By PAULENE POPARAD

Saying they want cooperation rather than confrontation, Porter Town Council members voted 3-1 Tuesday to re-open talks with Chesterton over acquiring additional sewage-treatment capacity for Porter at Chesterton’s plant as soon as possible.

As Porter council member Sandi Snyder observed, “I feel this has gone far enough. We have nowhere else to go. We can’t build a (treatment) plant or go to Burns Harbor.”

Porter council President Paul Childress cast a firm no vote saying if Porter agrees to pay the $4.98 per-gallon price previously on the table, it will bankrupt Porter. He also said if Chesterton officials were so willing to negotiate they would have provided the information Porter has been requesting and responded to Porter’s latest letter from its attorney.

Porter financial consultant Karl Cender and town attorney Patrick Lyp were charged by council members Snyder, Bill Sexton and Lorri Wickberg to meet with Chesterton officials and hammer out the main sticking point --- price --- so a contract can be finalized between the towns.

The trio said they want a report on the renewed talks and possibly even a contract final draft for consideration at Porter’s Sept. 12 meeting.

Wickberg cast the deciding vote. It was her first meeting after being chosen by a Republican caucus Monday to complete the unexpired term of Sandy Boothe, who resigned. Councilwoman Jennifer Granat is recovering from surgery following a serious ankle injury and was absent last night.

It was Snyder who initially urged the council to reach agreement now. “Our town does not have (sewage) capacity.” She cited how at least two housing projects totaling about 46 units in Porter are stalled because they can’t connect to the sewers. “Who knows how many opportunities are lost.”

Snyder also said if Indiana American Water Co. notified Porter IAWC was going to raise its rates, Porter wouldn’t balk like it has with Chesterton. “We are Chesterton’s customers. They’re honest people. I believe they were sincere. They were open to us. I believe (Chesterton) will negotiate.”

Sexton, too, expressed optimism. “We were working very well and at some point things shut down and to be blunt it was when Sandi and I were taken off the negotiating team,” he told Childress. “You didn’t give us the opportunity to negotiate.”

Replied Childress, “That is an outright distortion.” He charged Sexton’s agenda was to capitulate. “I am the only one looking out for the best interest of the town,” said Childress.

Wickberg said it’s important to attempt more negotiation to see whether Chesterton’s final price is something Porter can agree to. “We need to move something forward.”

Porter currently has reached its 513,000 gallons-per-day reserve or 11 percent of capacity at Chesterton’s expanded treatment plant, which is located in Porter. Porter initially inquired about buying an additional 175,000 gpd but recently decided to more than double that figure. In a Chesterton Tribune interview July 26, Chesterton town attorney Charles Lukmann said the $4.98 price was based on 175,000 gpd, not the 380,000 gpd Porter now seeks but up until that time had not formally requested of Chesterton.

Cender had been asked to give Porter officials a report last night but he said he was at a disadvantage because Chesterton’s rate consultant wouldn’t provide additional information.

Porter resident Bill Cantrell asked how the $4.98 cost, which carries a $1.89 million pricetag, would impact sewer customers there. Sexton said the new sewage-treatment rate apart from the capacity purchase is expected to drop so the latter would be offset to a degree, however, it would be the sewer end-users who bear the brunt.

Porter’s Jennifer Klug warned that a lot of its residents are on fixed incomes. After the meeting Clerk-treasurer Carol Pomeroy said town sewer customers typically pay about $55 per month billed through Porter’s sewer utility.

Childress said that buying capacity will be expensive under the current scenario. Said Sexton, “No matter what we’ll do will cost money.”

Childress asked Lyp if other issues in the proposed contract between the towns are resolved. Lyp said essentially, yes. “The $64,000 question, the one variable, the one unknown is what we’ll pay for capacity.”

Also Tuesday, the Porter council made no headway in devising a plan to collect a monthly stormwater-management fee authorized early this year but never implemented. Billed will be owners of land parcels in town to finance activities mandated under the federal MS4 stormwater-protection program.

Posted 8/23/2006