Town To Hold Public Hearing On Proposed Water Rate Increase

The Crothersville Town will hold a public hearing on a proposed water rate increase when they meet on Tuesday, Feb. 3. The council approved on first reading a one percent water rate increase at their Jan. 6 meeting. If approved, the proposed rates would increase local residential minimum water bill about 21¢ a month, according to a public notice ad found on page 3 of this issue. While agreeing to increase water rates by 1%, the council decided to no increase sewer or trash collection fees in town. In a related matter, the council unanimously agreed to send a proposed sewer use ordinance to the Indiana Department of Environmental Management for their approval. “This is a challenging read,” said council president Ardell Mitchell. “ We need to accept this proposed sewer use ordinance in order to send it to IDEM for their approval. Then when it comes back, the town would officially approve it.” Town attorney Jeff Lorenzo added, “We don’t have a lot of latitude because IDEM is going to dictate what they want us to do.” Town engineer Brad Bender with FPBH gave the town an update of the Industrial Way road expansion. He told the council that the roadway has been cleared and roadbase stabilized. “We need to re-locate a waterline but have to wait until the Stucker Ford feeder line is repaired,” said Bender. The town’s industrial park is supplied with water from both the town’s municipal water supply and a line from Stucker Fork Water Utility along the east side of US 31. The Stucker Fork line sprang a leak on the south side of the Muscatatuck and the line was closed off until repairs could be made. Until then, the industries are being supplied with water from the town’s system and that will delay the water line re-location and thus progress on the new roadway. In other business, the council re-elected Ardell Mitchell as the council president, re-appointed Jeff Lorenzo as town attorney, Police Chief Richard Hanlin as the town’s representative on the county 911 Board, Lenvel ‘Butch’ Robinson was re-appointed to the County Solid Waste Board, and Curt Kovener was re-appointed to represent the community on Jackson County Industrial Development Corporation.