VANDERBURGH COUNTY

DRAINAGE BOARD

AUGUST 10, 2010

The Vanderburgh County Drainage Board met in session this 10^th day of August, 2010 at 6:02 p.m. in room 301 of the Civic Center Complex with President Troy Tornatta presiding.

President Tornatta: Alright, while he’s passing those out we’ll go ahead and get started just a little bit after six, Tuesday, August 10, 2010, the Vanderburgh County Drainage Board will commence.

President Tornatta: We will need approval of the previous meeting’s minutes.

Commissioner Winnecke: So moved.

Commissioner Melcher: Second.

President Tornatta: A motion and a second. All those in favor say aye.

All Commissioners: Aye.

(Motion approved 3-0)

President Tornatta: Bill, good afternoon.

Bill Jeffers: Yes, sir. I have, first, from Bernardin Lochmueller and Associates, Matt Wallace, professional engineer has submitted a preliminary drainage plan for Interstate Crossing Subdivision. It’s a commercial subdivision that will replace what commonly would be referred to as the Busler Truck Plaza at U.S. 41 and I-64. Matt and his two darling children are here in the audience to answer any questions if you have any. The plan comports with the drainage ordinance for a preliminary drainage plan. It does have the 10/100 detention required for the impacted area along 41. Your approval will move it forward to Area Plan Commission Thursday, and the County Surveyor recommends that approval.

Commissioner Winnecke: Motion to approve.

Commissioner Melcher: Second.

President Tornatta: A motion and a second on the recommendation from the Surveyor to approve. All of those in favor say aye.

All Commissioners: Aye.

President Tornatta: Opposed? Okay.

(Motion approved 3-0)

Bill Jeffers: The second drainage plan is also a preliminary drainage plan, it was prepared by Glen Merritt, professional engineer with Cash Waggner. I misspelled the name on the agenda. I must have been thinking of jellies and jams, it’s actually Reserve at Hidden Lake, rather than Preserve. Sorry about that to the developer and his lovely wife, Dan Buck. He’s not the wife, Dan’s the developer.

Commissioner Winnecke: Clearly she’s the attractive one.

Bill Jeffers: Clearly she’s the attractive wife.

Commissioner Winnecke: We get it, right.

President Melcher: We understand.

Bill Jeffers: Glenn Merritt is sitting back there with them in case there is any questions regarding this. It does comport with–

Ted C. Ziemer, Jr.: Is his wife not here?

Bill Jeffers: She’s here also. There’s only two good looking women in the audience, and one at the (Inaudible), yeah, and one up here at your....okay, this is a condominium, so, I would just say it doesn’t take the regular tract that a subdivision takes. It’s approved by the State and so forth as an apartment project would be, but the preliminary plan does comport with the requirements of the local drainage code. It’s located on Jobe’s Lane. The Commissioners extended a sewer up there, I believe, along about 2004 with the State grant monies, and that allowed some expansion in that area as far as residential development. The County Surveyor’s recommendation is to approve the preliminary plan for the Reserve at Hidden Lake.

Commissioner Winnecke: Based on the recommendation of the Surveyor, I would move approval.

Commissioner Melcher: Second.

President Tornatta: Motion and a second. All those in favor say aye.

All Commissioners: Aye.

President Tornatta: Opposed?

(Motion approved 3-0)

President Tornatta: While we’re on that beating path, John, you did a, we did a speed study out on Jobe’s Lane, could you just tell us about the speed study and what’s going on ?

John Stoll: Yes, the Evansville MPO completed the speed study, and the recommendation out of the speed study was to post that at 30 miles an hour. We’ve got a work order submitted to the traffic department to get a sign posted.

Commissioner Winnecke: What’s it at now?

John Stoll: It’s not posted.

Commissioner Winnecke: Okay.

President Tornatta: For those of you who don’t know, the rule for non-posting is?

John Stoll: If it’s in a platted subdivision, it’s 30. If it’s not in a platted subdivision it defaults to 45, unless otherwise specified, and that’s when we always request a speed study from the Evansville MPO to determine if a different speed limit other than 30 or 45 is appropriate.

President Tornatta: So, that was a request of somebody in the neighborhood. We followed through with that.

John Stoll: Yeah, the sign should be posted–

President Tornatta: Just so those who might care would know, 30 miles an hour.

John Stoll: It should be posted here shortly. The next couple of weeks would be my guess.

President Tornatta: Okay, thank you, John. Sorry, Bill.

Bill Jeffers: No, that’s quite alright. It reminded me that I need to come to the Commissioners as a citizen resident of Malibu Subdivision and ask for a posting of our subdivision at 20 or 25, because there’s just a few people who like to cruise down through there, especially on Sunday afternoons when there’s lots of children walking and riding their bicycles, at excessive speeds. So, thanks for the reminder.

Bill Jeffers: I do not have any ditch maintenance claims.

Bill Jeffers: In other business, we have some unfinished business, there’s a railroad bridge, gosh, I misspelled that too, but, anyway....ditch.

Brenda Jeffers: Oh, I did that.

Bill Jeffers: This is the project that I came to you and asked for a special deputy in the person of Bill Butz from Structurepointe Engineering who is working with the railroad. He’s also our consultant for the improvements in Hirsch Ditch and Stockfleth Ditch, so that made sense. The railroad, after about six months, you’ll remember about six months ago you declared an emergency because of the condition of the railroad trestle. Apparently, DNR doesn’t recognize those kinds of emergencies, they got the permit this week. You can see the condition of the bridge is, it has to be shored up, that’s why it’s going to be removed and widened. That, hopefully, touches on another subject in your earlier meeting, hopefully, we’ll increase the capacity of the ditch and possibly allow you to amend the flood plain maps, hopefully, down another half a foot or so, which will affect thousands of properties on the commercial area of the east side. Here’s another picture that shows a pipe that’s coming out, that’s an old railroad crossing, a spur, that was another obstruction to the free flow of water. That’s coming out, so, again, we might want to do an update on our flood plain study maps to show the positive impact of removing that pipe. Anyhow, just wanted to update you on that, and let you know it’s happening, finally, and it will help us reduce the flood plain elevations on the east side. Another hanging issue is Leisure Living West. I sent you a series of e-mails. If anyone needs a copy, Mr. Randy Sheffer included, at 11:19 today, his comment back to you showing you that he’s more than willing to do what we’ve asked him to do, and even has gone over that to try to establish some public relations with the neighbors. I don’t need to do anything but ask that be included in the record, I believe, with the rest....you are aware of those issues.

President Tornatta: That’s fine.

Bill Jeffers: Lot Seven in Heritage Park, Section Two had an encroachment agreement that I passed over last week. Luckily I passed it over, because Heritage Park, Section Two is not a recorded sub, so therefore an easement does not exist. I think I’ve touched on that in an e-mail to you. So, we’re trying to reassure you that the walking path and the little foot bridges they put in there are beautification issues, or items, and it gives the employees of that facility an opportunity to stroll a mile or two at lunchtime. I’ve looked at it, I don’t see anything that would interfere with drainage. I don’t see any danger to the county. I’m assuming that any liability remains that of the property owner who is allowing his employees to stroll along that path. So, I don’t think that encroachment agreement is needed at this time, and I don’t see how it’s possible until the easement is recorded. The only other issue is the Windemere encroachment, that was Sarah Schuler. I went out there today, took some pictures, want to reassure you that the job being done by Chris Combs’ Nursery is a beautiful job. They corrected most of the concerns, I think, that any neighbor would have about the adequacy of the waterway. They’re currently sodding the lawn, the swimming pool is in, everything is in but the fence, and I’m awaiting Jim Farney’s revised drawings to come back as the exhibits to be recorded with that encroachment agreement. The encroachment, basically, will be a fence over top of the waterway, with a wire guard beneath the fence to keep children, pets, etcetera from entering the yard and falling into the swimming pool. That’s required. So, those are updates. I have no further business.

President Tornatta: Okay.

President Tornatta: Any public comment? Any other business to bring to this board. Seeing none, I will entertain a motion to adjourn.

Commissioner Melcher: So moved.

Commissioner Winnecke: Second.

President Tornatta: We are adjourned.

(The meeting was adjourned at 6:13 p.m.)

Those in Attendance:

Troy Tornatta                            Stephen Melcher                      Lloyd Winnecke

Bill Jeffers                                 Ted C. Ziemer, Jr.                    Madelyn Grayson

Brenda Jeffers                          Others Unidentified                   Members of Media

VANDERBURGH COUNTY

DRAINAGE BOARD

Troy Tornatta, President

Stephen Melcher, Vice President

Lloyd Winnecke, Member

(Recorded and transcribed by Madelyn Grayson.)