Lake County Drainage Board Meeting – April 15, 2026
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Lake County Drainage Board Meeting – April 15, 2026
The Lake County Drainage Board convened at 9:00 AM (Advisory Committee met at 8:00 AM) in the Commissioners Courtroom. Board members present included Chairman Michael Repay, Jerry Tippy, and Kyle W. Allen Sr. The meeting addressed a new petition from the Lake County Highway Department, approved two financial payments, and scheduled a public hearing for May 20, 2026.
Discussion Items
- Petition 134-04-26 – Lake County Highway Department (private drain near 80/94 and Chupa property): A representative (likely the Drainage Administrator or County Surveyor) explained that a private drain on the Chupa property had failed, causing water to stand on a county road and creating a hazard. The Highway Department sought to repair the drain, but because it is a private drain with no easement, the proper procedure is to set a public hearing under Indiana statute (IC 36-9-27) to determine responsibility and cost. The board voted unanimously (2-0-1) to schedule a public hearing on May 20, 2026, at 9:00 AM.
- MS4 Water Quality – Juvenile Detention Center Restoration and 2026 Leroy Community Center Drainage: No action items were required on these two projects. However, the board approved a payment of $1,000 to Tom Larson (wildlife control specialist) for beaver removal and dam relocation at Kaiser Ditch near Calumet Cemetery. The motion carried 2-0-1.
- U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Invoice – Septic Infrastructure Master Plan: The board approved payment of $53,948.88 for a prior PAS study (circa 2016-2017) related to the Lake County Indiana Sanitary Septic Infrastructure Master Plan. The Drainage Administrator noted the invoice was valid despite personnel changes at the Corps and that the study had led to beneficial ARPA-funded projects. The motion carried 2-0-1.
Key Outcomes
- Scheduled a public hearing for May 20, 2026, at 9:00 AM to address the Lake County Highway Department’s petition regarding the private drain (Petition 134-04-26).
- Approved $1,000 payment to Tom Larson for beaver removal at Kaiser Ditch (motion carried 2-0-1).
- Approved $53,948.88 payment to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for the septic infrastructure master plan study (motion carried 2-0-1).
Meeting Transcript
This is the handout. Uh petition one thirty-four zero four twenty-six from Lake County Highway Department. Go ahead. Yeah. So this is uh in this case, uh the Chupa's uh old property um uh eighty or uh incorporated um as a private brain on it uh that flows from uh from the uh right away to the rear of the property to a ditch. Uh that private brain has failed. And um there's been some disagreement uh between uh I guess our office, uh, public works highway, and the chupas they would they want us to repair it. Um, even though it's private brain with no eastern over it. Um they want to be compensated for uh the driveway that is uh cracked, they say because it's the same water and they file a lawsuit on it. So prior to that I said that's pretty good. I'm not even an engineering that doesn't make sense. That doesn't make sense. Right. So he found it without an alternative. Uh initially he's now a guy attorney, so I think these will be resolved totally here shortly. But in the meantime, there's water standing out of the road creating a hazard to the public in the department without actually pumped it down just because of that issue. Um this is another option available to us for the drain. It's a private beautiful brain. Yeah. Yes, because it does go on to the it goes across all the properties from the highway department for the right away, owned by the county over their property. So it goes over multiple properties. So private usual brain. Um that procedure uh with you mean would we assume the liability and responsibility of the drain? No. We we do the procedure where um basically the highway department or whoever anybody you guys for the and then I do a report in the meantime. Um set it for a hearing. So I asked that this be set for a hearing at the May uh draining board meeting um so that uh we can get this resolved this way, and I'll make a recommendation to you on who should pay the cost of that repair. Okay, um you guys can make a decision at that hearing. Statue was established way back, well not way back, but a little bit ago when you'd have mutual drain go through two farmers' fields, and the guy downstream ledges, tile say deteriorate, and then it stops the flow from the upstream farmer. So this statute was created to open that up so that they could get drainage for the rest of the property. And that's what's happening here. The highway needs that drainage so that the road doesn't uh is this the is this related to that? No, no, as the previous is there is there anything related to the application that talks about the all these various properties and uh no I don't have things that are prepared. We we just received this uh yesterday. So I'll do a report uh for the next meeting if you decide to set it for a hearing. Uh that's the request is to make set it for a hearing for May uh what 13th, 20th 20th. Then Mr. Chairman uh would move to uh set a hearing, public hearing on May the 20th, 9 a.m. to address the issue uh outlined in the survey or in the engineer's overview. I'll second with the orchestra the motion carries 201 episode. Thank you. Item seven is for water quality. Uh again, there are two projects underway. Um, the juvenile detention center restoration that is currently being worked on. Um so if you go over there and you can see Delta active over there, no action items on either one of those. Um I would ask for approval of payment, the invoice of one thousand dollars to our wildlife population control specialist Tom Larson for the Kaiser Ditch near Kyle Met Cemetery removal of wildlife. So you just need a motion for approval. Yes, please. Mr. Chairman, I'll move for approval.
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