Sewer district opponents kick it up a notch
Voice concerns in Indianapolis
By Debbie Lowe

A contingent of Carroll and White county residents aired concerns about sewer districts last Thursday before the Environmental Quality Service Council in Indianapolis. Between 75 and 100 people attended the hearing, held at the Government Center South, to offer support for changes to the Indiana Code 36 as it delegates authority to regional sewer districts.

Speaking on behalf of the Indiana Regional Sewer District Association, president Connie Stevens said there are 90 regional sewer districts in the state.

"There are far more success stories than there are problems," she said in defense of the districts.

She asked the committee to "be careful as they consider any changes (they recommend) to the Indiana Code."

Sandra Plum from the Indiana Department of Environmental Management, in response to a question by committee chair Rep. Steve Heim, about how sewer district board members are chosen, said members are appointed in 68 districts, elected in five districts and are members due to a combination of the two methods in four other districts. There was no accounting for the remaining 13 districts.

Introducing three locals scheduled to speak, Rep. Don Lehe said, "I've learned a lot in the last few months. People feel they have nowhere to turn to get help with concerns or satisfactory answers to their questions."

Jefferson Township resident Pat Robertson was the first to speak on behalf of sewer district opponents. She told committee members there was no documentation of need for the Twin Lakes Regional Sewer District in Carroll County.

"Once a county gives up territorial rights to another county, they have no recourse," she said to explain what has happened to Carroll County since the fall of 2000 when Jefferson Township was accepted into TLRSD.

Robertson posed four recommendations for the committee to consider:

+ Regional sewer districts must be held accountable for their actions;

+ Regional sewer district board members must be elected;

+ Regional sewer districts must not be allowed to cross county lines under any circumstances; and

+ IC36-26 must be amended to be clear and concise.

"IC36 needs to be amended so that a w a t c h d o g body will have the power to control sewer districts," she emphasized.

"I believe in each one of you that you will hear what's happening in this s t a t e , " Robertson concluded.

Thomas Spackman of Indiana Beach recommended the committee address territorial rights, board member selection and developing a citizen advocate group to work in coordination with sewer district trustees to mediate disputes.

He said the advocate group should have the authority to override board decisions.

"We need some method of holding board members accountable to citizens," he said.

He further recommended service territories be restricted to areas of need, sewer districts must be forced to work cooperatively with communities, must adhere to a legislative charter and there must be regulatory authority for sewer rates.

"Freedom is not a quaint concept," said Jefferson Township resident Terry Dill representing Citizens Opposed to Phase Three.

Dill compared the cost of building the TLRSD to the total cost of building a school corporation. He made a plea to committee members to protect waterways from carrying discharge from the sewer district's wastewater treatment plants.

Chairperson Heim questioned the TLRSD rate structure. Umbaugh and Associates representative John Julien, the firm which developed the structure currently being advertised for adoption, was asked to explain why rates were different in the different service areas.

"We are in a significantly different economic environment than we were in years ago," he said to explain the lack of a uniform structure.

He said due to the timing of construction in each service area, there were different granting opportunities available.

Before ending the hearing, the committee invited any audience members not registered to speak to express their v i e w s . Approximately four citizens took advantage of the opportunity.

J o e Smiley from Koontz Lake in Marshall and Starke counties talked about his opposition to a proposed sewer

district in his area. have to prove need

"They don't have to prove need they only prove want. IDEM has to be brought under control," he lamented.

"The speakers convinced the committee there needs to be some oversight," Rep. Rich McClain said after the hearing.

"I don't think the sewer district board members are bad people. But there does need to be oversight. One size doesn't fit all," he added.

"People deserve to be heard," Lehe said. "And that's what all this is about right now."

According to Lehe, the committee will submit a report to the legislative council for review. That council will decide if proposed legislation is appropriate. The council will then approve the process to write corrective legislation.