By PAULENE POPARAD

Rather than promise too much and not deliver, the Porter Town Council voted 4-0 Tuesday to adopt a scaled-back draft plan for sewage-system improvements over the next five to seven years.

It’s anticipated at some point a bond issue will have to be sold to help finance the estimated $5.5 million pricetag. Previous estimates ranged from $4 million to $10 million.

A major focus of improvement has been and will continue to be eliminating groundwater infiltration from the sewage-collection system.

The compliance plan, which is past due, is a result of an enforcement action by the Indiana Department of Environmental Management over past sewage violations that led to last year’s agreed order between IDEM and Porter over the sewage-collection system and its 16 lift stations.

Town engineer Warren Thiede said the town should hear in about 60 days whether IDEM approves the compliance plan. Councilman Michael Genger was absent for Tuesday’s vote.

Councilman Dave Babcock said Porter should submit the bare minimum IDEM will accept with the intention of doing more as town finances allow. However, he said it would be counterproductive to risk IDEM fines for not moving fast enough with sewer improvements.

Council president Bill Sexton said IDEM is looking for a good-faith effort. “If we show progressive action regarding improvements, they’ll extend things longer. If we don’t, the timeframe gets shorter and shorter.”

Councilman Jon Granat supported taking out some optional projects in the compliance plan. “We can still do (them) but nobody will be holding our feet to the fire. It’ll give us some wiggle room.”

Council member Michele Bollinger asked if a project is identified in the plan, will IDEM hold the town to that? Thiede said yes; the plan also includes milestone dates for completion of individual projects.

By consensus removed from the plan were:

•A scanner-based system for inventory control of spare repair parts.

•Installation of a remote SCADA sensor system that would transmit via computer real-time conditions at Porter’s lift stations and include a warning feature if malfunctions occur at a cost of approximately $3,000 for each lift station plus a monthly fee.

•Create a metering station at the Indian Trails sewer line: estimated cost $10,000 to $15,000.

•A promised total rehabilitation of the Porter Avenue pumping station: estimated cost up to $1 million including a new force main to the Chesterton sewage treatment plant. Thiede said IDEM mandated the station’s sewer overflows be eliminated but did not specify how, however, at 45 years old the station will require a likely rebuild to accomodate new development emptying into it, he added.

Public Works director Brenda Brueckheimer said by including the optional projects in the compliance plan it would give her “a lot more tools to track what’s out there, considering I have none now. It will create a lot more work, but that’s the route we have to take. It is what it is.”

Thiede said the compliance plan can be amended to add projects if necessary at a later date.

No Plan appointment

By consensus the council decided not to make a temporary Democratic appointment to the Plan Commission for the sole purpose of the pending petition for primary plat approval brought by C&C Development to build eight single-family homes on the west side of Hunter’s Glen subdivision.

Commission member Greg Stinson is an abutting property owner and has recused himself to remonstrate. At the May 21 meeting a vote to reopen the public hearing resulted in a 3-3 tie with no action.

Babcock, a commission member, said he didn’t think a special appointment was necessary; Sexton said he could go either way. Granat asked how a new member who’s missed the previous C&C development meetings could be brought up to speed. Bollinger said she leaned toward naming a replacement but she worries if a delay would occur while that person got caught up; Bollinger lives in Hunter’s Glen away from the subject property and has not recused herself.

Town attorney Patrick Lyp said having six of seven commission members hear the petition is appropriate; if it got down to five members, while legally permissible it would make it harder for the petitioner to receive the four votes necessary for final action. He advised that if an absence is anticipated for the June 18 commission meeting, the council could reconsider naming a temporary appointment at its June 10 meeting.

The petitioner’s application and supporting materials, meeting minutes, the audio tapes of the meetings and newspaper accounts all are available.

In a related matter, Porter Beach residents Jamie Hogan, Elka Nelson and Jerry Sadock were named as citizen members of the Porter Beach Zoning Overlay Committee, created by unanimous resolution last night. Municipal members are Babcock, Genger, town planner Jim Mandon and Lyp.

No meeting of the committee was set, but Sexton said it will comply with the Indiana Open Door law as being open to the public with notice of meetings given and minutes kept.

The committee is an outgrowth of a controversial Porter Beach zoning petition where the town Board of Zoning Appeals voted 3-2 allowing three variances so a garage could be built on an undersized lot after the Town Council earlier denied a petition to vacate an alley so the garage could be built.

The council by consensus directed that the BZA, Plan Commission, town planner and town attorney utilize the Indiana Citizens Planning Guidelines when dealing with their respective planning issues. Granat said some of the recommendations are in use by Porter now. Bollinger asked if copies would be provided; Sexton said officials will be notified to download the guidelines themselves via the Internet.

Suit averted, for now

Building commissioner Art Elwood said he is working with Paul Childress, owner of Splash Down Dunes water park on Waverly Road, regarding silt fencing Elwood said was lacking for an upgrade of the park’s parking lot on the west side of Waverly north of U.S. 20. Stormwater runoff had occurred, said Elwood, but Childress told the Chesterton Tribune that silt fencing had been in place.

May 13 the Town Council contemplated suing Childress to force correction of the problems but Elwood said last night that he’s talking to Childress. “It’s progressing. It’s not at a standstill.” Childress was approved two years ago for a townhome development, Dune Grass Hollow, west of the parking lot which he said he still plans to pursue.

In other business, Brueckheimer confirmed that there is a public easement in Porter Cove so handicapped ramps will be installed along the sidewalks in that subdivision.

By a 4-0 vote, accepted was an annual statement submitted by the company demonstrating compliance for the Signature Graphics tax abatement granted in 2000. Such forms previously had not been submitted prompting the council to threaten to reconsider the abatement last year if annual filings did not occur.

Gary Cutter said a golf-outing fundraiser for the upcoming Porter Sesquicentennial in July was successful and tickets still are available at the town hall for Porter night at the Railcats baseball game in Gary June 7 at 6 p.m. The 150th birthday organizing committee will meet Monday at 6 p.m. at Hageman Library in Porter and volunteers are welcome.

Posted 5/28/2008