By KEVIN NEVERS

In an effort to address MS4 violations on construction sites earlier, the Chesterton Town Council has passed an ordinance which establishes a schedule of fines for specific infractions.

Members voted 5-0 to approve that ordinance on first reading at its meeting Monday night, 5-0 to suspend the rules, then 5-0 to approve the ordinance on final reading.

The four-page document begins by defining a number of violations—dry-weather ones, wet-weather ones, those involving the discharge of hazardous or non-hazardous materials, those involving the illicit connection of hazardous materials—then creating a schedule of penalties.

Thus, for instance, a dry-weather violation is subject to a fine of $100 for a first offense and $250 for subsequent ones; while a wet-weather violation is subject to a flat fine of $250 per offense.

The point of the ordinance, explained Stormwater Utility Superintendent Steve Yagelski is “to try to streamline the process and make it consistent.”

So far only one developer has been fined in the Town of Chesterton: the Stormwater Management Board tagged Chesterton Development Partners LLC for a $9,400 penalty in March, following a number of violations of the town’s stormwater quality control ordinance at the Village Green Townhomes work site in Coffee Creek Center.

Last year Chester Inc. was accused of violating that ordinance while working on a construction project at St. Patrick Catholic Church. Chester paid $5,000 to settle the town’s claim and a fine was never formally assessed.

The Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System or MS4 program is a mandate of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and is administered by the Indiana Department of Environmental Management. It requires municipalities to monitor and regulate every aspect of stormwater run-off. A large portion of that program concerns erosion and sediment on construction sites larger than one acre.

Dump Truck

In other business, members voted 5-0 to reject the lowest bid of Monroe Truck Company of Joliet, Ill., for a new dump truck for the Street Department—on the ground that it was unresponsive to 29 separate specifications—and to award the contract to Truck City of Gary.

Monroe Truck Company bid $123,346; Truck City bid $128,466.63. Street Commissioner John Schnadenberg, in recommending Truck City’s bid, noted that the 29 items not checked by Monroe Truck would probably have added another $5,000 to its bid. The added advantage, he noted, is that Truck City is located 20 minutes from Chesterton, in the event of the truck’s needing service.

Schnadenberg will make the annual lease-payment on the truck with Local Road & Streets moneys. “So it’s in your budget?” asked Member Sharon Darnell, D-4th. It is, Schnadenberg replied.

The new dump truck will replace the oldest of the six in the Street Department’s fleet: a 1991 model. Whenever possible, Schnadenberg has said, he like to replace dump trucks every 12 years.

Laborer Needed

While he was at it, Schnadenberg announced that the Street Department is now taking applications for the full-time position of laborer/driver, to replace a long-serving employee who retired in February.

Applications are available at the Street Department at 609 Grant Ave. or at the town hall at 726 Broadway.

Sidewalk Waiver Grant

Members also voted 5-0 to grant the petition of Brian Oliver Jr. for a wavier from the Town Standard requiring a sidewalk in front of all new construction. Oliver and his wife, who own property on the east side of Dickinson Road in the 700 block, requested the waiver not only because there are currently no sidewalks along Dickinson but because their property is four to five feet above the roadway.

Town Engineer Mark O’Dell advised members that, should a sidewalk ever be built along that stretch of Dickinson, it will have to be on the west side of the street due to the difference in grade.

Manual Checks

Members voted 5-0 as well to approve on first reading an ordinance which allows Clerk-Treasurer Gayle Polakowski to pay for fuel bills with manual checks, 5-0 to suspend the rules, then 5-0 to approve that ordinance on final reading.

Polakowski requested the ordinance to save money on service charges.

A CEDIT Earmark

Finally, members voted 5-0 to approve an unspecified expenditure requested by Park Superintendent Bruce Mathias for the purchase of a computer monitor.

Earlier this year the council earmarked a total of $75,000 in CEDIT moneys for computer equipment, telephone upgrades, and the town’s billing system.

From the CPD

Police Chief George Nelson informed members that the Chesterton Police Department has responded to 967 calls so far in April—as of 10 a.m. Monday—responded to 1,105 calls in March, and in the year-to-date has responded to 3,995 calls.

Take-Home Vehicles

Member Sharon Darnell, D-4th, took a moment at the end of the meeting to urge all town employees with take-home vehicle to be as economical in their use as possible.

Posted 4/29/2008