Turkey Creek Board Agenda Takes Backseat to Public Opinions
CROMWELL — “Actually, you can’t do that,” announced public member Robert Kocher. The regular monthly meeting of Turkey Creek Regional Sewer District board got heated several times during the Monday evening, Aug. 20, session.
Kocher presented board president Rex Heil with documentation — the board cannot limit public comments and questions without first announcing it at the start of the meeting by Indiana code. Heil and the rest of the board was forced to contend, although several of the questions seemed to be playing on repeat. At one point, Heil unenthusiastically responded with “whatever” after a barrage of questions and accusations.
The majority of the public members in attendance were familiar faces, part of the crowd packing the TCRSD meeting during July after holding their own public information meeting July 2 in regards to the possibility of adding sewer to Northshore and Eastshore Drive. Bob Reiner, the leader of the public’s meeting also spoke up several times during this meeting, providing survey numbers for his own door-to-door survey of neighbors, thanks to assistance from other members of the group. Reiner presented a petition to neighbors with a summary headline stating, “We, the undersigned and concerned residents of the proposed Northshore/Eastshore project, urge our TCRSD board to postpone the sewer project until further evidence is presented that the public’s health and the environment is being negatively affected by the current waste water systems in place.”
According to his notes, Reiner used property addresses from county records with the following results:
• 182 addresses with habitable structures
• 131 residents signed as not in favor (72 percent)
• Six residents indicated being in favor (3 percent)
• Nine residents indicated being unsure (5 percent)
• 37 residents unable to be reached (20 percent)
Reiner’s petition asks the TCRSD board honor their own words and avoid doing the project if public opinion does not warrant it. Reiner and several others who spoke during Monday’s meeting referenced a survey sent by Jones & Henry Engineers Ltd. Associate Jeffry Hersha on behalf of the board. The postcard-size survey was sent out to residents to tax bill addresses in January with the following results:
• 196 surveys sent with 143 returning (73 percent response rate)
• 21 in favor, 40 against on Northshore
• 16 in favor, 36 against on Eastshore
• Five in favor, 18 against with address not specified
• Seven returned as undeliverable
The board, engineers, and public members went back and forth (again) on the interpretation of the January survey. Previously, many complained by not listing dollar figures on the informational postcard, the district was not providing enough info for honest answers. The public consent also indicated a majority “yes” would be the deciding factor on moving forward with the new sewers, which the board and attorney Andrew Grossnickle said was not the case. The $15,000 estimate that keeps floating around for property owners who are forced to connect is a staggering number many cannot or do not want to swallow.
Overall, the public demanded answers to “why” and “why now,” noting if this project becomes necessary (based on documented water contamination) then it will be down the road. These are questions the board could not answer. Although the board reiterated multiple times the proposed project is in the feasibility stage, most of the public grumblings indicated they feel they will have no say in whether the board moves ahead or not. If the board says “go,” the residents affected will be forced to connect — and it will be on their own dime. Indiana state statue permits this forced connection with only limited years to possibly avoid it and only with documentation of a new, working septic system.
While the board continues to progress with the feasibility study (the public members are requesting a detailed copy of all findings be published and available to the public), the trustees have also authorized forward movement on a project with little to no dispute. The continued process of reversing TCRSD flow from Syracuse back to the Cromwell plant made it over another hurdle by accepting bids for the two contracted construction projects. Niblock and Cornerstone Stewart Inc. were the two winning bids and came from contractors that previously did great work for the district. More details on these projects can be found on the district’s website at TCRSD.com.
The next public meeting will be held at 7 p.m. Monday, Sept. 17, 4852 N. 1200W, Cromwell.