County council gets information on regional utility district
Last month the council tabled a resolution in support of creating a regional utility district to resolve an issue in the Scott's Addition in Monroe Township.
The Madison County commissioners have already approved the resolution; the council is expected to consider it again at its Tuesday meeting.
In 2023, the Indiana Department of Environmental Management fined Madison County $1,700 over raw sewage flowing into Pipe Creek.
The county entered into an agreement order with the state agency to remedy the problem in the Scott's Addition.
The agreed order states that IDEM did an inspection on Sept. 21, 2022, and staff observed a broken concrete storm sewer pipe.
'The water flowing in the pipe was black and septic with an odor of raw sewage,' according to an inspection report. 'The pipe was traced to an unnamed tributary where it discharged from a concrete outfall.'
Madison County Engineer Jessica Bastin said the commissioners and council have already approved $3.5 million in American Rescue Plan funds to resolve the issue.
She said American Rescue Plan funds were used to develop an infrastructure master plan for the county, with water and wastewater high on the list.
Bastin said residents in the subdivision are unable to replace existing septic systems, which were installed in the 1950s.
Alexandria Mayor Todd Naselroad said the city is willing to allow the connection of a sewer line to the city's wastewater treatment plant and has the capacity to treat the water.
Bastin said Commonwealth Engineering has completed a draft of the study, which was discussed with council members during the executive session.
She said work was already started to resolve the pollution problem in the subdivision to the east of Ind. 9 several years ago.
Bastin said if the letter of support is approved by the county council, it will be submitted to the Indiana Department of Environmental Management.
She said IDEM will conduct a public hearing and notices will be sent to property owners and advertised 30 days before the hearing takes place.
Bastin said county officials will also conduct a public hearing to share information with property owners, and a review of the plan will be submitted to IDEM.
That will trigger a 180-day period for public comment, and a second public hearing will take place in Madison County.
'IDEM would have to approve any project,' Bastin said.
Councilwoman Bethany Keller raised concerns about the process at the March council meeting, asking if property owners would be required to tap into a sewer line and inquiring about the makeup of the proposed board.
The board will consist of five members, with the commissioners, Madison County Council, Alexandria mayor, the county health department and Monroe Township trustee each making appointments.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Indianapolis Star
28-07-2025
- Indianapolis Star
Beech Grove named Indiana's first gold level Clean Community in IDEM program
Indiana's Clean Community program handed out its first gold level status to Beech Grove since the state initiative began in 2021. The Indiana Department of Environmental Management awarded the city the highest status of the program July 25. The Clean Community program is an effort to make Indiana a cleaner, healthier and more sustainable place to live, according to IDEM. 'City leadership worked earnestly on behalf of their citizens to ensure a community dedicated to environmental stewardship,' IDEM Commissioner Clint Woods said in a statement. 'Being the first municipality to reach this milestone is a significant and well-deserved honor.' The Clean Community program includes three levels of achievement — bronze, silver and gold — which increase as municipalities complete more sustainability projects. Beech Grove has installed natural spaces in parking areas, conducted an inventory of its Brownfield sites, passed ordinances improving stormwater management, and hosted toxic substance disposal events. The city also runs a quarterly drive-up recycling effort with the next event coming up Sept. 6. 'We are honored to work alongside IDEM to become the first city in Indiana to earn gold status, as it reflects on our community's commitment to being thoughtful stewards of our environment for generations to come,' Beech Grover Mayor James Coffman said in a statement. IDEM's Clean Community program is voluntary, and so far 12 municipalities have signed up. Bloomington, Evansville and New Chicago along with four other cities are in the bronze tier, while Fishers, Zionsville, Richmond and Brown County are on the silver tier. For now, Beech Grove stands alone in gold tier. Bronze tier achievement requires a municipality to have a history of positive environmental compliance. The municipality must then create a Clean Team to prove there are dedicated resources toward sustainability. To move into the silver tier, a municipality must meet all bronze level requirements and also implement between four and eight projects. They also must measure and report on performance metrics. To achieve the top gold tier, a municipality must meet all bronze and silver requirements as well as implementing four to eight new projects along with monitoring requirements. The program is aimed at helping communities become more sustainable and resilient by providing a pathway for continuous improvement, according to IDEM. The recognition doesn't come with a trophy or monetary prize, but participation earns cities recognition when applying for competitive grants and assistance programs. The Clean Community program is open to all of Indiana's towns, cities and counties. IDEM hosts annual meetings for participating locations. IndyStar's environmental reporting project is made possible through the generous support of the nonprofit Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust.
Yahoo
10-07-2025
- Yahoo
Indiana among top states for cover crop adoption
Hoosier farmers planted about 1.6 million acres of overwinter living covers – cover crops and small grains, like wheat – this spring. (Photo byHoosier farmers planted about 1.6 million acres of overwinter living covers – cover crops and small grains, like wheat – this spring, elevating the state to the top in the nation in cover crop adoption, according to a survey by the Indiana State Department of Agriculture. The conservation survey, conducted between March and May, recorded 651,000 acres of corn and 916,000 acres of soybean covering the state. Posey County led the state with about 87,000 acres under cover crops, followed by Gibson County with 70,000 acres and LaPorte County with 60,000 acres. 'Hoosier farmers are committed to preserving one of God's most (precious) gifts – Earth,' Lt. Gov. Micah Beckwith said in a press release. 'Overwintering covers are just one tool that farmers use to preserve and enhance our farmland — ensuring they can pass down their property for generations. This is no easy task, and it can be costly. I applaud them for the extra effort.' Farmers plant cover crops after the fall harvest to keep roots in the ground throughout the winter. They help build organic matter in the soil, improve overall soil health and reduce erosion. Some, such as legumes, also act as natural fertilizers. Cover crops have grown to cover more acreage in Indiana than any other commodity crop apart from corn and soybeans. Acres of Living Green Cover Planted The survey estimates that cover crops helped prevent 1.8 million tons of sediment from entering Indiana's waterways — enough to fill about 18,000 train freight cars. According to the Indiana Department of Environmental Management, constructing roads, buildings and the moving earth can cause sediment to enter waterways – making sediment the number one water quality pollutant in Indiana. The survey also revealed that 70% of row crop acres were untilled — a method where crops are planted directly in residue of the previous crop. Additionally 18% had used reduced tillage over winter following the 2024 harvest. Last year, Hoosier farmers broke the conservation record, planting 1.7 million acres under living cover. The Indiana Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts, who assisted in conducting the survey, was among the many hit by federal funding freezes. The federal funding freezes left the Allen County district in turmoil – hurting operations and terminating an employee.
Miami Herald
04-06-2025
- Miami Herald
House looks to cut Hope Florida staffing as lawmakers scramble to set budget
In an early, antagonizing move during the dedicated two-week budget conference that began Tuesday, the Republican House lawmaker investigating Hope Florida is proposing to cut millions from its state funding. Rep. Alex Andrade is striking funding for 20 Hope navigator positions, state workers who man a hotline and are supposed to direct people in need to nongovernment programs for help. The hotline is the communicative spine of Hope Florida, intended to help wean people off of government assistance. Andrade also suggested striking six proposed positions for navigators from the Florida Department of Veterans' Affairs. The positions were requested in Gov. Ron DeSantis' proposed budget and initially funded in the House's healthcare offer from March. But that was before Andrade began investigating the charity supporting Hope Florida. The total amount the House is proposing to cut from its March healthcare budget offer is $2.5 million. The Senate would have to agree to the cuts. Hope Florida's helpline is currently funded by federal child abuse prevention grants through the American Rescue Plan, which is set to expire. DeSantis asked lawmakers for $2 million to continue staffing the call line. It's not clear how much Hope Florida, a nebulous program that spans numerous state agencies, costs the state. DeSantis has said it repurposes existing resources, including by converting at least 150 people to Hope navigators, but the state has also paid a vendor about $6 million to match needy Floridians with local churches and nonprofits under the program. Andrade said that while the Hope Florida navigators give him 'less heartburn' than the related charity, he was still concerned about the state program. The program and the charity are linked in their mission to get Floridians off of government aid. Both are spearheaded by first lady Casey DeSantis. Since Hope Florida has come under scrutiny, the first couple have been calling it a 'philosophy,' not a program. Andrade said their inability to define Hope Florida was troubling. And it also worried him that the state official who ran Hope Florida in the Department of Children and Families, Shevaun Harris, didn't know while testifying in his health budget committee earlier this year that there was someone who was responsible for the entire program. 'Shevaun Harris didn't realize she'd hired the Hope Florida executive director,' Andrade said over text message about why he was making the cuts, 'and the Governor's office can't decide if the program is a 'philosophy' or a 'movement.'' When asked whether the proposed cuts would affect negotiations between the two chambers, Sen. Jay Trumbull, a Panama City Republican and the Senate chairman of the health budget conference, said he didn't 'see any particular issue being a hang-up at this point.' 'It's more of a question of how far we can get before tomorrow at 2,' Trumbull told the Herald/Times in a text message. 'We are working to make as much progress as possible.' Without a resolution by Thursday afternoon, higher-ranking members of the House and Senate will decide what to do with the navigator positions. A Senate spokeswoman said that while Senate President Ben Albritton supports his chamber's offer on the Hope navigators — funding the 20 staffers currently employed and six additional positions in Veterans' Affairs — he wasn't going to weigh in at this time on how big a deal the House's decision is for negotiations. Albritton, who is emphatic about his faith, generally supports Hope Florida. One of the key elements of the program is that it taps into the faith community for help steering Floridians from government aid. 'The mission of Hope Florida makes sense to me. I do believe it will help people that need direction to be able to build a better path for their life,' Albritton, R-Wauchula, told CBS News Miami on April 13. The next day, the Herald/Times reported Andrade was planning to subpoena the attorney general in relation to his Hope Florida probe. He never did send the subpoena. Regardless, Albritton quickly killed legislation moving through his chamber that would have enshrined the program into state law. 'State government should be about continuous improvement,' Albritton said at the time. 'When things are not as transparent as we would like, or as they should be, we should not throw the baby out with the bathwater, but we should improve and look for opportunities to do better moving forward.' Miami Herald religion reporter Lauren Costantino contributed to this report.
