Turkey Creek Regional Sewer District board members had the chance to talk rate ordinances, amendments and continued projects during their regular monthly meeting at 7 p.m. Monday, June 15.
The meeting was held at TCRSD offices in Cromwell, with no public members present.
Board president Rex Heil opened the meeting with role call of members and the approval of invoices.
Brian Houghton, Jones and Henry Engineering, took the floor to discuss plans for the South Shore-Waco Drive Area Project, which will complete the sewer coverage around Lake Wawasee. Houghton noted that two plans were submitted through the Indiana Department of Environmental Management on May 25, with a third being submitted this week. If everything goes according the schedule, in mid-July advertising for bids for the project will begin and contracts will be signed during October.
Dick Green, attorney for the district, said he had sent out exemption applications and informational letters in regards to the upcoming sewer project. The Indiana Department of Health agreed to adopt this exemption form, and the board had only received one application at the time of the meeting.
Green also discussed rate ordinances, noting the amending period is the time to make important changes. “It’s time we brought our rates into the 21st century,” he said.
The increasing size and number of the mobile homes within Enchanted Hills is a growing concern. Previously, each mobile home was charged at a rate of .75 equivalent dwelling unit. The board is now discussing a more common rate of 1 EDU, after speaking with other local sewer districts.
The board noted that properties are charged that rate whether the dwelling is vacant or not. Several of the mobile homes are rentals, and will continue to be charged the new rate even if there are no tenants.
The board also discussed locations along the worksite that could be used for storage of materials and equipment once the construction phase of the project begins. It will be reaching out to several property owners.
TCRSD employees installed new drainage tiles along Noble Ditch in 2012, in accordance with Kosciusko and Noble County health departments and IDEM, and the board heard an update on how the drainage system was handling the large recent rainfall. Tim Woodward, TCRSD manager, said the increase from 14-inch to 20-inch tile has seemed to fix the issue, with minimal amounts of standing water following heavy rains.
The board will hold its next regularly scheduled meeting on Monday, July 20.