Garrison voted second-incommand of sewer board
By Debbie Lowe

He is not exactly the newest member of the Twin Lakes Regional Sewer District Board of Directors. However after being appointed to the governing board for eight months, and only recently approved as an official member by the Indiana Department of Environmental Management, Carroll County's representative to the sewer district, Wayne Garrison, was voted as vice-president at a recent meeting.

The board is missing one member due to the expiration of past member Reggie Shireman's term. The new member appointment is the responsibility of the White County Commissioners.

Other officers elected were the same as those in 2006: Jim Smith, board president, Art Anderson, treasurer, and Pat Novotny, secretary.

Smith made committee appointments, which included Anderson as the chair of the finance and insurance committee, Garrison as chair of the projects committee and Thomas Pasquale, chair of personnel and policy committee.

BioTown

Garrison announced the sewer district was invited to the next meeting about participating in the BioTown project in Reynolds.

He reported there was discussion at the last project meeting with BioTown officials about the sewer district sharing the cost of a feasibility study.

"Didn't we already figure out it wasn't feasible?" Anderson asked, although the matter was not formally decided at a board meeting.

Garrison said the project engineer requested a formal public meeting with the board.

"Let's let him come and get it over with," Smith said. Board consensus was to invite the engineer to the Feb. 22 evening meeting.

Phase III and IIIB

Joe Tierney of GRW Engineering, the firm hired for Phase III and IIIB, reported the plans for Phase III were forwarded to the Office of Rural Development for approval.

Tierney said RD area representative Tom Bernhardt instructed GRW to delay sending the plans for Phase IIIB until a funding commitment was received.

Anderson and Smith instructed Tierney to ignore that direction and send the plans to RD soon.

"This should have been done two years ago," Anderson said.

Other business

The board approved a claim for $12,611.07 for Phase III Indiana Department of Environmental Management permit appeals.

Garrison presented a proposed policy designed to more fully define criteria for customers to opt out of connecting to the system when the sewer line falls within 300 foot of their property line.

The decision to adopt the policy was tabled to provide board members the opportunity to review the document.

Resolution 2007-1, allowing the sewer district to join with other White County Government entities to enter into a membership agreement with the Indiana Public Employers Plan, was approved. The measure will allow the district to enter a pool for workman compensation insurance. The 2007 premium is $8,086.

Sewer district attorney Don Tribbett's letter of retention was unanimously approved.

Tribbett reported a hearing about a pending lawsuit involving the sewer district was scheduled for Jan. 30 and 31. The board scheduled an executive session to discuss litigation for Feb. 1 at 5 p.m. at the Big Monon Bay Plant.

The next board meeting will be Feb. 8 at 7 p.m. in the White County Government Building.