Joellen Free, left, received a gift for her seven years as Milford clerk/treasurer from council president Doug Ruch. She was elected to the town council and will begin her term in 2019. Her replacement as clerk/treasurer will be Patricia Gall. (Photo by David Hazledine)

MILFORD — In spite of Milford’s utilities being “$65,000 in the hole,” according to Town Clerk/Treasurer Joellen Free, town council members chose to table a vote on raising wastewater rates at its public meeting Monday evening, Dec. 10.

Instead, the council will review its economic situation on a quarterly basis through 2019. In March, suggested Doug Ruch, council president, if previous rate hikes do not begin to show a positive effect, the council may vote to raise rates, as recommended in the rate study submitted by Umbaugh and Associates last fall.

The council also passed a motion to transfer $66,000 from its depreciation fund to wastewater collections, enabling it to, in outgoing council member Dan Cochran’s words, “start from zero,” and more accurately track finances.

The decision came after a discussion in which Cochran, referring to the five-year period before one of two bonds is paid back, increasing town coffers by 9.5 percent, said “I still wonder if we can’t look at it through cost control for that time, and let the increases we’ve put in place start to work.” The town has raised both water and wastewater rates within the past five years, after a decade without a change.

At the end of 2018, Dan Cochran, right, will leave the Milford Town Council after seven years of service. He was presented with a plaque by Doug Ruch, council president. (Photo by David Hazledine)

However, as Free pointed out, there was no financial improvement in 2018, and Mark Brubaker, water operator, added, “equipment is failing now.” According to Free, the town has not paid for large programs out of the wastewater budget “in a long time.”

As a compromise, the council agreed with Ruch “if by the March meeting we don’t see positive impact … we will take corrective measures.”

In other utilities news, Ryan Brauen of Wessler Engineering, the company overseeing wastewater plant renovations, informed the council the work would be finished before 2019. However, an additional $14,000 was added to the overall cost because of unexpected expenses incurred obtaining a permit from the Indiana Department of Homeland Security. The amendment brings the overall cost to $129,500.

The permit was the result of a decision at the county level not to exempt a prefabricated structure, which, according to Brauen, would normally be exempt. IDHS, he added, is “a sticking point on most jobs we do.”

Along with the $14,000, the council approved partial payments of $21,075.15 and $18,100 for work completed in November.

The following items also came before the council:

The council approved $54,970 to Phend and Brown for the paving of alleys in Milford.

The council voted to reimburse Bud and Sue Campbell $170, which included penalties and half of an unpaid bill left by the tenant of the Campbell’s rental property. “It should have been shut off once they called uptown,” said Cochran. However, Free commented such a policy would overburden town employees, with 50 to 60 people being shut off per month. The council plans to revisit the issue.

A motion passed allowing $3,290 be paid to repair electrical issues in the community building. D and D Electric had the lowest bid. Another $390.63 was approved to repair a urinal in the community building bathroom.

The council voted to approve $3,223 for a new chlorine scale at the well, as well as $3,500.11 for a new sampler at the wastewater plant.

Town employees agreed to continue with their health insurance plan through 2019 at a 3.99 percent increase.

A motion also passed giving Milford employees a 2.5 percent increase in pay for 2019.

Milford Fire Chief Todd Haines informed the board Virgil Sharp will replace Troy Haines as second assistant fire chief.

Town Marshal Travis Marsh informed the board his department has received six 800 band radios at a cost of $4,100. One such radio costs $4,700 new.