The August 5 business meeting of the Crothersville Town Council was pretty routine.
The council unanimously approved giving housing developer Gary Lakins permission to split a vacant lot at 503 W. Howard into two lots, one facing Howard the other Mill Street. The additionally approved a home at 614 E Bard Street which formerly housed a single-wide mobile home.
The council agreed to assist Colin Mills with financing a new sewer line. A home north of his residence apparently cut through Mills sewer line when the contractor built it in the mid 1990’s. Mills bought his home at 400 S. Armstrong in 2000 and though he has been paying for sewer service, apparently no sewage has been going to the treatment plant.
Up until recently his sewage has apparently been absorbed into the ground. “I’ve paid close to $15,000 in sewer bills for the past 25 years and never had sewer service. A new line will cost upwards of $17,000. I am hoping the town will help me get a working sewer line,” he said.
The council agreed to work with utility director Mason Boicourt to get a second bid to come up with a solution for a new sewer line.
Town Engineer Dan Wright reported that the state CCMG call for projects deadline is Oct. 1. The town has previously agreed to seek the grant to replace a bridge in the 200 block of South Preston Street and resurface the roadway from the bridge to Moore Street. The town will be contributing a $70,000 local match for the project if it is awarded.
Utility Director Mason Boicourt reported that the town water loss from gallons produced to gallons billed is over 25% of the utility production. It is suspected that water used by the fire department for fighting fires and filling swimming pools may be a large contributing factor in the loss.
Water consumed at the fire station to fill truck and tankers is not metered just like water used though fire hydrants
“The state has set a maximum water loss at 25%,” said Boicourt. “It could be that future grant funding may require the utility to be at 25% or lower to be eligible.”
The council unanimously agreed to begin requiring monthly reports from Crothersville-Vernon Township Fire Department officials of estimated water consumed.
An agreement by the council last month to vacate an alley between 203 & 204 N. Kovener Street was rescinded at the request of the property owners.
The council agreed to donate the old tornado siren to Grassy Fork Township Fire Department for their use as a severe weather siren for the neighboring community of Tampico.
The council unanimously approved a temporary loan of $80,000 loan from he Cumulative Capital Improvement Fund and $20,000 from the Water Depreciation Fund to the town General Fund. The loan will be repaid by the December property tax settlement.
In a final matter the council unanimously agreed to hire the consulting firm Baker Tilly of Indianapolis to do a water and sewer rate study at a contract price of $30,000. The last rate study was completed was in 2016.