The Porter County
Stormwater Advisory Board plans to offer assistance to Lake Michigan coastal
communities for Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems (MS4) permits.
County Engineer
Mike Novotney said at the board’s meeting Monday night that the MS4 permit
program is derived from the Clean Water Act and regulates the water quality
of runoff that can find its way into public U.S. waters. MS4 entities have
to develop stormwater quality management plans that address six
components--public education and outreach, public involvement, illicit
discharge, construction and post-construction run-off standards, pollution
prevention and good housekeeping.
The topic came up
Monday when Novotney reported that the county’s MS4 permit expires this
year, and likely won’t be renewed until the beginning of 2019. Board member
and County Board of Commissioners President Jeff Good, R-Center, asked
Novotney how the communities on Porter County’s Lake Michigan shore will be
affected by the new permit. Novotney responded that all communities with
run-off draining to Lake Michigan and its tributaries will be included under
the new permit, including small communities that were conditionally exempt
from the program in the past such as Beverly Shores, Town of Pines, Dune
Acres, and Ogden Dunes.
Good noted that the
process of forming stormwater quality management plans and completing MS4
forms could be cost prohibitive for small municipalities, so the county
hopes to step in. “For some of the communities up there that may not be
large enough, we’re going to approach them to see if we can do their MS4
forms,” he said. Novotney and County Surveyor Kevin Breitzke agreed that the
county can offer valuable help.
Other Business
In other business,
the board heard from DLZ engineer Frank Stewart and Hebron Town Attorney Ted
Fitzgerald who sought approval for a project to remove three culverts from
Cobb Creek and mitigate flooding near the intersection of Ind. 8 and Sigler
Street in Hebron. The east bank of Cobb Creek in the project area isn’t
level with the west bank, and Stewart said that DLZ recommends removing the
culverts and building a berm to offset flooding. Novotney said his office
concurs after reviewing the construction plans and considering erosion and
downstream effects. The board approved the project. The county will maintain
the berm because Cobb Creek is a public waterway.
Novotney also gave
a brief sample of the 2017 annual report, which is currently in the works.
He reported the county completed 66 stormwater projects and about a dozen
collaborative efforts. The value of that work was roughly $900,000. The
report will be public on the county website once it is done.
Novotney said there
are 12 projects underway or starting soon, and plans for 2018 include large
scale ditch maintenance and subdivision projects. “We’re looking forward to
another strong year here in 2018.”
The Porter County
Department of Development and Storm Water Management Board awarded bids and
heard project updates at its meeting last week.
The board opened
sealed bids for mowing and tree removal at Dog Lake Ditch from C.R. 800S to
C.R. 900S, and for mowing and tree removal at Morrow Ditch at U.S. Highway
231 and C.R. 100S. County Engineer Mike Novotney reviewed the bids and
recommended the low bidders, which the board duly approved: M & K
Excavating, $26,700, for Dog Lake Ditch; and K & L Excavating, $89,400, for
Morrow Ditch.
Project Updates
In other business,
Novotney reported that contracts are in the works for the five consultants
approved for the project in South Haven. Once finished, the contracts will
go to County Attorney Scott McClure for review. If all is in order, work can
start after the Jan. 30 meeting.
Board member and
Commissioner President Jeff Good, R-Center, revisited the issue of the old
sheriff’s substation on C.R. 700N and reported that the Redevelopment
Commission has received clearance to develop the property into a Highway
Department substation.
Board member and
Commissioner Jim Biggs, R-North, reported that the long vacant parcel would
be put to good use as a base for snow management and stormwater operations.
He added, “Why it fell on hard times and ended up sitting there vacant, I
don’t know.”
Good assured that a
lot of thought has gone into the new plan for the property, and he believes
that focus should lie on that. “I like to talk about the future, and I know
everybody is wondering how it happened and how it got to that point but
we’re moving on.”
Biggs agreed that
the board should look to the future. Allowing the property to fall into
disrepair was inexcusable, he added, but South Haven can look forward to an
exciting period of development in the next year or two.