Revisions to Little Cal levee bill proposed

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Updated: March 9, 2012 8:16AM

MERRILLVILLE — A coalition of local city and town officials, state senators and others have come together to create an “enhanced and amended” version of House Bill 1264, which would create a tiered fee system to fund the operation and maintenance of the Little Calumet River levee, town officials said Tuesday.

Matt Lake, executive director of the Merrillville Stormwater Management Utility, said while the wording has not been finalized, Lake County residents living within the watershed could pay either $25, $35 or $45 per year under the new proposal, depending on where they live and how much they are affected by the Little Calumet River.

He said people living on the east side of Lake County, including those in Merrillville and Hobart, would probably pay $25 per year.

He said the amended version of House Bill 1264 also would ensure that any surplus money raised from the fee would come back to the whole area for stormwater projects and the makeup of the Little Calumet River Basin Commission could change.

Under the current version of the bill, which was overwhelmingly approved by the state House and is headed to a Senate committee next week, every Lake County resident living within the Little Calumet River and Burns Waterway watersheds would pay a $45-a-year special assessment, but the money would only be spent within one mile of the river and waterway in both Lake and Porter counties.

The current proposed bill also calls for the Regional Development Authority to be repaid a $6 million loan.

“Do you pay back the RDA? That’s a controversial subject,” Lake said.

Councilwoman Chrissy Barron, D-5th, said all elected officials who have attended the meetings appear to be on board with the revisions.

“Everyone agrees that no one wants to kill the bill. We just want it restructured so it’s fair. I think we’ve come up with something that’s much more fair,” Barron said following a Merrillville Stormwater Management Board meeting.

Merrillville and Hobart officials have publicly opposed the current version of the bill, saying residents of their communities will have to pay the same amount as those living close to the river while their own flooding woes won’t be addressed in the bill.

Lake said the revised version should be firmed up in the next day or two.

It’s hoped that one of the local senators will sponsor the amended version of the bill.

State Sen. Sue Landske, R-Cedar Lake, is sponsoring House Bill 1264 in the Senate.

State Rep. Ed Soliday, R-Valparaiso, sponsored the bill in the House.

Soliday has said that a tiered system won’t work.

He said according to consultants, Merrillville would only come out $1 ahead if the fees were raised 50 percent for those living by the river.