LAPEL — Some residents living along State Road 13 who were annexed into town several years ago voiced concerns about a storm water fee during the June 6 town council meeting.
The fee, $3.05 per month, is new this year for those not receiving town utilities.
“Everyone in the Lapel incorporated area is being billed,” town council president Deb Wainscott said in a later interview. “With the new annex, it’s the first time they’ve been billed, and they were having trouble accepting it.”
Last year, an ordinance was passed to have the storm water fee apply to all Lapel residents, including those who were not receiving town utilities, beginning in 2019.
“We enacted that in 2018, but it didn’t take effect until June this year,” Wainscott said. “It was $2.50 and was raised to $3.05.”
Wainscott said the fee was raised to help the town pursue grant money to help revamp the storm water system.
Some of those in attendance stated it was unfair to be charging everyone for something not everyone is getting. Other concerns expressed included not knowing of the new ordinance and wondering why letters were not sent out to residents noting the change.
Prior to enacting the ordinance, the town conducted a public hearing concerning the fee. It also had the ordinance published in local newspapers and online.
Later this month, the town will put in its application for an Office of Community and Rural Affairs (OCRA) grant. Following the process of grant applications, the town has had two public hearings. The grant application is due June 28. Award announcements will be Aug. 15.
The town has had its share of water problems.
Recently, a failed pump shut down the well house on Ford Street.
Also, the lift station on County Road 300 South has had recent pump problems with clogging and failing. Inspections have shown that the pumps have been obstructed by string mop heads.
The grant, which is seeking $600,000 to go with the town portion of $160,000, is to renovate the Ford Street Well House, among other well house and asbestos problems.
Wainscott said the Ford Street well is back running from its most recent problem, but “it’s not up to where it needs to be.” She said it’s the town’s best well and a high priority.
Along with water concerns, the board received an update on a number of road projects from Fishers-based engineering and architecture firm RQAW, which has been providing the town construction inspections.
The firm estimated $31,000 will be needed to repair two bridges — one at County Road 200 South near Lapel High School and the other on County Road 300 South near Brookside Cemetery — to get another 20 years of use out of them. Without repairs the bridges could fail within five to 10 years.
RQAW reported a quote has been received from E&B Paving of Anderson to widen Third Street at the new park to allow for two lanes of traffic. Town attorney Ashley Hopper noted that the public works project will need at least two more quotes before choosing a company to do the job.
In another project, E&B Paving is about to begin repaving Community Crossing Road. The work is expected to take two or three weeks and will begin shortly after the conclusion of the Lapel Village Fair, which is scheduled to run July 12-13.
With part of State Road 38 being closed because of construction, another repaving project has been put on hold. Work on County Road 500 South will not start until State Road 38 reopens.
The board also approved a payment of $2,500 to RQAW to renew its contract on road surveys to aid in the request for funding from the state’s Community Crossings Matching Grant program. The next segment for funding applications begins next month.
Other council news
• The new contract with the town’s disposal company, CGS Services Inc., includes a rate increase. Starting in July and showing up in bills received in August, the rate will increase from $12.50 to $12.88.
