It was time to swing or strike out for the Knapp Lake Regional Sewer District as its representatives approached the North Webster Town Council about an interlocal agreement to hook on to the North Webster sewage system. It took several times at bat, but the end result was a home run.

Knapp Lake sent Dean Bickell from its group, attorney Matt Shipman and Mike Novac, Indiana Rural Community Assistance Program, which is funded federally. All three approached North Webster’s council last night. The council agreed in 2008 that Knapp Lake RSD, could connect with North Webster’s treatment plant and its waste would be treated there, but only if the town incurred no cost.

The project will serve about 200 homes located in rural Noble County about eight miles from North Webster.

The Knapp Lake project will take about a year to construct and the group is anxious to put our bids in the fall. The interlocal agreement is required by the United States Department of Agriculture for the sewer project to be funded. “The money is available and ready,” said Novac.

The project is deemed a win-win situation as KLRSD will pay North Webster to treat its waste providing the town with a new revenue stream. North Webster has the additional capacity at its sewage treaatment plant to do so.

The hold-up in negotiations involved a dollar figure being included in the proposed agreement, which troubled North Webster Utilities Director Jeremy Sponseller. “Without an engineering report, we don’t have a clue what these costs will be. My company’s and my duty is to protect North Webster, ” he noted.

Novac replied that an agreement could be drawn without the figures that would suffice for the USDA.

Once that was established town attorney Jack Birch suggested Shipman and he work toward to new less specific agreement in the immediate future. That was agreed to. Sponseller and North Webster Utilities Manager Mike Noe will work with KLRSD engineers for the project and USDA will approve the findings. Sponseller and Noe are employees for Severn Trent Services, the company contracted by the town to run in utility deopartment.

Recycling Concerns
Resident Kathy Slabaugh once again discussed problems with the county’s recycling station, which is located across an alley from her home. She has concerns with rodents, raccoons, insects, dust and debris.

Sue Studebaker, director of Kosciusko County Solid Waste Management, was present for the discussion. The main problem at the site is people dumping trash and other items that cannot be recycled. “Glass bottles have not been accepted for recycling for three years,” she explained.

The problems arise most frequently in the summer when summer visitors use the site to dispose of all their trash and they are not familiar with the recycling rules. A sign explaining them is prominently posted, however. Studebaker suggested a chain link fence would help with blowing debris and town council President Jon Sroufe instructed Noe to look into providing one.

The council approved the county Area Plan Commission’s recommendation for the old lumber yard property owned by Bill Krumm. The deteriorating wooden building will be torn down and storage units rebuilt on their footprints.

The next regular meeting of the council will be 6 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 20, at the North Webster Community Center, 301 N. Main St.