audience and Fire Chief Lewis Craig, “You guys did a great job today,” said Sexton. “The Street and Fire Departments kept our heads above water most of the day.”

Craig said the Fire Department had responded to seven calls Tuesday including its dive team to Remington, IN and South Haven, to a structure fire and an EMS call.

Sexton said Public Works director Brenda Brueckheimer was absent from the council meeting because she was helping pump lift stations to prevent them from overflowing and backing up sewage in light of the “horrendous” infiltration of storm water into the sanitary sewer system.

Later in the meeting the council authorized town engineer Haas & Associates to pursue federal grants through U.S. Rep. Pete Visclosky’s office to both upgrade the Porter Avenue lift station, expected to cost about $750,000, and to reline aged sanitary sewers in the downtown area. The Porter Avenue and Beam Street sewers there have been relined.

Sexton said relining the remaining downtown sewers would prevent stormwater infiltration and drastically reduce the sewage volume sent for processing to the Chesterton treatment plant at a cost savings to Porter. “Ultimately we could save a considerable amount of money.”

Porter last year entered into an agreed order with the Indiana Department of Environmental Management to upgrade its sewer collection system as soon as possible. “We’re being requested by IDEM to do it whether we want to or not,” said Sexton.

Council member Michele Bollinger asked if there would be a local match if the town is awarded federal grants. Sexton said that would vary depending on the funding program but the town’s Redevelopment Commission, which paid for the Beam Street project, likely could help pay for additional sewer upgrades.

The Redevelopment Commission also is committed to paying any outstanding local grant matches for two Porter hike/bike trails hoping to break ground this year.

On another weather-related development, Park Superintendent Jim Miller said the gazebo walkway at Hawthorne Park was flooded from the rains. “We haven’t seen this depth ever in 20 years.” Firemen said they pumped an estimated 120,000 gallons of water from the park and nearly that much water still remains. Miller thanked the Fire Department for its cooperation.

One more customer?

Mark Zaranski’s 10-month quest to abandon his private septic system at 60 E. Oak Hill Rd. and connect to the Porter sanitary sewer system is nearing a final decision. The Town Council authorized its attorney to prepare a written request, as per its contract, seeking permission from the Chesterton Utility Service Board for the connection outside town limits.

Zaranski said Tuesday that he’s been in contact with Chesterton officials and although it looks promising, a formal request from Porter is required. The Porter County Board of Health said Zaranski’s septic is in need of repair and recommended abandonment in favor of a sewer tap-on. Sexton said Porter has other non-residents, some in Chesterton, who have used Porter’s sewers because of their proximity.

Zaranski said he would pay Porter’s tap-one fees, waive future annexation, and that other residents in his area don’t want a municipal sewer.

Babcock asked what shape the Porter sewer on Oak Hill was in. Sexton said he didn’t recall any problems in the area.

In related business, Warren Thiede of Haas said a representative of LGS Plumbing could not attend the Porter council meeting as requested to discuss billing changes for the nearly completed upgrade of the Oak Hill sewer lift station at U.S. 20. Theide said his firm needs time to review a letter received late Tuesday from LGS.

Posted 1/9/2008