Wells County Regional Sewer District

Wells County Regional Sewer District Regular Meeting Minutes

Subject Wells Co. RSD Date June 17, 2013 Facilitator Lee VonGunten Time 6:30 P.M. Location Wells County Carnegie Scribe Makaye Conrad Annex, Washington St., Bluffton, Indiana Attendees Wells County RSD Board Members: Lee VonGunten (President), Leon Berning (Treasurer), Makaye Conrad (Secretary) Others present from sign-in sheet: Pastor Neil Ainslie, Mark Miller, L. A. Brown, Gary and Janet Gerber, Mary Jo Neuenschwander, Joan Reinhard, Von Heyerly, Becky and Perry Isch, and Blake Gerber, Key Points of Discussion No Topic Highlights . 1. Call Regular Meeting to Order Lee VonGunten called the meeting to order at 6:30 p.m.; led Pledge of Allegiance and prayer 2. Roll Call – Board Members Lee VonGunten; Leon Berning; Makaye Conrad 3. Approval of Meeting Minutes Minutes from the April 15, 2013 meeting were from Previous Meetings distributed and reviewed by board members. Makaye Conrad made a motion to approve the minutes as written; Leon Berning seconded; and the motion carried. The Wells County Health Dept has posted the past minutes of RSD meetings and they are available for review by the public at www.wellscounty.org/septicDiv

Note: No RSD meeting was held in May 2013.

4. Old Business: A. RSD Attorney Nothing new to report on an RSD attorney

B. Funding of financial Nothing new to report on funding obligations of the RSD

C. IDEM update (City of Lee VonGunten reported the May meeting by IDEM Bluffton Meeting in May) and Bluffton city officials was an information- gathering meeting.

Lee also reported there are no new developments in getting the two empty seats on the RSD board filled. D. RSD Board vacancies

of 3 5. New Business: A. Pastor Neil Ainslie – Water Pastor Neil Ainslie introduced himself as a volunteer Sample /Testing Update with the Upper Wabash River Basin Commission which was enacted by the State Legislature in 2001 by House Bill 2119, under IC 14-30-4. It was established as a separate municipal corporation, which includes the areas located in Adams, Huntington, Jay, and Wells counties that is drained by the Wabash River, including the McKinney Paxson Ditch and other tributaries of the Wabash River. The mission of the UWRBC is to provide regional leadership and promotion of flood prevention and control, soil and water conservation and related resource management. Pastor Neil provided the RSD Board and citizens present with an education on the history and initiatives of the UWRBC, the water sampling processes and record keeping, and specific sampling data from sites in the McKinney Ditch area. Although there has not been a lot of water in the McKinney Ditch over the past drought year, the sampling data shows a trend of improvement in test results for E-coli bacteria but counts are still higher than acceptable levels so we need to keep working to make our water safer. People are being proactive in upgrades to their septic systems and preventive maintenance by pumping annually. The UWRBC will continue to collect testing data. Watershed data monitoring can be tracked on the Hoosier Riverwatch website. Hoosier Riverwatch is under the supervision of IDEM. Pastor Ainslie opined that this is a watershed issue, not just a McKinney Ditch area problem. UWRBC is always looking for more volunteers to assist with water sampling of 15 sites in Phase II. Training is provided. Great credit for community service.

B. Blake Gerber/Lee VonGunten Current RSD focus is learning more about the – onsite system update (off lot experimental systems being tried in Allen County discharge) under a special law passed by the Indiana General Assembly. The Indiana State Dept of Health is pleased with the results in Allen County per Wells County Commissioner Blake Gerber. Blake Gerber and RSD Board President Lee VonGunten hope to meet with Gary Chapple (Allen County Health Dept)

of 3 and Midwest Tile, who installed another type of experimental systems. We need to bear in mind that onsite systems that discharge require legislation or IDEM/Dept of Health approval. Allen County was listed in specific legislation that provided permission to use onsite, discharging systems. 6. Public Questions/Comments: Lee VonGunten will consult the Co Commissioner’s Attorney to see if all three RSD board members will be able to go see the onsite systems without breaching the Open Door Law. Leon Berning reiterated that we need to continue to address as old business at each meeting the issue of vacancies on the RSD Board for the mayor’s office and county council appointee. Appreciation of Pastor Neil Anislie’s service to the community was verbally recognized.

7. Meeting Adjournment Motion to adjourn made by Leon Berning; seconded by Makaye Conrad; motion carried and meeting was adjourned at 8:00 p.m. by Lee Von Gunten 8. Next Regular Board Meeting Monday, July 15, 2013, 6:30 P.M., Wells County Carnegie Annex