Town Council Minutes - 11-25-02

Robert Majdak called the regular meeting to order at 6:30 p.m.

A motion was made by Robert Majdak to approve the minutes for November 11th, 2002. The motion was seconded by Max Miller and carried by a voice vote.

I. Park

II. Water Superintendent
• TRIAD-discuss iron filtration. Jim Frazell presented the Council with a preliminary analysis and options for iron filtration systems. Three (3) options were presented.

1.) Potassium Permanganate

2.) Ozone Filtration

3.) Aeration/Filtration Plant.

Superintendent Ben Eldridge and Jim Frazell recommended option two (2) Ozone Filtration as all the systems require filtration and Ozone is the lest expensive way to go.. Mr. Frazell told the Council that the Town would qualify for a Department of Commerce Grant and believed that the Town would not have to raise water rates to finance the project. Council member Greg Baumgartner asked Mr. Frazell since this is new technology could he guarantee the performance of the system. Mr. Frazell informed the Council that Triad and one other engineering company are the only two who have installed the Ozone Filtration system and Triad has done several. Council President Majdak asked how long would it take process the grant and install the Ozone system? Mr. Frazell answered that it would take about six (6) months. After much discussion Mr. Frazell asked the Council to look over the options and he’ll come back to the Town’s next meeting on December 9th, 2002 to answer any new questions.
• Discuss backflow ordinance. Superintendent Eldridge has talked to other towns and checked the IDEM website to make sure he wasn’t doing anything illegal about backflow devices. It is not time and cost effective and he has concluded that it is not necessary to require all residents to put a backflow device in their home, but all businesses need to have backflow devices. Superintendent Eldridge would like to reword the water use ordinance 2002-2 so that all new construction of houses would require a backflow device and take out the five (5) year requirement for all existing homes. Superintendent Eldridge will change the wording and give to the Clerk/Treasurer an update and present to the Council for adoption.
• Discuss payment agreements. Superintendent Eldridge presented the Council with an example of a payment agreement to use when residents can’t pay their entire water and sewer bill when due. The form has a duplicate so one copy goes to the resident after they sign the agreement and one stays with the Clerk/Treasurer’s office. The Council approved the form.
• Update on Quality Cablevision. Superintendent Eldridge informed the Council that he did get word from Quality Cablevision is in the process of signing a contract with U.S. Signal to use their cable line in Millersburg for cable TV.
• Superintendent Eldridge informed the Council that he had ask Joe Frazier from the Indiana Rural Water Alliance is coming to help find a water main leak at 126 N. Benton which is owned by Steven Phillips.
• Fire hydrant request from Teresa Roth. Resident Teresa Roth asked the Council if the town could put in another fire hydrant closes to her home, as the closest one is to far away. Superintendent Eldridge checked with the fire department and found out that fire hydrants should be within 500 ft. of each other.
• Forest River reimbursement for electrical work. Superintendent Ben Eldridge asked the Council if anyone had talked to Forest River about paying their share of the electrical work done at the new plant to connect the lift station to the plant. Council member Greg Baumgartner answered that the last he know the town was supposed to bill Forest River and suggest Superintendent Eldridge make up an invoice and send it to them.

III. Wastewater Superintendent
• Robert Majdak made motion to accept and sign the Engineering Services Agreement with Triad Associates Greg Baumgartner seconded and the motion was carried by a voice vote. Council President Robert Majdak asked Mr. Frazell how detailed would his firm get on providing digital copies of the town’s sanitation maps? Mr. Frazell replied that the maps would be available electronically. President Majdak asked what software would be needed to accept electronic maps and Mr. Frazell asked if the Town has a computer and said his firm would provide an Autocad program to download on our computer.
• Discuss land application paperwork being done by Steve Kiefer. Superintendent Eldridge informed the Council that the land application for the wastewater plant will run out in August of 2003 and he would like to use Mr. Steve Kiefer to do the paperwork. The cost will be approximately $3,000.00, which will not include lab testing. The Council approved using Mr. Kiefer.
• Discuss Merrill Brother’s empting the large digester at a cost of approximately $3,000.00. Superintendent Eldridge informed the Council that he needed to empty the large digester and didn’t want to empty into the reed bed as the second bed had not been cleaned yet and it would leave no room to empty later. Robert Majdak made the motion to use Merrill Brother’s Greg Baumgartner seconded and motion was carried by a voice vote.

IV. Maintenance Director

V. Marshal
• Stats: See attached
• The Marshal informed the Council that he talked to the County about the Humane Shelter issue and was told that the County was still working on the problem. The County informed the Marshal that one answer may be to take over the cost of providing animal control for the County. The County will let the Marshal know what they have decided as soon as they know.

VI. Clerk/Treasurer
• The Clerk/Treasurer presented the Council with two outstanding checks which have not cleared through the Farm Bureau Credit Union. State statue IC 5-11-10.5 states that all checks outstanding and unpaid for a period of two (2) years as of December 31st of that year are considered void. Check # 3482 dated 12-6-1999 in the amount of $34.39 and check # 6177 dated 4-1-1999 in the amount of $163.61. The Clerk/Treasurer is asking permission to cancel the checks from the fund account. The Council approved the request.

VII. New Business
• Deputy Clerk Branden Beachy presented Salary Ordinance 2002-17 to be adopted and signed. Robert Majdak made the motion to pass Ordinance 2002-17 Max Miller seconded and the motion was carried by a voice vote.

Max Miller made the motion to pay bills. The motion was seconded by Robert Majdak and was carried by a voice vote.