VANDERBURGH COUNTY

DRAINAGE BOARD

JANUARY 27, 2009

The Vanderburgh County Drainage Board met in session this 27^th day of January, 2009 at 6:00 p.m. in room 301 of the Civic Center Complex with President Lloyd Winnecke presiding.

President Winnecke: At this time I would like to call to order the January 27^th meeting of the Vanderburgh County Drainage Board.

President Winnecke: First, I’ll entertain a motion to approve the minutes of the previous meeting.

Commissioner Tornatta: So moved.

Commissioner Melcher: Second.

President Winnecke: A motion and a second. Questions or discussion? Roll call vote.

Madelyn Grayson: Commissioner Tornatta?

Commissioner Tornatta: Yes.

Madelyn Grayson: Commissioner Melcher?

Commissioner Melcher: Yes.

Madelyn Grayson: President Winnecke?

President Winnecke: Yes.

(Motion approved 3-0)

President Winnecke: Mr. Jeffers, good evening.

Bill Jeffers: Good evening, Commissioner Winnecke. We have one drainage plan tonight. It’s very simple. It’s the Kingsmen’s Club. I’m sure most people are familiar with its location on Petersburg Road, just south of Baseline. The property also abuts Highway 57, it’s just north of VIP, or the county’s industrial park. There’s one large lake in the southeast, southwest corner of the property. All the water from the building, the existing building, and the improved driveway and the new parking area they plan to build will all drain into that lake. I believe they are going to turn it into a public party house, rather than a private facility. This came before the Area Plan Commission a week or so ago, and there were comments made about some work that had started without permits. Those comments were repeated in front of, to some extent, in front of your board last week during the rezoning. All that has been resolved. We had a site review committee meeting yesterday at 9:30, where both developers were present, with their engineer, and the applicants are very aware of the various permits and processes they must go through. So, the County Surveyor’s recommendation at this time is to approve the final drainage plan for Kingsmen’s Club site renovations, as it appears on your desk.

President Winnecke: Any remonstrators here tonight? Seeing and hearing none, at this time I would entertain a motion to approve the Surveyor’s recommendation.

Commissioner Tornatta: Upon the recommendation of the Surveyor, I would approve the Kingsmen’s Club site, 15901 Petersburg Road for its final plan.

Commissioner Melcher: I’ll second it.

President Winnecke: A motion and a second. Questions or discussion? Hearing none, roll call vote, please.

Madelyn Grayson: Commissioner Tornatta?

Commissioner Tornatta: Yes.

Madelyn Grayson: Commissioner Melcher?

Commissioner Melcher: Yes.

Madelyn Grayson: President Winnecke?

President Winnecke: Yes.

(Motion approved 3-0)

President Winnecke: Old business?

Bill Jeffers: Under old business, Commissioner Winnecke, I have just to remind the board of the Nickolick hearing, next week, February 3^rd, Tuesday. There does seem to be some progress towards a resolution between Vectren and Motel 6 as to who they’ll hire, half of the work’s already been done, who’s going to finish the rest of the work and how they’re going to pay for it. It’s a joint property line ditch, and they seem to be moving towards resolving it on their own, but the hearing’s scheduled, and it’s just a destination point for us to arrive at a mutual agreement between all the parties next week.

Bill Jeffers: I had hoped, and I had it on the agenda for some representatives from Warrick County to come present to you some of the progress they’re making on Pigeon Creek in their county. I think they have an 11 mile project, and they were hoping to have a joint Drainage Board meeting with you sometime in the near future to talk about extending that project into Vanderburgh County, at least down to Green River Road. But, apparently, due to the weather, and possibly them having a bit of trouble on the State Road 62, or 66, getting over here, they were not able to make it tonight. So, I’ll just put that off until a future meeting.

Bill Jeffers: Under new business, Norfolk Southern Railway, a fellow by the name of Howard Swanson called Friday. He’s responsible for bridges and structures, and he called regarding the wooden trestle that’s located on your picture here, Morgan Avenue, apparently we need a battery in the pointer that Brenda was so kind as to run down and get for me. But, it’s in the yellow circle there, Morgan Avenue. There’s an old wooden trestle that carries Crawford Brandeis ditch, which is called Lockwood Ditch by the State and the railroad, but, it’s Crawford Brandeis ditch, crosses under and goes north to Pigeon Creek at that point. That’s our emergency overflow for the entire southern half of the Eastside Urban drainage system. There’s 12 miles of drain that arrive at that point, and the major flow continues west to Pigeon Creek, but during high flow conditions, when the water gets four feet deep or deeper in the ditch, the emergency overflow takes a portion of it north. There’s, that trestle is in a deteriorated condition, and they would like to replace it using a pipe. I think what Norfolk Southern had hoped is that they could use a small diameter pipe, to save some expense, but I informed Mr. Swanson, much to his chagrin, that we would most likely require a larger structure than that. I have instructed Structurepoint, American Structurepoint, who is our consultant, right now they’re designing an improvement, this is Stockfleth Ditch headed north, right towards that point, they are designing an improvement for approximately 500 or 600 feet upstream, a couple or 300 feet downstream to this next crossing, and just that whole general area, to improve it, because we’re having problems at that particular point, to include in that improvement a discussion with Norfolk Southern as to what size structure would be required there. Mr., I just wanted all this on the record to make sure that he was aware that we’re moving in that direction. Mr. Swanson plans on being here next Thursday, or the day after tomorrow, and by that time I should have an answer from our engineers as to what size pipe would be required. That’s an update on that project.

Bill Jeffers: I have a large folder full of claims for all the work that’s been done on the regulated drains last year, and some extending into this year. All the paperwork is in order. It’s all been signed, and the recommendation is to approve those claims.

Madelyn Grayson: President Winnecke, in past years the Drainage Board has made a motion allowing myself to stamp the Commissioners names on these claims because there are so many. The State Board of Accounts has approved that process. So, unless you just prefer to sign each one–

President Winnecke: That sounds like–

Commissioner Tornatta: I would make a motion to do just that.

Commissioner Melcher: I’ll second.

President Winnecke: All in favor? Aye.

Commissioner Tornatta: Aye.

Commissioner Melcher: Aye.

Bill Jeffers: Under other business, and since there probably is no public comment, the only thing I would say is that it looks like school is out today, probably out tomorrow, and I want to repeat–

Commissioner Tornatta: It is out–

Bill Jeffers: It is out tomorrow?

Commissioner Tornatta: –on the 28^th.

Bill Jeffers: The 28^th of January.

Commissioner Tornatta: The 28^th of January, there will be no school–

Bill Jeffers: That’s correct.

Commissioner Tornatta: – for the EVSC, and all its affiliates.

Bill Jeffers: For those of you who are watching at home, we’re just talking about the Evansville-Vanderburgh School Corporation and affiliates on January 28^th.

Commissioner Tornatta: The 28^th only, as of now.

Bill Jeffers: Since school will be out on the 28^th of January, 2009, there’s a lot of young people who will be out there, possibly playing outside for short periods of time, I hope, before coming in and warming up. Please, parents, know where your children are. We do have a lot of detention ponds that have a depth of anywhere from five to 20 feet deep in these new subdivisions. The ice is not necessarily thick enough, it may be, children are adventurous. We’ve had an ice storm, so it may look thick, it may not be structurally strong enough to hold children.

Commissioner Tornatta: So, long story short, stay out of our drains.

Bill Jeffers: Do not go on that ice. Also, be aware that dogs, a lot of dogs are curious, and especially retrievers and so forth will chase ducks out there and get under the ice and cannot find their way out. Know where your children, know where your young people are, and know where your pets are in this kind of weather.

President Winnecke: Good advice. Thank you, Mr. Jeffers.

Commissioner Tornatta: Thank you.

President Winnecke: Any other business to bring before us?

Bill Jeffers: No, sir.

President Winnecke: At this time I would entertain a motion to adjourn.

Commissioner Tornatta: So moved.

Commissioner Melcher: Second.

President Winnecke: We are adjourned.

(The meeting was adjourned at 6:10 p.m.)

Those in Attendance:

Lloyd Winnecke                        Troy Tornatta                            Stephen Melcher

Bill Jeffers                                 David Miller                               Madelyn Grayson

Others Unidentified                   Members of Media

VANDERBURGH COUNTY

DRAINAGE BOARD

Lloyd Winnecke, President

Troy Tornatta, Vice President

Stephen Melcher, Member

(Recorded and transcribed by Madelyn Grayson.)