By PAULENE POPARAD

The formal public hearing on Porter's pending sanitary-sewer rate increase isn't until Aug. 26, but the Town Council took comment from two remonstrators at Tuesday's meeting.

Last month the increase was recommended to be a 30-percent jump this fall and a second 30-percent hike next year. It provides for a proposed 14-percent rate hike from the town of Chesterton to process Porter's sewage, but it now appears Chesterton may phase that increase as 7 percent in each of the next two years.

In addition to the increase in sewage-treatment costs, Porter plans a $4 million revenue-bond sale in 2009 to finance a major upgrade of its long-neglected sewer collection system and lift stations. The town is under an agreed order to aggressively address the system's deficiencies over the next five years.

During public comment last night Tom Leasure, who owns rental property in Porter, and resident Earl Graves both rapped the method of calculating sewer bills.

Leasure said basing sewer usage on water consumption is subject to error and cited his recent disputes with Indiana American Water Co. Town Clerk-treasurer Carol Pomeroy said if an error can be proved, the town will issue a credit on the sewer bill even if IAWC doesn't for water.

Graves said in his case, he doesn't have municipal water so his sewage bill is estimated. Pomeroy said at least a minimum charge has to be applied. "That's town ordinance. That's not going to change."

An equivalent single-family dwelling unit charge is assessed for unmetered water users. Graves suggested using individual sewage meters instead. Pomeroy said the town can't go to that expense but Public Works superintendent Brenda Brueckheimer said IAWC has meters that can be installed at the property owner's expense.

Graves inquired when his Sunset Lane neighborhood would get IAWC service, a request he's repeatedly made. Council president Bill Sexton said the company is exploring the engineering needs, costs and required right-of-way associated with the project.

Voting 3-0 with Dave Babcock and Jon Granat absent, the council gave first reading by title only to the sewer-rate ordinance, which could be modified at a later date. If adopted, a rate consultant said a typical Porter residential customer would see their monthly $40.51 sewer bill, based on 5,000 gallons of usage, go to $52.81 possibly next month and next year to $68.52.

The town also is investigating whether to sell its sewer system to the Town of Chesterton or to a private company that operates sewer utilities.

In a related matter, Brueckheimer won permission from Sexton and members Michele Bollinger and Micheal Genger to spend $4,293 to purchase six real-time data monitor/viewers, three each to be installed at the Six Box Lane and Porter Avenue lift stations. The town had scheduled in its sewage compliance plan that the purchase would be made last month. Additional lift stations will be added later.

Brueckheimer also said data and charting is being downloaded from 12 existing meters with better overall flow-tracking anticipated next month. Manholes along Beam Street have been sealed and are awaiting a good rain to see how much water infiltration is eliminated.

Businesses given 60 days

The council voted unanimously to establish a new business-registration permit program. Both Chesterton and Burns Harbor have similar programs.

Existing businesses covered under the new Porter ordinance will have 60 days to register with the Clerk-treasurer's office. Thereafter, annual renewal is required no later than Jan. 31 of each year; there is no fee but fines can be imposed for violating the procedure. New businesses have 30 days to comply after commencing activity.

The registration program is intended to help Porter police and fire departments to better respond to emergency situations by having basic information regarding business activities being conducted on a particular site as well as who to contact.

After some council members voiced privacy concerns July 22 because the registration information would be public record, the ordinance now allows business owners to opt out of providing certain information.

Exempted at Genger's suggestion from coming under the ordinance are home-based businesses, which will have no legal obligation to comply but are invited to do so. The types of businesses covered under the ordinance are defined, and an inspection may be conducted to determine compliance or if requested by the owner.

A second ordinance approved Tuesday stipulates that town department heads meeting as the Technical Advisory Committee will comply with provisions of the state Open Door Law such as giving public notice of meetings and keeping minutes.

The council also voted 3-0 in favor of banning commercial trucks weighing 2 tons or more from Lincoln, Franklin and Beam streets and from Indiana and Michigan avenues. Local delivery is exempted. Lincoln Street formerly was designated a truck route but council members and residents both said big rigs and garbage trucks should avoid the downtown. Weight-limit signs will need to be posted and truck carriers known to use Porter streets notified of the ban.

Lights too bright

Sherrill Newman, who lives directly across from the town hall at 303 Franklin St., asked the council to install baffles on the decorative lights there because they're too bright. "You squint. It's really bad. I'm getting tired of it. I get blinded when I go out of my house," she said, adding that she can't use her porch and there's even too much light cast inside the home.

Pomeroy said she wouldn't be comfortable turning off the town hall lights, and motion detectors were felt not to be feasible. Sexton told Newman someone would investigate what can be done about the lights.

Police chief James Spanier urged residents to lock their vehicles after a rash of thefts from unlocked vehicles. He also asked residents to immediately inform police if something suspicious is happening.

Park superintendent Jim Miller reminded the public that tonight at 7 p.m. at the Hawthorne Park gazebo the 50-member Rusty Pipes concert band will entertain.

By consensus Jeanine Athens was named to the Porter Park Board, effective immediately, to complete the unexpired term of Zathoe Sexton, who recently resigned. Athens, a Republican, was the only person who applied for the seat. Bill Sexton's resignation from the Town Council takes effect later this month; after the meeting he said no one has expressed an interest and no Republican caucus to select his replacement has been scheduled.

It was announced that the public hearing on the proposed 2009 town budget will be Aug. 26. Adoption is slated for Sept. 9. The state has yet to approve Porter's 2008 budget.

Heather Ennis of Rebuilding Together Duneland offered to help find a way to donate to needy Porter families unclaimed bicycles that Public Works Department employees plan to refurbish on their own time. Brueckheimer suggested the project. On her recommendation the council OK'd purchasing rather than renting Public Works uniforms at an anticipated savings of about $1,000 a year bringing down the cost to approximately $3,000 annually.

Posted 8/13/2008