By PAULENE POPARAD

Faced with a potential seven-figure bill and not enough money to pay it, the Porter Town Council on Tuesday adopted a new sanitary-sewer development charge of $1,500 per residential unit served by a 5/8-inch meter.

The money will help fund Porter’s recent $1,786,000 purchase of up to 380,000 gallons per-day of additional sewer capacity at Chesterton’s treatment plant. Some of the capacity may be waived in future years.

Porter council member Bill Sexton said it’s critical the new fee be implemented as soon as possible to afford the capacity the town needs. The first $799,000 payment has been made to Chesterton but funds need to be generated to make Porter’s future payments.

Vote was 4-0 on all approval motions under suspension of the rules with Porter council President Paul Childress absent.

The new fee increases by meter size. The cost for a 1-1/2-inch meter is $8,700 and for an 8-inch meter $243,150.

The development charge is in addition to existing tap-on fees. For a typical single-family residential unit the total cost for sewer connection now will be $3,000.

Town attorney Patrick Lyp emphasized that the new fee will be assessed on additional users of Porter’s sewer system; there will be no development charge for current users.

Only one person commented during a public hearing. Paul Christofersen, who resigned from the Chesterton Town Council in August because he moved to Porter, told that council, “I think this is absolutely necessary for the Town of Porter to move ahead with.” However, he said everyone should pay the new cost from now on with no exceptions.

Sexton said only someone who already has submitted a sewer-connection permit to the town is exempt. An example is the 18-unit Mineral Springs Villas now under construction on Beam Street. Lyp said permit submission is an equitable way to establish a cut-off.

“They are new development and they should incur the (new development charge),” said Christofersen, who noted there was no sewer capacity to give Mineral Springs Villas prior to the agreement with Chesterton approved by Porter Sept. 12.

Leaf schedule set

Public Works director Karl Bauer released the leaf pick-up schedule that will keep two crews busy in the coming weeks.

The North Route will begin at the Dunes Forest area and move on to Baillytown, Wagner Hills, Summertree, Main Street (1st, 2nd and 3rd streets), Stephens Court, Hunter’s Glen, Mineral Springs north of U.S. 20, Oak Hill Road and Cardinal Court, The Reservation and Woodlawn Avenue, Waverly Road and the downtown area.

The South Route will conduct pick-up in the order of Porter Cove, Marquette Point, 23rd Street (Park Eugene, Portage and Deerfield streets) Johnson and Krieger streets, Mineral Springs (Sunset, Monroe and Vine streets), Old Porter Road and Washington Street, Babcock Road, Steel City area, West Beam Street, Planet Court and Howe Road, North River Drive, Mineral Springs south of U.S. 20, and the downtown area.

Bauer said brush also will be picked up as it fits into the leaf schedule. Brush requests should be made with the Street Department. The director also was authorized to solicit bids for a new payloader with a sweeper attachment for moving sand at Porter Beach and a grappling hook to pick up larger logs.

Bauer reported Indiana American Water Co. indicated it’s too busy to install water lines in the area of Sunset Avenue, Sunset Lane and Washington Street south of U.S. 20 so the town will have to prepare specifications, put it out for bid and find the money if it wants to proceed.

The Sunset area, Dunes Forest subdivision and Porter Beach are priorities for waterline extensions although funding hasn’t been nailed down. A detailed survey of the beach is ongoing prior to any project specifications being drawn up there.

Sunset resident Earl Graves has attended recent council meetings emphasizing his neighborhood’s desire for municipal water. Tuesday, neighbor Cynthia Kenning asked the council to investigate dead grass next to the nearby Steel City truck stop that has been replaced with new sod several times, a sign she fears that something is leaking.

“We all have wells there,” said Kenning. Added Graves, “That’s why we need city water in a hurry.”

Porter Fire Chief Lewis Craig said fuel previously was soaking into the ground from a pipe but that was thought to have been corrected and when the last complaint was made he found no problem. Craig said he will contact the Porter County Environmental Department about the new complaint.

Two proposals were opened for drainage improvements at the Waverly Road and Oak Hill Road intersection; after initial confusion the council by consensus rejected both of them and instructed town engineer Hesham Khalil to advertise for formal bids rather than the sealed quotes solicited, both of which exceeded $75,000.

Submitting the quotes were Rieth Riley and Woodruff & Sons.

Trick-or-treat safety

Porter Police Sgt. Todd Allen said extra patrols will be out in force Oct. 31 for trick-or-treat, which takes place from 5 to 7 p.m. in Porter. He reminded the public to be extra-cautious while children are out during that time.

Craig said the Fire Department also will have about four vehicles in the neighborhoods on patrol.

On another matter, Park Superintendent Jim Miller said the Park Board hosted a special meeting to solicit input on Dune Meadows park development and the board voted to install some equipment. Council member Lorri Wickberg inquired about the green pond on U.S. 20 adjacent to the subdivision near the park.

Miller said it hasn’t been decided what type of separation can be installed; the park has approval to remove dead trees, dredge, clean and deepen the pond but it will take considerable expense to do so. Weed control also will be needed. “There’s quite a few issues and problems.”

Kenning asked if the Park Department plans to improve the Lake Charles pond at that park. Miller said it’s not being ignored but needs to be funded and scheduled. Brush has been cleared and a new gate and fence are being installed to replace barriers that keep ATV and 4-wheeler riders out of the area.

Kenning said the barriers have not stopped such vehicles. Miller said he’d check it out, and Allen said neighbors should direct complaints to the Police Department. Miller asked for police to discourage ATV/4-wheel use that is leaving tracks in Porter Cove Park.

Also Tuesday:

• Bauer said he would investigate the cost to hire a part-time secretary to free himself up from time-consuming administrative duties like answering the phones and processing claims. The Public Works director also is in charge of the Porter sewer utility and MS4 stormwater compliance.

• Clerk-treasurer Carol Pomeroy has hired a part-time clerk who was supposed to answer the Public Works phones but the system won’t forward those calls. Sexton recommended getting the problematic system to work or replacing it.

• No discussion took place on creating the position of economic development coordinator, but the 2006 salary ordinance was amended 4-0 to pay the newly full-time position of building commissioner $32,000 annually in addition to a percentage of fees collected by the office.

• A closed Town Council executive session was set for Oct. 31 at 5 p.m. to consider the job performance evaluation of individual employees. Department heads were interviewed recently and under the new merit-pay system the council will decide how much, if any, raises will be given them in 2007. Department heads recommend pay hikes, or not, for their employees to the council.

• The council adopted a letter commending Nathan Pavlovic of Troop 928 in Porter for completing the requirements for Eagle Scout. His service project was constructing a boardwalk for property managed by the Shirley Heinz Land Trust.

• It was agreed a small sample of a brick made at the long-ago Porter Brickyard will be the town’s contribution to a Porter County tourism time capsule. Information about the brickyard will be included.

Posted 10/25/2006