VANDERBURGH COUNTY

DRAINAGE BOARD

MARCH 4, 2008

The Vanderburgh County Drainage Board met in session this 4^th day of March, 2008 at 6:41 p.m. in room 301 of the Civic Center Complex with President Troy Tornatta presiding.

President Tornatta: I would like to call to order the Vanderburgh County Drainage Board, Tuesday, March 4, 2008 at approximately 6:41.

President Tornatta: Motion to approve the minutes?

Commissioner Nix: Move approval.

President Tornatta: Second. So ordered.

Bill Jeffers: Okay, I guess, we’re waiting for Commissioner Korb, in case we might need a vote. While we’re waiting, I would like to ask the Commissioners, as the Drainage Board to consider that at Hamilton’s Golf Course there are at least two or three structures, manmade structures, that are within or across Little Pigeon Creek that represent some drainage problems, have caused some drainage problems over the last several years. In all the negotiations that you go forward with, that possibly we could look at remediating or improving the condition out there as things change hands, okay? It’s caused problems for the Highway Department, and it’s caused problems for residents of Old Petersburg Estates. I can go into more detail on that when someone calls upon me to elaborate on it at a later time.

President Tornatta: And, I’m sure we’ll need that.

Bill Jeffers: Okay.

Bill Jeffers: Today, and I put one on Commissioner Korb’s desk, so he can review it at his leisure, representing the Vanderburgh County Surveyor’s 2008 annual report, required by statute. There’s no need to go into any detail tonight on it. It was compiled by Charles Alvey in our office. It was edited, and subsequently finished by Brenda Jeffers in our office. It contains a statement of the condition of all the drains in Vanderburgh County, and some of the conditions we intend to address with maintenance and repair contracts over the year. Let’s see if there’s anything else that doesn’t require a vote.

President Tornatta: We would probably make a motion to accept that report, would we not?

Bill Jeffers: Sure, you can do that.

Commissioner Nix: So moved.

President Tornatta: Second, and so ordered.

Bill Jeffers: We’re in kind of suspended animation on the obstruction hearing. You had directed me to seek advice from an independent contractor, and Mr. Harris was going to do the same with his contractor. Neither of us have been able to obtain an estimate on the work to be done due to weather conditions. Obviously, there’s nothing we can do, if we had an estimate, with the soil conditions the way they are. So, I’m going to ask you to move the hearing forward to April 1^st, rather than tonight. Mr. Harris was here earlier, he’s left, he’s aware of the situation. Ms. Wazny was here, and she’s left, and she’s aware of the situation. I talked with the Dennis’ on the telephone this afternoon, and they were to call the Conway’s. So, everyone is aware of the situation. I will send out a notice, if you move that forward to April 1^st, I will send out a written notice to all the parties.

Ted C. Ziemer, Jr.: Question, at that continued hearing, is that when we would hear whether the parties have resolved their differences or not? In which case we would go ahead and make the determinations that the statute provides for? Or, is that just going to be an information meeting? Or, what do you contemplate?

Bill Jeffers: Well, I contemplate first that it will be informational, that I will bring forward my information about an estimate of the costs anticipated for removing the obstruction. Mr. Harris could bring forward his information of a cost that his contractor would estimate for the same work. Then, if the other parties to the problem would like to present additional information that they haven’t had the opportunity to do so, they would probably want to say something. Then, if the Board chose, it could make a determination at that time, or it could continue the hearing for a legitimate reason.

Commissioner Nix: (Indaudible).

Ted C. Ziemer, Jr.: Yes, I would, so it’s in the public record.

Commissioner Nix: That was April 1^st, Bill?

Bill Jeffers: Yes, sir.

Commissioner Nix: Motion to move the meeting to April 1^st.

President Tornatta: Second, and so ordered.

Bill Jeffers: I guess, everyone’s seen the e-mails that I’ve been shooting around on Green River Road and Morgan Avenue? Two of the Commissioners have indicated their optimism towards the solution that INDOT has proposed. That, basically, is that because there is no way, this year, that we can put a culvert through that intersection, that Indiana, or AT&T, American Telephone and Telegraph, estimates that it will take over a year and $1.2 million to move their installation. That would kick everything forward into another budget period for INDOT, and that budget period would be beyond 2009. It would most likely be 2010-2011 before it got into a budget period, and, therefore, it might be 2012 before the intersection was improved. I think there’s a little more urgency to the surface improvement, and our consultant is telling us that if the headwall situation were improved, they anticipate that we could almost achieve the quantity of storm water flow that we would with a new culvert. Not quite, but almost achieve it, and that that might achieve our goal to a degree that would be, would indicate it would be more appropriate for us to move forward with the surface improvement, because it would serve so many thousands of trips per day. What 40,000 trips per day go through that intersection? I’m not sure of the exact count. But, the urgency is to get that improvement done at Green River and Morgan. Basically, my proposal was that we take our $500,000 and move it elsewhere. John Stoll, through the Commissioners, would use that $500,00 for other bridge projects, other drainage projects, and INDOT would design, install and pay for the headwall improvement. The County Surveyor would continue to work with the consultant, American Structurepoint, to modify the permits through the various regulatory agencies to allow for the modification to a headwall, rather than a full blown culvert. If that was agreeable to the Drainage Board, which also is the Commissioners, that we would move forward with that with INDOT. I think it’s an appropriate and economical solution to our problem.

President Tornatta: I would like to say that after reviewing all of the messages you’ve sent, and the notices that, I don’t know how we would have gotten that done without you. You were very adamant that we were sticking on the $500,000, as we were on this board, but, you went over and above and you got them to focus on the headwall, and we could take our $500,000 and move it somewhere else, still almost achieving the same goals. So, hats off to you, Bill, for the job you did to get that done. I appreciate it.

Bill Jeffers: Thank you. I was happy to be able to serve in that capacity.

Commissioner Nix: Bill, you had mentioned that it will almost accomplish the same, is there an elevation difference that you can put a number to?

Bill Jeffers: I’m still waiting for that figure from American Structurepoint. They indicated, we were looking for a quantity equal to the 100 year storm flow. They’re saying they think we can achieve the 75. You know, that’s like a theoretical figure that we don’t have a full handle on right now. But, rather than, let’s say, rather than achieving a full one and one half foot reduction in flood elevation, we may only achieve one foot reduction. But, these are just numbers coming off the tops of our head at this point in time. Both from American Structurepoint and from me. Rather than having those, I know they’re in the minutes of the meeting, but before they are cast in concrete, I would like to see those figures from our engineers.

Commissioner Nix: Is there a difference in the amount of insurance all these people would pay if the difference between the 75 year and the 100 year? Because, that was really the whole issue was to make sure that (inaudible) insurable.

Bill Jeffers: It might not make a difference in the amount of the insurance initially, because anytime you’re in a flood plain, if it’s a designated flood plain by FEMA, you have to pay the flood insurance. Excuse me, if your parcel of property has the blue shading anywhere on that parcel of property, you have to pay the flood insurance, until you get a letter of map amendment, or a letter of map revision. But, it would make it easier if we could lower that a foot, then the developers and the property owners would have to bring in one foot less of dirt to achieve the elevation of their finished floor, and it would make it more economical for them to obtain , ultimately, overall it would be more economical, because they could go ahead and obtain their letter of map amendment at a lower cost, because they didn’t have to bring in as much fill dirt. So, it doesn’t achieve everything we wanted to achieve, but there were indications from the Morley study that no matter how much water we got through that intersection, we would never totally erase the zone A flood plain from that five square miles. We would just be able to lower it. So, considering that, I think it’s the most expedient, appropriate and economical way we can do it.

President Tornatta: Alright.

President Tornatta: How about Hunter Chase Estates, preliminary plan?

Bill Jeffers: Okay, that’s on your desk in two copies, if you wanted to share a copy with the Commissioners to your right. That’s located on Green River Road, catty corner from the soccer complex, south of Millersburg Road on the east side of Green River. It’s a mixed use development with condominiums proposed along with strip commercial development fronting on Green River Road. Basically, the developer at this time has to record a plat in order to build a model condominium. He’s been through site review and got approval from everyone else on this single model condominium. The plan in front of you is from Sitecon. There are two representatives of Sitecon in the audience should you have any specific questions.

President Tornatta: This is directly across from the soccer complex, is it not?

Bill Jeffers: Slightly to the north.

President Tornatta: Yeah.

Bill Jeffers: I mean, just catty corner to the north.

President Tornatta: Right, okay.

Bill Jeffers: You’ve seen them moving dirt there.

President Tornatta: Yeah, and adjacent to the Randall Craig–

Bill Jeffers: Yes, sir.

President Tornatta: Yeah.

Bill Jeffers: That’s correct. The other rezoning that took place to the south of it right next to the creek. Was that the Randall Craig, I believe? Kendall.

President Tornatta: Kendall, yeah, Kendall.

Bill Jeffers: This is immediately north of Kendall, that’s correct. Kendall is right across from the soccer complex.

President Tornatta: Yes.

Bill Jeffers: This is a preliminary plan. So, there may be modifications that bring it to its final form of approval, but we are asking for approval of the preliminary plan for Hunter Chase.

President Tornatta: Motion?

Commissioner Nix: So moved.

Commissioner Korb: Second.

President Tornatta: So ordered.

Bill Jeffers: The second and last drainage plan is Stonefield Crossing Subdivision. This is where Menard’s or Menard’s Home Improvement would go. It came to the attention of the developer through the Corp of Engineers that his proposed alignment for a 48 inch pipe was not in accordance with the Corp of Engineers jurisdiction. So, he’s had to move that and run it parallel with Green River Road. The plan has been presented to the County Engineer, who may make comments to you during a subsequent hearing. However, the plan comports with the drainage ordinance. I think I made note in my e-mail to you that it would be subject to a mandrel testing. It’s a very important drainage structure, but the engineer also submitted details of the bedding of the pipe that was of great concern to John Stoll and myself. The bedding details comport with the manufacturer’s recommendations. So, therefore, the County Surveyor recommends approval of the revised final plan for Stonefield Crossing Subdivision.

Commissioner Nix: So moved.

Commissioner Korb: Second.

President Tornatta: So ordered.

Bill Jeffers: The last order of business I have to come before you is a notice to bidders. On the copy that I handed to Commissioner Korb and Commissioner Nix, you’ll notice a typographical error where I appointed Jeff Korb President of the Drainage Board. I’m sorry for my mistake. On the copy that I put in front of Madelyn and Commissioner Tornatta, I have–

Commissioner Korb: Who is the President.

Bill Jeffers: –who is the President, I crossed out member and put Troy Tornatta, President. I crossed out President behind Jeff Korb and put member.

President Tornatta: I’m going to have nightmares about this all night tonight.

Bill Jeffers: I know. You wish that you got out of being President, but, nonetheless, if you would sign that, we’ll be able to advertise on two subsequent days, seven days apart, and then open the bids on April 1^st.

President Tornatta: Motion?

Commissioner Nix: So moved.

Commissioner Korb: Second.

President Tornatta: So ordered. Any other business?

Bill Jeffers: I just wanted to let Commissioner Korb know that he missed some exciting action while you were out of the room.

Commissioner Korb: Did I?

Bill Jeffers: I have nothing else to bring before you.

Bill Jeffers: Yeah, you can stay up and watch it.

Commissioner Korb: How did we ever do with the three families and the one individual with the drainage issue? Is that what you talked about?

Bill Jeffers: We have moved that, the Board has moved that hearing forward to April 1^st for collection of more information to bring back to you.

Commissioner Korb: Okay.

President Tornatta: Okay, public comment? Anybody? With no public comment, motion to adjourn?

Commissioner Nix: So moved.

Commissioner Korb: Second.

President Tornatta: So ordered.

(The meeting was adjourned at 6:55 p.m.)

Those in Attendance:

Troy Tornatta                            Jeff Korb                                   Bill Nix

Bill Jeffers                                 Ted C. Ziemer, Jr.          Madelyn Grayson

Others Unidentified                   Members of Media

VANDERBURGH COUNTY

DRAINAGE BOARD

Troy Tornatta, President

Bill Nix, Vice President

Jeff Korb, Member

(Recorded and transcribed by Madelyn Grayson.)