Robertson Carroll County residents gathered at the Y e o m a n U n i t e d M e t h o d i s t Church April 25, to once again declare themselves as opponents of the Twin Lakes R e g i o n a l S e w e r District's presence in Carroll County. Organizer Pat Robertson told the more than 75 county residents in attendance that commissioners in 2000 acted without giving adequate notification to Jefferson Township residents.

"No one was really warned this was coming at us," Robertson said. "This was a wrong done by the former commissioners in Carroll County."

Robertson made the further claim that the 2000 township trustee re-drew the boundary lines without going to the township advisory board for approval and submitted the map to the commissioners, who then attached it to the letter of request for inclusion in the sewer district.

"Anytime you deny someone their fundamental rights, there is going to be opposition," Robertson stated.

Robertson gathered signatures for a petition to present to Carroll County Commissioners at their May 1 meeting asking for exclusion of all of Carroll County from the sewer district.

"It's time that everyone affected do your part to let everyone know how you feel," she said. "It's time for us to keep our voices going to let Indiana Department of Environmental Management know we are unhappy."

At the April 22 commissioners' meeting, president Bill Brown promised to write a letter to IDEM in favor of the county's total exclusion from the district. Robertson expects the newest petition to be attached to the letter going to IDEM.

"It takes everyone to show their support for the letter from their commissioners," Jefferson Township resident Larry Blazer said.

When Blazer informed the crowd commissioner Loren Hylton seemed less inclined at the commissioners' meeting to sign Brown's letter, one audience member expressed disappointment with Hylton's stance.

"That's what makes me mad he's supposed to be representing this township," she shouted.

"There are people who want the sewer district along the lake," Robertson said. "I'm not opposing any entity of having a sewer around the lake and I'm not saying they don't need a sewer around the lake. There's just a better way for us."

Jefferson Township resident June Barnett said she wants Carroll County leaders to work on a plan to help several little towns and settlements in the county who will need a sewer in the future.

"I am against our county council giving any money to the sewer district," she said. "We should keep our money in our county." Shady Hollow resident Phil Mailloux believes a similar tactic would be prudent.

"Carroll County should develop their own system. White Oaks has one. The Landings has one. But only if an area needs it should they get it," he said.

Jefferson Township resident Bill Bell agrees with Mailloux. Bell said he built the White Oaks disposal plant and that facility will accommodate 3,000 homes. He said the county could assist communities to organize similar operations and help plan for them financially.

Robertson provided a list of county, state and federal officials' telephone numbers for residents to contact to express discontent with the sewer district.