By PAULENE POPARAD

The Porter Town Council took one of many steps Tuesday aimed at bringing the town into compliance with the Indiana Department of Environmental Management regarding Porter’s sewage collection system.

In the absence of council President Bill Sexton, vice-president Lorri Wickberg signed a formal application for an operational permit for the system. The town’s previous permit expired June 30, 2002. In June, IDEM issued a notice of violation citing the lack of a permit and other deficiencies.

That led to an agreed order signed in July between the parties containing deadlines that require the town to submit the permit application as well as to draft a compliance plan mapping out how the sewage system will be upgraded.

A previous agreed order led to the current upgrading of the Oak Hill sewage lift station and building a new force main at Oak Hill near Waverly Road.

Town engineer Hesham Khalil confirmed Tuesday that under the July agreed order, any new sewer connections requiring a construction permit that would empty into Porter’s Porter Avenue lift station temporarily are on hold. The lift station serves about one-third of the town.

Public Works director Brenda Brueckheimer said the moratorium affects new subdivisions and development but not construction on existing lots of record. Caught in the sewer freeze could be a planned motel project at U.S. 20 and Worthington Drive.

Khalil said he’s hopeful that once the compliance plan is submitted, probably in about 30 days, IDEM will lift the moratorium.

The compliance plan itself must include a schedule for initiation and completion of all actions described in the plan including specific milestone dates. Upon written approval of the plan by IDEM, Porter is required to immediately implement the approved plan and to adhere to the outlined schedule.

Because the Porter Avenue lift station lies within Porter’s designated tax-increment financing or TIF district, the town’s Redevelopment Commission which administers TIF money preliminarily has discussed how the town is going to pay for a large-scale sanitary sewer upgrade; no firm funding decision was reached.

The Porter Avenue lift station recently had a new meter system installed and town employees will have training on it later this week.

2008 budget advances

Councilman Paul Childress voted no on principle against the 2008 budget, which was adopted 3-1. As proposed, money would be diverted from the Motor Vehicle Highway Fund to the Police Department, which anticipates being $25,000 short in the insurance line item.

Council member Jennifer Granat said state law allows MVH money to be used by police giving the town that option. Replied Childress, “Just because you can do something doesn’t make it right. The town could declare bankruptcy, too, but you don’t do it.”

He also said once the MVH fund is diverted, it’s too easy to keep doing it. This year MVH was approved at $625,917.

The $4,428,039 budget for 2008 now goes to state tax officials for review. The town only received approval of its 2007 budget last month when $265,265 in cuts were ordered. Clerk-treasurer Carol Pomeroy said a tax rate has yet to be established.

In a related matter, the council adopted a resolution 4-0 rescinding an automatic levy payable in 2008 that would have replaced money lost in the TIF district. The Town Council said it doesn’t need the additional income and levying it would cause a hardship on its citizens.

Paving claim stalls

Town department heads had no verbal reports Tuesday.

Brueckheimer later indicated a bad road patch at Bote’ and Dudley drives in Porter Beach will be repaired at Indiana American Water Co.’s cost following its work there. Also, trees are being trimmed along Oak Hill Road with the town’s chipper unit working all week and still more to do. Residents are reminded to put tree branches and brush next to the road, not in ditches, for pick-up.

The council unanimously OK’d paying Reith-Riley $149,673 on Khalil’s recommendation for the recent paving projects completed around town. Change-orders for additional work previously approved by the council also were paid to the contractor, but $2,115 related to Tremont Road was put on hold for a second meeting.

A portion of Tremont was not paved initially because a buried traffic sensor was discovered. Reith-Riley wants to be paid $1,400 to remobilize to complete the paving in addition to the actual $715 loop-area replacement. Childress said any contractor bidding on the job should have understood the traffic sensor was there. No action was taken on those costs pending more investigation.

Also delayed again was action on a contract with the town’ Volunteer Fire Department. Childress volunteered to work with town attorney Patrick Lyp on reviewing it.

On Lyp’s advice the town will send letters to the respective developers of Wagner Hills and Marquette Pointe subdivisions notifying them that there are no issues with their improvements and the town no longer requires their letters of credit as maintenance bonds. Both bonds had expired.

Porter County Council members Dan Whitten and Jim Burge, who were listed on Porter’s council agenda, were attending County Council budget hearings instead. The County Council is proposing creation of a county-wide League of Councils to explore common problems and issues. Porter did not address the matter.

At the suggestion of resident William Cantrell, the meeting began with a moment of silence for the victims of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks at the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and United Airlines Flight 93 in Pennsylvania.

Posted 9/12/2007