Pictured, from left, are Claypool Town Council President Benny Stage Jr. and Council Member Don Miller. InkFreeNews photo by Liz Adkins.

By Liz Adkins
InkFreeNews

CLAYPOOL — The Claypool Town Council approved a 37% sewer rate increase during a Tuesday, July 15, council meeting.

Prior to the regular meeting, a public hearing on an ordinance amending the town’s sewer rate was held. Tyler Coffel, a manager with Baker Tilly, said within the last month, some changes had been made to the sewer rate study that are being incorporated into the ordinance.

The town’s total sewer project cost remains the same at $4,612,000, but project funding changed.

“So your proposed (State Revolving Fund) bonds are being advertised at 0%,” said Coffel. “Over 35 years, the principal amount there is $2,060,000. That went down by $377,000 from the last time we talked … due to the SRF principal forgiveness ban going up by $500,000. Essentially, you have $500,000 in increased grant money. The one thing that changed from the cash on hand perspective is that the utility opted to be reimbursed for the preliminary costs paid.”

The rate increase will be utilized in three phases through early 2027, with the phases being implemented as follows: Oct. 1, 2025, 12%; July 1, 2026, 10.97%; and Jan. 1, 2027, 9.93%.

Several residents attended the council meeting to express concerns with the rate increase.

“The first one that we did when we were advised to was (proposed at) a 68% rate increase,” said Council President Benny Stage Jr. “We chose not to do that. We did, I believe, a 37, 38% rate increase, and did away with one employee to be able to do that. This raise is a state-mandated repair that we have to upgrade to the sewer plant. All along, (the rate) should have been going up at least 2% every year.”

Stage said council was doing its due diligence to get the sewer project completed at the lowest price possible.

“All these prices for the project came in way too high,” said Council Member Gene Warner. “We didn’t have a choice. Luckily, we got another half million through grant money to lower the cost for every individual.”

Warner also noted the town used $80,000 from the sale of the water utility to Indiana American Water for the installation of Kosciusko Connect.

Council said the town had also worked for several years to bring in additional housing but was unable to do so because of the state of the sewer utility.

“The whole point is to develop this so the town can move forward and provide more services for more people that we can hopefully get in,” said Council Member Don Miller. “It’s part of a bigger picture. If the town is going to do more than just exist at subsistence level, we have to do some things to move the town forward.”

Following the public hearing and approval of the ordinance amending the sewer rates, council approved a sewer plant building project. The building was initially included within the overall project scope but was removed. Warner and Stage both said the project’s cost was “crazy high” with the building’s inclusion.

“We asked that some of the water funds that we had put into the project already be reimbursed, and the town has looked at building the barn ourselves,” said Stage.

Council received three different bids for building a pole barn at the sewer plant, approving a $140,000 bid from Pacemaker Buildings in North Webster. Plumbing and electricity work for the building will be completed at a later time. The pole barn work is estimated to start in September.

Mowing, Mowing, Mowing

Town Marshal Trevor Long reminded citizens to mow their lawns. In the last few months, Claypool Police Department has worked on enforcing ordinances for mowing, junk vehicles, and abandoned properties.

Council expressed concerns with mowing along the railroad, noting someone hired by Norfolk Southern typically mowed there. Long said a Norfolk Southern representative told him they were in the process of hiring a contractor for mowing.

Concerns about trimming around fire hydrants was also brought up.

Town Superintendent Danny Warner said he contacted Indiana American Water about hydrant care and was told it was homeowners’ responsibility to maintain any hydrants on their property.

Council also:

• Heard from Long about the town’s website being up and running. All of the town’s ordinances will eventually be uploaded to the site.
• Asked anyone in the community interested in joining the town’s strategic plan committee to contact Clerk-Treasurer Pat Warner. Citizens with children are highly encouraged to get involved.
• Announced the dip on Section Street will be paved by the county’s highway department soon.

Council’s next meeting is at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 19, at the Claypool Lions Club building.