New Cloverdale sewer requirements further considered

CLOVERDALE — Picking back up on new requirements for sewage access in Cloverdale, differing views remain with regard to revised connection fees as well as the viability of existing laterals.

Town Manager Jason Hartman and the Cloverdale Town Council were again pitted against local developer Don Gedert on implementing these requirements, which have been holding since February, at the council's regular meeting last week.

Being set out in Ordinance 2022-6 as it was presented, the crux of the issue is eventually-built-on properties having PVC laterals rather than clay ones. As such, revamped connections fees would apply: $1,750 for a connection in-town and access fees of $500 for in-town and $1,500 for out-of-town.

A related issue brought up at the council’s meeting in April touched on properties having a singular lateral per property. Hartman noted presently that the town’s sewer ordinance does not permit Y laterals, though existing ones are grandfathered in.

“Really, the big discussion on this is whether we would allow you to reactivate a sewer lateral that is made out of clay,” Hartman said, noting that a developer who had been interested in building in town wanted “nothing to do” with clay.

Acknowledging from Council President Larry Fidler that the point could be clarified, Hartman said new construction or vacant lots — rather than just moving in — would require replacing clay with PVC.

Speaking from his purview, Gedert provided that the Stardust Hills community has hundreds of clay crossovers which remain functional and have been accepted by the town. As such, he said, failures do not occur often in the town in general.

Gedert otherwise advocated that there are many lots in Stardust Hills which are unsold and have clay laterals. The new requirements, he suggested, would discourage future development and residency not just there, but in town generally.

“I do not see the necessity of burdening prospective buyers of homes with this additional expense,” Gedert said. “If you really want to stop progress, this is one way of doing it, because it ain’t going to be cheap.”

Doing a cursory search online, Hartman related that the lifespan of clay tile ranges 50-60 years. The condition of the clay tile in Stardust Hills would be in or coming up to that window. Fidler added that unused ones which are not capped could account for much of the town’s infiltration issues.

“We’re not saying that if you have clay tile in your home right now, you gotta go replace it,” Councilman Brice Howell put in. “It’s you build a new home, it’s gotta be PVC, or it’s a vacant lot with nothing sitting on it now, but has a sewer to it that is clay.”

Hartman related that the developer of the new Doe Creek Meadows subdivision has been looking to pay sewer access fees. It was initially intended for the fees to be in effect with the town taking responsibility from the main to the right of way.

As to clarifying them, it was suggested that the fees and the PVC stipulation could be their own ordinances brought to the council’s meeting next month.

In other business:

• After an extended discussion, the council came to a consensus for $1,500 earmarked for comp time to be used toward a part-time officer for the Cloverdale Police Department. The officer is Caitlin Browning, who has been employed with the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department and has experience with evidence collecting and detective work.

Standing in for Town Marshal Steve Hibler, Cloverdale Police Sgt. Adam Hull said a $50 fee was charged by the Indiana Law Enforcement Academy for proof of Browning being recertified. The consideration came whether the town could pay this fee if an officer is not a sworn employee, which Browning was not presently.

It was arranged to have Browning sworn in last Wednesday, with the council approving to pay the fee afterward. Along with her training with Crime Scene Investigator Richard Lambert, it was explained that Browning is to be compensated through an enforcement fund from the Putnam County Prosecutor’s Office.

In other information, Hull reported that CPD will hold its third-annual Back the Blue ChiliFest from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 29. Trick-or-treating in Cloverdale has been set to follow from 5-9 p.m.

• Hartman reported that he recently met with Bob Curry of Curry & Associates regarding relocating a water and a forced sewer main at County Road 800 South. The Indiana Department of Transportation has planned a widening project there, and the mains interfere with where a storm drain ditch is to be.

The engineering cost for moving one of them was estimated at $126,210, while the other was estimated at $233,905, though this included upgrading to a 10-inch line for further development. For the latter, Hartman figured a 100-year return on investment not being financially sound.

Hartman related that he had consulted with Greencastle Mayor Bill Dory and Greencastle/Putnam County Development Center Executive Director Kristin Clary about utilizing funds through the Indiana Regional Economic Acceleration and Development Initiative (READI). Also, he suggested requesting county money through Economic Development Income Tax (EDIT) income. Meanwhile, the town would be responsible just for the engineering costs.

“That’s all being discussed right now, but this is something that’s gonna have to happen,” Hartman said, adding that the town’s water income from POET Biorefining otherwise is scant in terms of the project costs.

• The council approved a quote for $3,221.62 for repairs to a weather siren that recently failed.

• The council made multiple reappointments between the Cloverdale Park Board, Redevelopment Commission and Stormwater Board, as well as the Putnam County Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Lyssa McKee was reappointed to the former; Larry Fidler, Brian Maners and David Fish were reappointed to the Redevelopment Commission; and Fidler was reappointed to the Stormwater Board. Laura Hatton was also reappointed to the visitors bureau. All of their current terms expire at the end of December.

Meanwhile, there is a vacancy on the seven-member Planning Commission after Roy Lotz’s resignation. Lotz, as well as Judy Minor, also resigned from the Board of Zoning Appeals, leaving its five-member board with just a quorum. Former Council President Rick Dearwester resigned from the Redevelopment Commission, and John Berry is to resign from the four-member Park Board at year’s end.

• The council conducted its second reading of and adopted Ordinance 2022-11, which outlines the town being allowed to transfer money electronically. Clerk-Treasurer Kelly Maners provided last month that this would save the town on postage while maintaining internal controls and documentation.

• The council adopted the town’s budget estimated for 2023. A public hearing was held at the council’s meeting last month.

The whole budget stands at $1,475,998, with the maximum estimated funds to be raised at $560,340. Notably, the General, Motor Vehicle Highway and Cumulative Capital Development funds will see rounded increases of 47 percent, 15 percent and 22.5 percent, respectively, over 2022.

Within the General Fund, 68 percent is toward CPD. Salaries for elected officials and deputies and professional services are the next-largest cuts at nine percent and seven percent, respectively. Insurance and utilities stand at four percent each, while the Cloverdale Parks Board, supplies and “other services” make up the rest.

• Hartman reported that he had secured a second quote to repair the sidewalk on the north side of Lafayette Street to Main Street. While one from Mayhew Contracting that he presented last month came to $14,660, with $1,800 included for an approved tree stump removal, the new one comes to $39,805.

Hartman related that the time for beginning the repairs was likely next spring with the new quote, while Mayhew Contracting initially provided for this fall. The council as such approved to have the stump removed and to bring up the repairs again later.

• The council approved purchasing a new sodium pump for the town’s water treatment plant from BL Anderson for $4,904.95. Water Treatment Manager Richard Saucerman said that one was replaced a year ago, while the other, original with the plant, is worn out.

With Council Vice President Greg Jay and member Cindy Holland absent, Councilman Brandon Tancak joined Hartman, Fidler, Howell, Maners, Hull and Town Attorney Richard Shagley for the meeting.

The next regular meeting of the Cloverdale Town Council is set for Tuesday, Nov. 8 at 7 p.m. at the Cloverdale Town Hall.