Lakeland Regional Sewer District Board Talks Unpaid Bills
NORTH WEBSTER — The monthly public meeting of the Lakeland Regional Sewer District board of directors was held the evening of Aug. 3, the first Thursday of the month, as usual; however, this may soon change.
Treasurer Mike DeWald informed the board a date later in the month would grant it a clearer picture of the previous month’s financial activity. The suggestion came during the treasurer’s report in which DeWald expressed concerns about “troubling” early trends in billing receipts.
The board received $155,000 from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to pay for contingency costs, providing what DeWald called “breathing room;” however, people not paying their sewer bills presents an “ongoing business problem.”
When asked if this is normal for a new sewer district, Kenneth Jones of Jones Petrie Rafinski explained he is “always shocked” by the number of accounts behind schedule, and the number is “high in all the counties where we work.”
New board member Sue Ann Mitchell, also a member of the Kosciusko County Council, pointed out that besides having customers who are behind on bills and banks not paying on properties in receivership, the Barbee Lakes area is a “totally fluid community” where it is extremely difficult to maintain updated files on property owners. Often, she said, “the right person is not getting on the bill.”
In the interest of having a clearer budget picture at the monthly meetings, DeWald suggested the board meet later in the month. Jones agreed, calling the week before the meeting “the worst week to have this analysis … a lot of people haven’t paid yet.” Members will work to agree on a new meeting date.
According to Jones, nearly 45 percent of the district’s customers are connected to the system, translating to 738 connections. A total of 1,038 customers have received permits, or 63 percent. Since March, said Jones, the number of permits issued per month has “hovered around 200.”
If the trend holds he expects roughly 885 customers — 54 percent — to be connected by Sept. 1 and 76 percent to have permits. Customers have until Sept. 1 to receive permits. The board’s attorney, Andy Boxberger, suggested a notice on the LRSD website reminding customers those receiving permits after Sept. 1 will be subject to penalties.
The newly completed wastewater treatment plant is handling approximately 57,000 gallons per day, and a representative of Astbury Water Technologies reported successful sampling, with zero non-compliance issues found.
The board also dealt with several individual rate issues. A group of property owners with cabins on Kuhn Lake had been mistakenly denied a rate reduction in July, but when it was found the ordinance did not require the removal of disconnected cabins the reduction was applied.
A property previously evaluated to have four equivalent dwelling units on two adjacent parcels owned by the same family was reevaluated by the board, which voted to reduce the EDUs to 2.5.
In the matter of a Shoe Lake property, the owners signed a document agreeing to a rate reduction only to repeat an earlier request for a rate elimination July 13. The board voted to reject this request.
The board also passed a motion to appeal a consumer affairs decision by the Indiana Utility Regulatory Board concerning litigation on a mobile home.
A resident on Irish Lake whose property is on a steep hill 130 feet from the nearest grinder station due to a neighbor not granting an easement for a shared driveway requested help from the board getting connected. The board rejected giving financial relief, but agreed to help the resident find a contractor willing to do the work he has been told could cost between $15,000 and $20,000, though that amount was unsubstantiated.