Storm Water Management Board Meeting Minutes 2023

CALL TO ORDER:

Robert Csanyi, President, called the St. John Board of Storm Water Management Meeting to order on Tuesday, January 17, 2023 at 6:18 p.m. and led all present in the Pledge of Allegiance.

ROLL CALL:

Board Members present: Vanessa Merkle and Robert Csanyi, President.

Board Members absent: Ken Gembala

Also present: Bryan Blazak, Town Council Liaison, Joseph Wiszowaty, Town Manager, Bob Valois, Staff Liaison, and Tom Dykstra, Robinson Engineering.

ELECTION OF OFFICERS:

Ms. Merkle nominated Mr. Csanyi for President. Mr. Csanyi seconded the nomination. Motion carried with 2 ayes and 0 nays. Mr. Csanyi nominated Ms. Merkle for Vice-President. Ms. Merkle seconded the nomination. Motion carried with 2 ayes and 0 nays.

APPROVAL OF MINUTES:

A. 11-14-2022 Special Meeting Minutes

Ms. Merkle made a motion to approve the 11-14-2022 Special Meeting Minutes. Mr. Csanyi seconded the motion. The motion carried with 2 ayes and 0 nays.

OLD BUSINESS:

There was no old business.

NEW BUSINESS:

Mr. Csanyi asked to discuss the 2023 meeting schedule for the Board and suggested the third Wednesday of each month at 6:00 p.m. Ms. Merkle made a motion to schedule the Board of Storm Water Management meetings on the third Wednesday of every month at 6:00 p.m. beginning in February. Mr. Csanyi seconded the motion. Motion carried with 2 ayes and 0 nays.

Mr. Csanyi asked Ms. Merkle if she had reviewed the information on the Storm Water Fee. Mr. Csanyi suggested pausing the discussion until next month when all of the Board members are present. Mr. Wiszowaty provided some background of the activity and steps already taken in the process of establishing the fee. He also suggested a Study Session to discuss the basics.

Mr. Valois reported that he and Robinson completed the Stormwater Quality Plan and submitted it to IDEM. They continue to work on the compliancy reports for the Town.

ADJOURNMENT:

Ms. Merkle made a motion to adjourn the meeting. Mr. Csanyi seconded the motion. Motion carried with 2 ayes and 0 nays. The meeting was adjourned at 6:30 p.m.

Respectfully Submitted:

Anastasia Lowery, Recording Secretary
St. John Board of Storm Water Management

Approved This 15th Day of February, 2023:

___________________________________
Robert Csanyi, Board of Storm Water Management President

CALL TO ORDER:

Robert Csanyi, President, called the St. John Board of Storm Water Management Special Meeting to order on Wednesday, February 15, 2023 at 6:00 p.m. and led all present in the Pledge of Allegiance.

ROLL CALL:

Board Members present: Ken Gembala and Robert Csanyi, President.

Board Members absent: Vanessa Merkle

Also present: Bryan Blazak, Town Council Liaison, Joseph Wiszowaty, Town Manager, Bob Valois, Staff Liaison, and Tom Dykstra, Robinson Engineering.

APPROVAL OF MINUTES:

A. 01-17-2023 Regular Meeting Minutes

Mr. Gembala made a motion to approve the 01-17-2023 Regular Meeting Minutes. Mr. Csanyi seconded the motion. The motion carried with 2 ayes and 0 nays.

NEW / OLD BUSINESS:

Mr. Csanyi explained that the plan is to get the new Board members up to speed at the next meeting. He also suggested a Study Session with Cender Dalton and Robinson Engineering. Discussion regarding the schedule ensued.

REPORTS AND CORRESPONDENCE:

Mr. Valois reported on some of the projects completed since the last meeting. He addressed the high expense on a couple of the projects. The cost of the storm water system upkeep was discussed. Mr. Valois explained a compliancy report that the Town and Robinson Engineering have compiled. Mr. Valois reported on a Developer meeting scheduled in a surrounding community. He also reported on some of the schedules implemented for Developer inspections. Mr. Blazak asked Mr. Valois to provide the exact date and details on the meeting.

Discussion about a storm water atlas or GIS and possible summer internships ensued.

ADJOURNMENT:

Mr. Gembala made a motion to adjourn the meeting. Mr. Csanyi seconded the motion. Motion carried with 2 ayes and 0 nays. The meeting was adjourned at 6:13 p.m.

Respectfully Submitted:

Anastasia Lowery, Recording Secretary
St. John Board of Storm Water Management

Approved This 15th Day of March, 2023:

___________________________________
Robert Csanyi, Board of Storm Water Management President

CALL TO ORDER:

Robert Csanyi, President, called the St. John Board of Storm Water Management Special Meeting to order on Wednesday, March 15, 2023 at 6:01 p.m. and led all present in the Pledge of Allegiance.

ROLL CALL:

Board Members present: Ken Gembala, Vanessa Merkle, and Robert Csanyi, President.

Also present: Bryan Blazak, Town Council Liaison, Bob Valois, Staff Liaison, and Tom Dykstra, Robinson Engineering.

APPROVAL OF MINUTES:

A. February 15, 2023 Regular Meeting Minutes

Mr. Gembala made a motion to approve the February 15, 2023 Regular Meeting Minutes. Ms. Merkle seconded the motion. The motion carried with 3 ayes and 0 nays.

NEW / OLD BUSINESS:

Mr. Valois reported that Cender Dalton and Robinson Engineering will be present at the April meeting to report on the actions for the Storm Water Fee and the Rate Study. Mr. Csanyi added that the meeting will also include a Study Session.

Mr. Gembala asked for a copy of the Rate Study that was previously conducted. Mr. Valois noted that he would email the documents to the Board.

PUBLIC COMMENT:

There was no public comment.

REPORTS AND CORRESPONDENCE:

Mr. Valois reported that Robinson Engineering along with Building and Planning are amending the Subdivision Control Ordinance. Some of the changes address the storm sewer design.

Mr. Dykstra explained they recommended the design level increase to a ten (10) year from a five (5) year. This would increase the capacity of the storm sewers.

General engineering questions and discussions ensued. Mr. Dykstra described pipe size comparisons and benefits.

ADJOURNMENT:

Mr. Gembala made a motion to adjourn the meeting. Ms. Merkle seconded the motion. Motion carried with 3 ayes and 0 nays. The meeting was adjourned at 6:20 p.m.

Respectfully Submitted:

Anastasia Lowery, Recording Secretary
St. John Board of Storm Water Management

Approved This 19th Day of April, 2023:

___________________________________
Robert Csanyi, Board of Storm Water Management President

CALL TO ORDER:

Robert Csanyi, President, called the St. John Board of Storm Water Management Special Meeting to order on Wednesday, April 19, 2023 at 6:00 p.m. and led all present in the Pledge of Allegiance.

ROLL CALL:

Board Members present: Ken Gembala, Vanessa Merkle, and Robert Csanyi, President

Also present: Bryan Blazak, Town Council Liaison; Joseph Wiszowaty, Town Manager

Also present: Bob Valois, Staff Liaison; Jon Dykstra, Robinson Engineering; and Daniel Dalton, Cender Dalton

APPROVAL OF MINUTES:

A. March 15, 2023 Regular Meeting Minutes

Mr. Gembala made a motion to approve the March 15, 2023 Regular Meeting Minutes. Ms. Merkle seconded the motion. The motion carried with 3 ayes and 0 nays.

STORM WATER RATE STUDY REVIEW:

A. Cender Dalton

Daniel Dalton began by revisiting the history and background of the originally prepared rate study. He explained, per the Town’s request, Cender Dalton and Robinson Engineering conducted a study to determine a fee to cover MS4 compliance as well as other capital improvement expenditures. He stated that after several Board meetings, no final decision was made, which stalled the project.

Storm water fees are implemented to cover the costs of stormwater compliance and capital improvements that have been previously identified within the Town. They used the Indiana property code classifications to identify the type of use. They recommended the fee be implemented on the County property tax bills instead of the monthly utility bill. This would allow the Town to collect nearly one hundred percent (100%) of the stormwater fee.

He explained the pro forma expenses that would go into effect once the stormwater fee is implemented. He referred to a schedule of equipment replacement costs and department shares of the equipment. He then moved to a list of the identified stormwater projects. He stated that this report is from six (6) months ago, therefore the cost estimates are subject to change due to inflation or market trends. He explained that those three (3) schedules define the expected expenses that would be built into the proposed rates. He then explained the 5-Year Capital Improvement Plan slide that addressed the 5-year average and maximum cost. Since the earliest the fee would be implemented is in 2024, the schedule would be pushed to 2024 through 2028.

Mr. Dalton discussed the four (4) Monthly User Fee Options. He reported that the number of parcels were collected from the County and separated by Property Class Code Category. The number of properties was plugged into the annual parcel fee to get to the annual total. In each of the four options, the annual total is depicted. Mr. Wiszowaty asked about unoccupied single family homes or pre-developed lots. Mr. Dalton agreed to look into that scenario. Mr. Dykstra responded that the person(s) that holds the title is responsible for the fee. He also added that even vacant land has runoff, therefore, are eligible for a fee.

Mr. Dalton referred to the last slide which is a summary of the previous slides with the four options. He pointed out the Revenues to Expenses for each of the proposed four (4) options. He explained how each option affects the ability to fund the MS4 compliance and projects in a year.

Mr. Dalton asked the Board to make a recommendation within the next several months to take to the Town Council. Mr. Wiszowaty requested a recommendation before July, in order to meet budgeting schedules. Mr. Dalton offered to revise the rate study with more recent estimates and provide it to the Board by May 1st for review at the next meeting.

Mr. Blazak asked for an explanation on the options in greater detail. Mr. Dalton stated that the expenditures displayed are at the maximum and may not necessarily mean they all need to be done. Based on the selected option, some cuts may be required, to stay within the fund limits. Mr. Dykstra added that the expenses to meet the mandates continue, which is then covered by tax income. Mr. Dalton reported that a revised study will be prepared for the next meeting.

B. Robinson Engineering

Jon Dykstra began with a list of stormwater items that are ongoing and referred to the item called Facility Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan which will require some ordinance revisions. Robinson could provide an explanation of the requirement and what it will mean for those ordinance changes at the next meeting.

Mr. Dykstra explained that MS4 is the acronym for Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System. There are compliance standard operating procedures which include operation and maintenance procedures, and good housekeeping, managed by Public Works, for which all staff must be trained. He mentioned other compliance related issues mandated by the State. Mr. Dykstra explained how the Town is not able to do any MS4 projects without the funding and can only patch things or advise the residents to keep areas clear.

Mr. Wiszowaty asked Mr. Dalton to create a timeline to include recommendations, public hearings, county tax schedule for the tax bill and the first tax draw. Mr. Wiszowaty asked about grants for stormwater, to which Mr. Valois responded that a fee must be in place in order to qualify for grant money.

Mr. Gembala expressed his desire to explain to the public what MS4 is why the Town would impose the fee. Mr. Blazak stated that there are penalties imposed for non-compliance. Mr. Valois explained how the Town was able to maintain compliance but would need to do more. The October meeting is recorded with a presentation on the MS4 program.

Mr. Csanyi asked how the compliance documentation is managed. Mr. Valois responded that he works with Robinson and they have some as hardcopy, electronic and other mapping software.

Mr. Dykstra asked to be on the next agenda and noted that the Town will not be able to meet the ordinance deadline of July because of all the work that still needs to go into it. He stated that the State will be updated on the status of completion. Mr. Dalton confirmed that he will create a timeline to keep everything on track.

NEW / OLD BUSINESS:

There was no old/new business.

PUBLIC COMMENT:

There was no public comment.

REPORTS AND CORRESPONDENCE:

Mr. Gembala reported that the Town has been struggling with this fee for years. He stated that a big portion of the Town was built before storm sewers were required. Mr. Wiszowaty suggested putting a bullet-point document together to address the questions the public will have. Mr. Blazak added that the other municipalities already have it in place.

ADJOURNMENT:

Mr. Gembala made a motion to adjourn the meeting. Ms. Merkle seconded the motion. Motion carried with 3 ayes and 0 nays. The meeting was adjourned at 6:45 p.m.

Respectfully Submitted:

Anastasia Lowery, Recording Secretary
St. John Board of Storm Water Management

Approved This 17th Day of May, 2023:

___________________________________
Robert Csanyi, Board of Storm Water Management President

CALL TO ORDER:

Robert Csanyi, President, called the St. John Board of Storm Water Management Meeting to order on Wednesday, May 17, 2023 at 6:00 p.m. and led all present in the Pledge of Allegiance.

ROLL CALL:

Board Members present: Ken Gembala, Vanessa Merkle, and Robert Csanyi, President

Also present: Bryan Blazak, Town Council Liaison; Joseph Wiszowaty, Town Manager

Also present: Bob Valois, Staff Liaison; Jon Dykstra, Robinson Engineering; and Daniel Dalton, Cender Dalton

APPROVAL OF MINUTES:

A. April 19, 2023 Regular Meeting Minutes

Mr. Gembala made a motion to approve the April 19, 2023 Regular Meeting Minutes. Ms. Merkle seconded the motion. The motion carried with 3 ayes and 0 nays.

NEW / OLD BUSINESS:

A. Updated Storm Water Rate Study and Implementation Timeline – Cender Dalton

Daniel Dalton referred to the Amended Rate Study and reported that it had been only slightly revised as not much has changed since last September. He explained that the study was designed to determine the stormwater fees necessary to meet the revenue requirements of MS4 compliance and other capital improvement expenses.

Mr. Dalton distributed the document addressing the timeline. If approved this evening, May 17th, the recommendation would be sent to Council for review. Once it goes to Council, there would be a notice of advertisement about ten days before the June 28th Council meeting. Council would vote on it at the July 12th meeting. Upon approval, they would solicit a list of parcels from the County and prepare a file to be entered into the tax bills as a fee. If no recommendation is made this evening, it would be pushed to the June meeting, which would shift the calendar forward for all actions.

Mr. Dalton referred to the 5 year capital improvement plan prepared by the efforts made in combination of Robinson Engineering and Cender Dalton. The document breaks down the Operations, Compliance, Equipment and Project costs over the next five (5) years. Next, he referred them to the Proposed Monthly User Fee Rate Options document. The document is broken down by the number of parcels and the Property Class Code Category, calculated based on each of the four (4) options. Mr. Wiszowaty explained that the Board would have the option of selecting one from the four options, ranging from $5.00 to $10.00 for residential. He added that, based on the option the Board selects, the needs of the community may or may not be met. Mr. Dalton added that they had run some community comparisons and the options presented are similar to other communities of similar size. He then referred to the Statement of Estimated Sources and Uses of Funds document which explains the net revenue over expense, based on each option. Mr. Gembala asked how Cender Dalton came up with the increases in the options. Mr. Dalton explained that it is on percentage and the type of property. Mr. Dalton moved to the Appendix pages, information provided by Mr. Dykstra of Robinson Engineering. He explained that the Appendix provides the details that built into the summary pages already discussed. On the equipment, he clarified how the expense would be divided among the Sanitary, Water and Stormwater funds, as shared expenses. Lastly, the Schedule of Storm Water/Flood Control projects referred to the costs and Mr. Dykstra expounded on the projects listed. Mr. Csanyi asked if the numbers presented allow for additional staffing. Mr. Dykstra responded that there was some additional personnel figured in the expenses. Discussion about the staff resources continued. Mr. Gembala expressed concerns that the areas without storm sewers do not appear to be addressed in the study. Mr. Valois rationalized how the list was derived. Mr. Wiszowaty asked the Board members where their considerations on the rate fee stand. Ms. Merkle noted that she would be comfortable with Option C. Mr. Gembala stated that he would be looking at Options B or C. Mr. Csanyi expressed concerns with accepting a lower fee today, then realizing in one to three years that the income from the fee is not enough to manage the needs. He asked that they consider a rate that is comfortable and is sustainable for the long term. Mr. Dalton explained that the process to increase the rate at a later time would be a similar process as establishing it. Mr. Csanyi asked if a community sets a fee, how often are they changed. Mr. Dalton responded that the community would consider the rate changes every three to five years. Mr. Csanyi reported that he is leaning toward Option C or D. Mr. Wiszowaty stated that there appears to be a consensus on Option C and asked if the Board was ready to move forward on that recommendation. He asked Mr. Dalton to adjust the budget to account for Option C and continued to express the timeline. Mr. Valois asked if there is any possibility to build in an automatic increase. Mr. Dalton responded that he would need to verify what the options are.

Mr. Gembala made a motion to recommend to Town Council Option C as the fee rate with the option of adjustment by the Town Council if they so choose. Ms. Merkle asked Mr. Gembala to clarify what he meant about adjustment. Mr. Gembala clarified that the Town Council will need to pass the Ordinance on the rate and does not want to box them in on the one rate. Ms. Merkle seconded the motion. Motion passed unanimously by roll call vote: Mr. Gembala – aye, Ms. Merkle – aye, Mr. Csanyi – aye.

B. Stormwater Ordinances, including Post Construction BMPs – Robinson Engineering

Susan Quasney, Robinson Engineering, reported, as one of the primary Engineers working on the Town’s MS4 compliance efforts with Mr. Valois, she is preparing the Town’s ordinances and is working on one specific ordinance that would be tailored to the Town. The ordinance’s Section 21A, the storm water oversight for the subdivisions, is a new component added to the newest permit. Ms. Quasney provided an introduction to the MS4 permit and its requirements. NPDES (National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System) is managed to keep pollutants out of the MS4 system due to storm water run-off. The system is run under the authority of the USEPA, and delegated to IDEM for the State of Indiana. It specifically affects new development that disturb over one acre of land. In 2021 they established a new permit, replacing Rule 13, adding more metrics requirements. It also added requirements regarding inspections and a water quality component. PCBMP (Post Construction Best Management Practices) addresses the maintenance of clean storm water after construction is completed. Previously, under Rule 13, the developer only had to deal with volume control, which is typically the storm water basins, whereby the water is metered out at a rate to not flood the system. With the 2021 permit, the developer will have to handle control against flooding and improving or not degrading the water quality. The Town will need to do added permitting, construction oversight, oversight of the maintenance handled by HOA’s private homeowners, and inspections over a five year cycle with tracking through GIS. Neither USEPA nor IDEM dictate how much you put in the ordinance. She added that there are structural and nonstructural PCBMPs. The nonstructural are typically done through the ordinances and regulations and she provided some samples. The structural are systems that are built in place that allow pollutants to drop out. She reported that there two options for managing the structural processes, one being more accurate, however, required more management and testing. The other, being PCBPM. Mr. Gembala asked if there were template ordinances that the Board could use. Ms. Quasney responded that she has a draft and that once she receives direction on this component, she could present the draft. She added that the ordinances are specific to the municipality. Mr. Dykstra stated that IDEM provides the direction for the minimum requirements that need to be met. Mr. Csanyi asked about the HOAs and whether there would be additional fees associated with it. Ms. Quasney responded that they would need additional discussion, and that the HOAs normally determine if they need to implement fees. Mr. Dykstra explained that when new construction comes into Town, they have to have all of the components IDEM requires. The HOAs then determine any fees associated with the maintenance and implement the fee to the homeowners. If the HOA somehow discontinues, then the Town has to maintain the subdivision’s storm water. Ms. Quasney added that there should be discussion later on how to protect the Town.

Ms. Quasney addressed how native plants affect the storm water. For certain native plants, the pollutants act as nutrients so the plants would absorb some of the components, including some toxic substances. Planting native plants add benefits for maintaining the system. She ran through slides indicating other ways of adding materials, landscape and basins to assist with maintaining the storm water run-off. She polled the Board for ordinance direction. For the water quality requirements, they selected the minimum requirement or somewhat more. For native plants, they selected to allow options but not to encourage it.

Ms. Quasney explained that the suggestion is to keep it simple, give the developments base level of choices, to allow some options within those choices, which would create a standardization of the designs. She then reviewed a compliance worksheet while explaining the point system. Mr. Csanyi requested a copy of the presentation. Mr. Dravet confirmed that the presentation will be posted on the Town website.

PUBLIC COMMENT:

There was no public comment.

REPORTS AND CORRESPONDENCE:

There were no reports and correspondence.

ADJOURNMENT:

Mr. Gembala made a motion to adjourn the meeting. Ms. Merkle seconded the motion. Motion carried with 3 ayes and 0 nays. The meeting was adjourned at 7:00 p.m.

Respectfully Submitted:

Anastasia Lowery, Recording Secretary
St. John Board of Storm Water Management

Approved This 21st Day of June, 2023:

___________________________________
Robert Csanyi, Board of Storm Water Management President

CALL TO ORDER:

Robert Csanyi, President, called the St. John Board of Storm Water Management Meeting to order on Wednesday, June 21, 2023 at 6:01 p.m. and led all present in the Pledge of Allegiance.

ROLL CALL:

Board Members present: Vanessa Merkle and Robert Csanyi, President

Board Members absent: Ken Gembala

Also present:; Joseph Wiszowaty, Town Manager; Bob Valois, Staff Liaison; Jon Dykstra, Robinson Engineering; and Daniel Dalton, Cender Dalton

Bryan Blazak, Town Council Liaison was absent

APPROVAL OF MINUTES:

A. May 17, 2023 Regular Meeting Minutes

Ms. Merkle made a motion to approve the May 17, 2023 Regular Meeting Minutes. Mr. Csanyi seconded the motion. The motion carried with 2 ayes and 0 nays.

NEW / OLD BUSINESS:

A. Updated Implementation Timeline – Cender Dalton

Mr. Dalton explained that the timeline needed to be altered as the Storm Water Board is ultimately responsible for approving the storm water fee. Tonight the Board will be providing a formal recommendation to Council. Council will meet next week for approval via Ordinance and for the July Board meeting, there will be a public hearing. Once adopted, the fee will be on the tax bill and the Town will receive its first installment in June, 2024. Ms. Merkle asked about the projects and the timeline on those. Mr. Dalton responded that the projects will need to wait until the first installment is received.

B. Resolution No. 2023-06-22, a Resolution recommending the establishment of a fee for Storm Water Management and for meeting state mandates regarding the management of Storm Water

Mr. Csanyi reiterated that Option C was voted on at the last meeting for recommendation. Mr. Wiszowaty added that they adjusted the budget numbers to apply to the Option C numbers. Mr. Wiszowaty also clarified, for the record, that the Resolution No. is 2023-06-21. Mr. Dalton explained that if they recommend Option C, that is the minimum, however, the Council could recommend or approve something higher. If the Council changes the recommendation, the Board would have to revise the Ordinance at the August Storm Water Board meeting. Mr. Wiszowaty explained that the Council would not be presented the Ordinance until their July meeting, but could present it at a special meeting on July 20th for approval on first reading with a second reading on July 26th. Mr. Dalton needs to submit parcels to the County by the end of September which means he would need to request the parcels from the County in early September.

Ms. Merkle made a motion to approve Resolution No. 2023-06-21, a Resolution recommending the establishment of a fee for Storm Water Management and for meeting state mandates regarding the management of Storm Water with Option C. Mr. Csanyi seconded the motion. Motion carried with 2 ayes and 0 nays.

PUBLIC COMMENT:

There was no public comment.

REPORTS AND CORRESPONDENCE:

Town Engineer: Mr. Dykstra, Robinson Engineering, had no report.

Town Manager: Mr. Wiszowaty stated that they are starting the budget process and, provided everything is adopted, they will finalize a budget for storm water management. He reported on the sewer vac truck which will be split 30 stormwater/30 water/40 sanitary and is looking into funding for the stormwater portion at this time, as water and sanitary authorized the purchase. Mr. Csanyi asked about the timeline on the truck. Mr. Wiszowaty responded that they are looking at late 2024 for delivery. Discussion on other equipment purchases continued. He added that they will look at the ARPA fund to offset some of the cost for the sewer vac truck. Housing of the equipment was discussed. Mr. Wiszowaty explained the current condition of the current sewer vac and added that it might be cheaper to rent one, if needed, as opposed to paying for any more repairs on it. Mr. Dalton asked how they would to handle the retired equipment, to which Mr. Wiszowaty responded they could put it up on the .gov site.

ADJOURNMENT:

Ms. Merkle made a motion to adjourn the meeting. Mr. Csanyi seconded the motion. The meeting was adjourned at 6:23 p.m.

Respectfully Submitted:

Anastasia Lowery, Recording Secretary
St. John Board of Storm Water Management

Approved This 19th Day of July, 2023:

___________________________________
Robert Csanyi, Board of Storm Water Management President

CALL TO ORDER:

Robert Csanyi, President, called the St. John Board of Storm Water Management Meeting to order on Wednesday, July 19, 2023 at 6:01 p.m. and led all present in the Pledge of Allegiance.

ROLL CALL:

Board Members present: Ken Gembala and Robert Csanyi, President

Board Members absent: Vanessa Merkle

Also present: Bryan Blazak, Town Council Liaison; Joseph Wiszowaty, Town Manager; Bob Valois, Staff Liaison; Jon Dykstra, Robinson Engineering; and Daniel Dalton, Cender Dalton

Bryan Blazak, Town Council Liaison was absent

APPROVAL OF MINUTES:

A. June 21, 2023 Regular Meeting Minutes

Mr. Gembala made a motion to approve the minutes from Wednesday June 21, 2023 as posted. Mr. Csanyi seconded the motion. The motion carried with 2 ayes and 0 nays.

PUBLIC HEARING: - Storm Water Rates

Mr. Wiszowaty confirmed the Proofs of Publication are in order.
Opening Remarks – Mr. Wiszowaty thanked the Board for the long, arduous task of reviewing all of the information. He thanked Cender Dalton for putting the data together and making the recommendations.
The floor was opened to Public Comment
The floor was closed to Public Comment

NEW / OLD BUSINESS:

Mr. Gembala asked if the Board needed to address the rate since the motions were passed at the last meeting. Mr. Wiszowaty responded that the recommendation is going to Council on Thursday and they will be considering it at the regular meeting on July 26th. We will need to have a special meeting with the Storm Water Board after they adopt the recommendation in August. Mr. Dalton confirmed that by State statute the Storm Water Board is ultimately responsible for the final approval of the storm water fee.

Mr. Wiszowaty asked to set the date for the Special Meeting on Monday, August 28th. Mr. Dalton stated that it gives him a full month to get the parcels from the County and get them on the property tax bills.

PUBLIC COMMENT:

There was no public comment.

REPORTS AND CORRESPONDENCE:

Town Engineer: Mr. Dykstra had nothing to report.

Town Manager: Mr. Wiszowaty had nothing further to report.

ADJOURNMENT:

Mr. Gembala made a motion to adjourn the meeting. Mr. Csanyi seconded the motion. The meeting was adjourned at 6:09 p.m.

Respectfully Submitted:

Anastasia Lowery, Recording Secretary
St. John Board of Storm Water Management

Approved This 16th Day of August, 2023:

___________________________________
Robert Csanyi, Board of Storm Water Management President

CALL TO ORDER:

Robert Csanyi, President, called the St. John Board of Storm Water Management Meeting to order on Monday, August 28, 2023 at 6:00 p.m. and led all present in the Pledge of Allegiance.

ROLL CALL:

Board Members present: Ken Gembala, Vanessa Merkle and Robert Csanyi, President

Also present: Bob Valois, Staff Liaison; Jon Dykstra, Robinson Engineering; and Daniel Dalton, Cender Dalton. Bryan Blazak, Town Council Liaison and Joseph Wiszowaty, Town Manager were absent.

APPROVAL OF MINUTES:

A. July 19, 2023 Regular Meeting Minutes

Mr. Gembala made a motion to approve the minutes from Wednesday July 19, 2023 as posted. Ms. Merkle seconded the motion. The motion carried with 3 ayes and 0 nays.

NEW / OLD BUSINESS:

A. Cender Dalton – Stormwater Fee Status Updates

Mr. Dalton reported that the Council approved the stormwater fee and that it is now up to this Board to finalize the approval of the stormwater fee as his Board is ultimately responsible for the implementation of the fee.

a. Ord. No. 1803 Adopted by Town Council

Mr. Csanyi read into the record, Ordinance No. 1803. He read off the fee structure as follows: Section 3. User Fee Structure. The User Fees shall be assigned monthly as follows:

Property Class Codes	Description	Monthly Fee
100	Agricultural/Vacant	$ 7.00
300	Industry	$ 50.00
400	Commercial	$ 30.00
500	Residential	$ 8.00
600	Munis, Charitable, Etc.	$ 7.00
800	Utilities/Railroads	$ 15.00

b. Final Approval of Stormwater Fee

Mr. Gembala made a motion to approve the stormwater fees outlined in Ordinance No. 1803, signed and executed by the Town Council on August 23, 2023. Ms. Merkle seconded the motion. Motion carried by roll call vote: Mr. Gembala-aye, Ms. Merkle-aye, Mr. Csanyi-aye and 0 nays.

PUBLIC COMMENT:

There was no public comment.

REPORTS AND CORRESPONDENCE:

Mr. Dykstra, Robinson Engineering had nothing to report.

ADJOURNMENT:

Mr. Gembala made a motion to adjourn the meeting. Ms. Merkle seconded the motion. The meeting was adjourned at 6:12 p.m.

Respectfully Submitted:

Anastasia Lowery, Recording Secretary
St. John Board of Storm Water Management

Approved This 20th Day of September, 2023:

___________________________________
Robert Csanyi, Board of Storm Water Management President

CALL TO ORDER:

Robert Csanyi, President, called the St. John Board of Storm Water Management Meeting to order on Wednesday, September 20, 2023 at 6:00 p.m. and led all present in the Pledge of Allegiance.

ROLL CALL:

Board Members present: Vanessa Merkle and Robert Csanyi, President

Board Members absent: Ken Gembala

Also present: Bryan Blazak, Town Council Liaison; Joseph Wiszowaty, Town Manager; Bob Valois, Staff Liaison; Jon Dykstra, Robinson Engineering; and Daniel Dalton, Cender Dalton.

APPROVAL OF MINUTES:

A. August 28, 2023 Special Meeting Minutes

Ms. Merkle made a motion to approve the minutes as presented dated Monday, August 28, 2023. Mr. Csanyi seconded the motion. The motion carried with 2 ayes and 0 nays.

PUBLIC COMMENT:

Mary Lou Vermeer, 11917 W. 107th Place – Provided comments on erosion issues at the Weston Ridge development. Discussion about the property ownership and the maintenance responsibilities continued.

Jack Elzinga, 10794 Oakridge Court – Provided comments on erosion issues in Weston Ridge. Mr. Dykstra will review the plans to determine how it was originally designed to function. Mr. Dykstra provided an overview of stormwater runoff. Mr. Dykstra also asked the attendees for any photos or videos they may have related to this issue.

Mike Bertocchi, 10857 Mathias Dr. – Provided comments on a collapsed concrete pipe and offered a suggestion to stop the erosion.

Eric Wittmer, 11998 W. 108th Place – Provided comments on runoff coming out of a drainage pipe and isn’t draining.

Mary Lou Vermeer, 11917 W. 107th Place – Provided comments on the property when it was first being developed.

Bill DeBoer, no address provided – Provided comments about how the landscape had changed since 2006.

Mr. Wiszowaty thanked the residents for the information provided and offered assistance through office staff to provide updates as the investigations begin.

NEW / OLD BUSINESS:

A. 2024 Storm Water Management Budget – Daniel Dalton, Cender Dalton

Mr. Dalton reported that the Municipalities in Indiana are required to adopt and submit a budget to the State. Mr. Wiszowaty explained that the Storm Water Management is a new department for 2024. The annualized anticipated revenue is about $1 million. At this point, there is nothing personnel related in the budget. The total budget for Storm Water Management is $392,500 allowing for a positive cash flow into 2025 of about $650,000. Mr. Dalton stated that the budget is adequately funded by the anticipated storm water fee. Mr. Dalton suggested to the Board to provide a recommendation to the Council for approval. Mr. Wiszowaty explained that the first funds will be paid in June of 2024. As there will be no revenues for the first six (6) months of 2024, he suggested getting the projects prepared, engineered and ready to go. He suggested looking at the staff consideration for the 2025 budget. Ms. Merkle made a motion to approve and recommend the budget as presented. Mr. Csanyi seconded the motion. Motion carried with 2 ayes and 0 nays.

REPORTS AND CORRESPONDENCE:

Jon Dykstra, Robinson Engineering - Proposed GIS Atlases Update for Water, Sanitary Sewer and Storm Sewer Mr. Dykstra referred to a document he distributed containing a storm sewer exhibit and the list of properties that need to be added to the Town’s GIS Atlas. Mr. Dykstra explained that it is not unusual for storm sewer to lag behind water and sanitary on these atlases. With the MS4 requirements, storm sewer atlases have become very important because IDEM prefers up-to-date, accurate and detailed storm sewer information. The atlas is a tool for the Town to quickly identify and locate reporting on trouble areas. Mr. Wiszowaty expressed concern that there will be no funding until June. Mr. Dykstra explained that it’s most efficient to gather the data for all three utilities at the same time. Mr. Csanyi read in the Task Order provided that the project would be about six (6) months. Mr. Wiszowaty asked the Board to defer this matter to the next meeting and asked Robinson to verify the information they have. Mr. Csanyi reported that the matter will be deferred to the next meeting.

Joseph Wiszowaty, Town Manager – Nothing more to report

ADJOURNMENT:

Ms. Merkle made a motion to adjourn the meeting. Mr. Csanyi seconded the motion. The meeting was adjourned at 6:48 p.m.

Respectfully Submitted:

Anastasia Lowery, Recording Secretary
St. John Board of Storm Water Management

Approved This 18th Day of October, 2023:

___________________________________
Robert Csanyi, Board of Storm Water Management President